Eccles Gateway, Barton Lane, M30 0TU

Last October saw the completion and launch of The Volunteer – a boat inspired by the heritage of the Bridgewater Canal, handcrafted by a group of nine men using local trees.  

The boat was a year in the making, taking over 700 hours to complete, using traditional woodworking techniques under the expert guidance of Start Creative. Nobody in the group had ever made a boat before so it was an outstanding achievement.

If you would like to find out more about The Volunteer do drop in to one of our Meet the Makers sessions. Some of the builders will be on hand to tell you how they transformed Salford trees into a beautiful canal-worthy boat.  And just what are those marks carved into each of the internal ribs?  Come along and find out! The makers even made their own paddles which they used at the launch as they took to the water for the first time.