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A Newlyn based charity which aims to teach disadvantaged and disabled
youngsters seamanship, watercraft, diving and nautical engineering skills
is appealing for help to get its vessels trough a survey.
Once
it has been passed as seaworthy by a Maritime and Coastguard agency survey,
the Johno Johnson Diving Foundation’s 83ft former beam trawler will
be able to take groups of up to 12 youngsters out to sea.
The boat will also be used to carry out contract work, with schemes already
in the pipeline to raise funds for the charity.
However, the charity needs a deck-winch and 10kw generator to get the
boat through the MCA survey.
The foundation’s engineer, Chris Buckingham, says he is hoping
that any reconditioning firms hearing the charity’s plea will be
able to supply them with a 10kw generator – as the charity has a
23kw ship’s generator that needs re-conditioning that it could swap
it in return.
He is also hoping that someone will be able to donate a deck-winch –
as having these two items given to the foundation would save it around
£3,000.
The
charity would like to hear from anyone who has any marine paint that is
surplus to requirements, to give the boat a lick of paint before it sees
service.
The decommissioned trawler was called the JTS, but now it has been converted
in to a multi-purpose ship it needs a new name and the foundation hopes
member of the public will be able to give it one – and raise funds
for the charity at the same time.
Chris explained that the foundation hopes to run a competition that people
will pay to enter, with the winner being given the privilege of naming
the boat, christening her at a ceremony and than heading out to sea for
a special voyage.
The foundation is named after Johno Johnson, a former diving partner
of the charity’s head diver and trustee Paul Heald.
It was originally based in Sheffield, where the charity had hoped to
buy a quarry to use for its diving training. However, it is in the process
of relocating its registered address to Newlyn where its boat is based
at the Mary Williams Pier.
The foundation is not looking at renting a local quarry – or may
be even the Jubilee Pool – to use for its basic swim and dive training,
before youngsters are taken out to sea for open water training.
If you can help with either a deck-winch, a 10kw generator, marine paint,
fundraising or just want to know more about the charity, call Paul Heald
on 07985 538 641 or Chris Buckingham on 07905 369 81, visit him aboard
the foundation’s ship moored up at the Mary Williams Pier in Newlyn,
by the Ice Works.
article copyright © THE CORNISHMAN
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