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Martyn McLaughlin
It is a vessel unlike any other, built for a treacherous journey that has never before been undertaken.
Scots explorer Jock Wishart has unveiled the boat-cum-sledge in which he hopes to navigate the icy waters of the Arctic.
He will skipper the pioneering frost-proof vessel through water, snow and ice on a gruelling 450-mile trek next summer.Known as the Old Pulteney, the boat was put to the test during its unveiling at the outdoor ice rink at the Natural History Museum in London yesterday.Mr Wishart said he hoped other adventurers would learn from the vessel's design and adapt it for future use.Dutch yacht designer Peter Bosgraaf teamed up with Hugh Welbourne, a Devon-based boat expert, and Europe's top sledge designer Roger Daynes to create the adapted rowing boat.The sleek, navy blue vessel - a colour chosen to absorb heat - resembles an elongated powerboat and was built in Christchurch, Dorset. It is the first of its kind to have a "cathedral hull" with sledge runners fitted underneath.Sheathed in carbon fibre and Kevlar to withstand extreme Arctic conditions, the boat will remain light enough for the crew to pull, with a planned weight of 900 kilograms.Furthermore, it has been designed with a golden underside so that in the worst-case scenario, Mr Wishart and his five-man crew will be able to spot the vessel should it capsize. Mr Wishart, 57, who is originally from Dumfries and claims to be a descendant of Robert Burns, described his latest adventure as the "greatest challenge of my life"."We've taken on a lot of research in the design of the boat so it can reach speeds of three knots in the icy water, but also so we can lift it up and pull it on the ice if need be," he said."We had a yacht designer who didn't know a thing about sledges and a sledge designer who didn't know about yachts, but they've come up with something special."Photo PA
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