Jack Gifford Marine Design Studio designs resilient rowing boat for The Outward Bound Trust

In response to a brief from The Outward Bound Trust, Jack Gifford Marine Design Studio has designed a resilient rowing boat for outdoor educational adventures at the charity’s Ullswater Centre in the Lake District and Scottish Centre at Loch Eil.

Built by Patterson Boatworks, the boats are designed on classic lines to meet exacting requirements and perform consistently in a tough environment, enabling young people to learn key life skills from immersive experiences in the wild.

Designed for year-round, open mooring without a cover, the hull is strengthened and protected to enable the craft to be beached and moored against walls. 

“Gales, large swells and sub-zero temperatures are not uncommon in this part of the world so passenger safety and stability were my primary considerations when designing the prototype of this boat,” says Jack Gifford. “From robust rubbing strakes to protect the craft from knocks and scrapes, a self-draining cockpit for the immediate egress of water and a sculling notch at the stern for a steering oar, all of these features were incorporated to provide a sturdy craft and a safe passage for a novice crew.”

Outward Bound has taken delivery of seven of these rowing boats so far with five located in the Lake District and two in Scotland.

The Ullswater Centre is set in 18 acres of woodland on the north shore of its namesake lake, where Outward Bound participants can learn to canoe or row, and stay in a mountain lodge as part of an expedition to climb Helvellyn – one of the Lake District’s highest peaks.

Situated beside Loch Eil in the Highlands of Scotland, The Scottish Centre is the perfect location for adventure with its beaches and glens, fresh water lochs and rivers, and Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.