Leicestershire duo launch bid to build all solar-powered canal boat

A pair of narrowboat owners have started an ambitious project to build a solar-powered passenger canal boat.

The plan is to launch an all-electric boat to operate on the Ashby Canal in Leicestershire.

The £70,000 project was the brainchild of Tom Malone and Tom Jeffery, who live on narrowboats at Sutton Wharf, near Sutton Cheney, in Leicestershire.

Their boat, called Faraday, could embark on its maiden voyage by July if fundraising is a success.

The proposed 12-person passenger vessel will be powered by an electric motor rather than a traditional diesel engine, which the team said will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1.7 tonnes per year and save over 70% of annual fuel expenditure.

They need to raise a third of the build cost through a crowdfunding campaign, with the rest already funded by personal savings and a grant from the University of Nottingham.

The project began when Mr Malone, 40, who is a qualified electrical engineer, met chef and carpenter Mr Jeffery, 25, at the wharf in 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Mr Malone said: "We want to build an eco-friendly 38 ft (11.6m) narrow boat - fitted with a licensed bar and kitchen - that takes people on one-hour trips and three-hour dining cruises along the Ashby Canal.

"We look forward to running an eco-friendly business and offering a new visitor attraction, which we hope will introduce a new generation of people to our canals."

Faraday, a name inspired by British scientist Michael Faraday, will initially need to be charged using grid electricity but further plans are in place for a permanent onshore solar array.

Mr Malone added: "Tom's family used to run passengers boat trips along the Ashby Canal for 15 years and it's been his dream to start doing it again.

"Last summer we were sitting and talking about it and I said "let's do it", but make it electric and completely eco-friendly."

Mr Malone and Mr Jefferey said they hope supporters of the campaign will pre-pay for a trip or cruise in advance in an effort to raise the £22,800 to help fund the project's completion.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].