In the winter of 2013, SCBT initiated a new project to replace the Black Prince with a new, purpose built vessel to operate within Swansea Marina and along the River Tawe navigation. After reviewing a number of boat builders, we finally chose a British firm with over 40 years of experience in designing and building boats for the inland waterways – Colecraft Boats. With the requirements to ensure the new boat met the rigorous and exacting standards of the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), we were pleased to see that Colecraft had a proven track record of not only building boats for private use, but had built over 20 inland waterways commercial trip boats in the past 6 years that met MCA certification.
The following pictures show the progress of the new build from basic shell through to finishing touches…
Copper Jack – The hull is starting to take shape
Copper Jack – Hull blacking
Copper Jack – Sealing the buoyancy tanks
Copper Jack – Building the passenger cabin
Copper Jack – Hull blacking
Copper Jack – Inspection by some of the SCBT board members
Copper Jack – Stern view leaving fabrication en-route to finishing shop
Copper Jack – First coats of paint
Copper Jack – First coats of paint
Copper Jack – Starting the internal fit out
Copper Jack – Bow design
Copper Jack – Buoyancy tanks with protective paint