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Electric narrowboat arrives in Bristol after longest ever journey
A boat called NoPuttPutt has arrived in Bristol at the end of what is believed to be the longest continuous journey ever made by an electric narrowboat.
The vessel, powered entirely by solar panels and electric circuits, sailed into the Floating Harbour following a journey of 16 days from Northamptonshire.
After being one of the star attractions at the Crick Boat Show 2024 for its ability to move silently through the water, father and son duo, Mark and Hugo Palmer, navigated NoPuttPutt down the Grand Union Canal, the Oxford canal, the River Thames, the Kennet & Avon Canal and the River Avon.
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The solar and electric powered narrowboat pulled arrived into the Floating Harbour on Wednesday – photo: Karen Johnson
Unlike other diesel powered narrowboats, this one thrives on its silence – which was also the idea behind Mark and Hugo’s name for their boat.
The duo are proud that this narrowboat doesn’t go ‘putt putt’.
Referring to the name, Mark said: “Everyone who knows narrowboats, knows that diesels make that noise. But people who don’t know narrowboats, don’t always get the joke.”
Hugo said that people are often surprised at the boat’s silence, also finding it very cool: “They can’t believe how quiet it is. It just sort of drifts along.”
The pair’s relationship with narrowboats began when they purchased one during the pandemic and decided to convert it into an electric-powered vehicle.
If the boat receives the required sunlight, it can last for five days without any interruption, with a more ambitious set-up due to be unveiled in January possibly running for up to two weeks.
Main photo: Karen Johnson
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