Kathleen and May

The Bristol Harbour Festival begins today and runs through the weekend. It is expected to attract over 200,000 people and is one of the biggest free events in the UK.    In addition to Brunel’s SS Great Britain, on permanent display in Bristol, the harbor will be visited by the three-masted schooner Kathleen and May, as well as the  Matthew, a replica of explorer John Cabot’s ship from 1497. Also visiting for the festival is the Vilma an ex Danish fishing boat from 1934, rerigged like an old Irish trading schooner.