10 year school boatbuilding project sets sail

The 20-tonne vessel named ‘Tenacity of Bolton’ has completed successful sea trials and is now being used by students for training and educational purposes. The ambitious £400,000 project was the idea of former head of technology Mike Whitmarsh and started in 1998. The 12-berth boat is now fully registered as a commercial vessel and is moored at Glasson Dock in Lancaster. For its construction, a purpose-built yard and garage was erected at the school. “Concrete boats became popular at the turn of the last century but following the end of WWII, the popularity died out and although a number of smaller recreational boats are still made from concrete, very few ships of this size are made from concrete,” Whitmarsh said. “The advantage of this method is that materials costs are lower than wood and steel and few specialist tools are needed.” Although old technology is employed in its construction, it is thoroughly modern in all other respects. The Exide Technologies batteries for the onboard electrical systems are the same type that would be used in fork lift trucks and electric boats/barges. They are robust and efficient – especially when used in conjunction with renewable energy sources. An onboard wind generator harnesses wind power when at sea and in the dock. Although the batteries can also be hooked up to the mains when in dock, they are even recharged via an alternator from the engines.