News

We are pleased to announce that the Boleh Trust has received an additional £63,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to carry out a sail training transition study which will benefit local young people.

The funding will help set up a sail training partnership with local organisations to secure the long term future of the historic junk yacht Boleh, currently being restored in Portsmouth. The grant will also launch Boleh as a sail training vessel to provide inspirational opportunities for young people. The Trust is already discussing ways to achieve this with the Portsmouth Sail Training Trust, a newly formed charity.

Through the current HLF funded Boleh Project, the Trust has been able to employ shipwright apprentices and to share Boleh’s remarkable story with the pupils of Portsmouth’s Charter Academy and the local community.

Once the restoration completes this autumn, Boleh – whose name means “Can Do” in Malay – will be used to help those facing challenges in their lives by giving them the chance to experience sailing this unique vessel and so build confidence, leadership and team working skills.

Boleh, a unique 40ft wooden junk yacht, was designed and built after WWII in Singapore by a Naval Officer, Commander Robin Kilroy, DSC, who then sailed her back to Salcombe, Devon in 1950. She is constructed from traditional materials to a mixed junk/Bermudan rig design with many novel features – such as portholes made from the windscreens of Japanese fighter aircraft.

George Middleton, Chairman of the Boleh Trust, said: “Once again the Heritage Lottery Fund has generously supported our vision for this iconic vessel. This grant ensures that Boleh will be given the best possible start to her renewed life as a sail training vessel.”

If you missed our most recent radio interview with Terry Powel at Express FM, you can listen to it here.

The annual Christmas Newsletter is the fifth sent out by the Trust and what astonishing progress has been made since the first! Thanks, principally, to last year’s grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, but also to the continuing generosity of our friends and supporters, we now have BOLEH well on her way to being fully restored.

BOLEH, with her unique design and rig, will be back in the water and in all respects operational as a working historic ship at the beginning of September next year. We are making good progress in securing her future as a Portsmouth based sail training vessel for young people in the area.

As you will also read in the Newsletter, we have four apprentices on a full training programme and a remarkable tale to tell of other young people benefitting from the Boleh Project. We aim, with your help, to continue these very worthwhile activities.

Our volunteers have been working hard delving into Boleh’s history and creating a digital catalogue to bring her story alive.

We were pleased to see to many of our close friends and supporters yesterday, who joined us in celebrating 12 months of Heritage Lottery Funding.

Prior to the award of our lottery grant, the ongoing support by so many of those who joined us, kept the enthusiasm alive to enable this fantastic project to continue.

Since receiving our grant in November 2012, we have achieved so much, both with Boleh’s restoration, and the achievements of our 4 apprentices and it was a joy to celebrate.

Thank you!

BBC Radio Solent recently invited us in for an interview to talk about our project, you can listen to the interview here.

Despite the strong winds and road closures, we had a fantastic turn out at our last open day. With over 200 people coming to see the progress on the restoration of the historic junk yacht, Boleh.

It was lovely to see so many returning faces and share the experience with many new people wishing to hear more about project.

If you missed the chance to visit the workshop during our open days in 2013, look out for news on the open day before we return Boleh to sea in 2014.

Big Thanks to Ed and Carolyn Phillips for taking the Boleh team sailing on ‘Dream Voyager’ this week.

A great day had by all, and it was a fantastic opportunity for the team to work together and experience the training that Boleh can offer following her restoration.

The Boleh team were today, pleased to host a visit from the Captain and CEO of HMS Warrior, Ken Jones along with his Executive Officer, Tony and Shipwright, Bob.

We are keen to share Boleh’s interesting and unique story with other organisations and were delighted to show the team around. We were also fascinated to hear more about the on-board restoration and maintenance for HMS Warrior.