Win a Hunter 19 at the London Boat Show

Volunteers from Burnham-on-Crouch RNLI work on Barangoola

An innovative fundraising drive by the RNLI has produced a £5,000 prize and a perfect example of how to get into boating without breaking the bank.

Thanks to some dedicated volunteers and the generosity of the Marine Trades Association and numerous marine companies, a £5 raffle ticket at this year’s London Boat Show could win you a restored 5.8m (19ft) Keelboat, lifejackets, oilskins and even some RYA training.

After three months’ work, the Hunter 19, Barangoola, which had lad lain unused for several years, has been brought to life thanks to the hard work of several RNLI volunteers and donations from the industry adding up to £5,000.

The Marine Trades Association has negotiated a spot at the show right next to the Main Stage in the North Hall to sell tickets. The money raised will go towards the Burnham-on-Crouch floating boathouse appeal and one lucky winner at the end of the show will drive away with Barangoola on a roadworthy trailer, plus a set of oilskins, lifejackets and £400 of RYA training.

“We just wanted to show that boat ownership need not break the bank,” says project manager David Lewin. “Obviously we’ve done a year’s work in three months but it is a cost-effective way to get into boating.”

Check out www.pbo.co.uk in the run-up to the show for the full set of online diaries and blogs from the builders.

Practical Boat Owner 517 Jan 2010 www.pbo.co.uk

Boating on a Budget

The first boat that visitors to this year’s London Boat Show at ExCel will see is a 36-year-old Hunter 19 Barangoola, which has been completely refurbished by David Lewin, of Essex-based FLAG Paints Ltd, as part of the British Marine Federation’s (BMF) “Boating on a Budget” project to encourage first time sailors to buy smaller, older boats to start their sailing careers.

The Hunter 19 is a “roofed in” version of the popular Squib keel boat and is being raffled at £5 a ticket in aid of the Burnham-on-Crouch RNLI’s floating boathouse appeal.

The whole project is set to cost less than £5,000 to demonstrate that people can start boating without having to take out a second mortgage to do so (and some lucky punter is going home with a “new” boat worth £5K for £5).

Page 19 Jan 2010 Sailing Today eastcoast@sailingtoday.co.uk