When I heard that a man was sailing a charity box that he had converted into a boat, from Henley-on-Thames to Shepperton, I just had to grab my camera bag, hop on my bike and go and see what this was all about.
I timed it to perfection arriving at Chertsey lock just as his support crew were filling the lock to allow Paul Weatherill, the boat’s Captain, to steer the boat into the lock.
Exiting the lock proved not to be quite so easy as the wind picked up and drove straight into the lock making it difficult for Paul to navigate the boat. After a few attempts, which resulted in the really quite small boat striking the sides of the lock, the ShelterBoat was towed out to the lock moorings, where Paul and his team inspected the boat for damage, that could scupper the whole trip.
As a result of the troubles I didn’t get the shot I was hoping for, of the ShelterBoat coming out of the lock taken from close to the water, but the unexpected is always interesting, and different to the countless shots of the boat on the river!
The boat itself is constructed using an old green box that the charity ShelterBox used to use to ship aid to disaster struck countries around the world. The ShelterBoat is sustainably powered by an outboard electric motor and propellor, which runs off some onboard batteries. There are two solar panels on one side of the boat that keep the batteries topped up, although they do need charging to full power overnight. There is also a small sail that aids propulsion when the wind is in the right direction, and which sports the charity’s logo.
There were no further hiccups on his journey as Paul and the ShelterBoat arrived on time at Shepperton Lock where they were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of well wishers and supporters. The Mayor of Spelthorne even turned up to congratulate Paul and his support team on their efforts.
There was even time for a victory lap around D’Oyly Carte Island with the ShelterBoat leading a convoy of ferry boats around the island. I managed to blag my way onto the support rib (expertly steered by Paul’s son Joe) so I could grab some shots from the river (including the leader image to this blog post).
After the victory lap the ShelterBoat was brought ashore and disassembled ready to be transported back to Norfolk, after which I jumped on my bike and headed home.
You can find out more about the ShelterBoat, and support Paul’s magnificent achievement by going here, and you can find out more about ShelterBox here.
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:DK
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