Electra’s colour scheme unveiled
A series of artist’s impressions were unveiled today, showing how Electra the all-electric boat, to be based at Milton Keynes’ Campbell Wharf, will look.
The Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust has been working in partnership with local design company, Yellowyoyo, to create a colour scheme which reflects the image of the community trip boat it has commissioned.
David Wolfson, lead volunteer on branding, thanked Amanda Wright, Founder Director of Brand Strategy, Design & Marketing specialists Yellowyoyo for giving her expertise free of charge, “It was wonderful to work with such a talented designer who took our initial design thoughts and turned them into something fresh, distinctive and new.”
“Electra will glide almost silently along the Grand Union Canal. We wanted a colour scheme to match the tradition of canal boats with our up-to-date vision. The blue and cream colours match our existing trip boat in Bedford, the John Bunyan. The bright gold electric lightning flash with the green of her bows and stern show off our environmental credentials,” he added.
Amanda Wright who developed Electra’s logotype and decoration said she was delighted to have had the opportunity to work on such an exciting project.
“Over the years Yellowyoyo’s clients have varied greatly in scale and across all sectors, from start-ups and SMEs to global companies. This, however, is the first time we’ve collaborated on a canal boat project! We were delighted to be asked to help and have very much enjoyed being part of the team to deliver such a novel local scheme.”
Electra is based on a 54’ traditional narrowboat design. She is currently under construction and due to be launched in the spring. Electra means ‘shining light’. She was the goddess of sea clouds, in which lightning is often seen.
Now that the boat has been named, the Trust is looking to increase its volunteer numbers, both onboard and on dry land. They invite the public to visit their website: www.bmkwaterway.org/mkcommunityboatelectra for further details.
For more information:
Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust www.bmkwaterway.org Media contact: James Clifton, B&MK Waterway Trust; mobile: 07710-175410; The boat will carry up to 12 passengers and be fully accessible, with lavatory provision and access lift for wheelchair users and fully Covid-19 compliant. Subject to Covid-19 restrictions, trips are planned to run from Spring to December in 2021. These will offer ‘something for everyone’ – from short ‘eye-spy’ family cruises to Friday night ‘bubbles and bites’, relaxing days out in nature, mindfulness trips and walkers’ one-way hops. Eventually, Electra could carry up to 4,000 passengers a year. This will be the first all-electric trip boat to be built by Warwickshire-based boatbuilders Colecraft Engineering, run by Gary Cole along with a team of 20 supporting steelwork, carpentry, engineering and sales staff. They have built more than 30 trip boats built since 2010, including two for Longleat Safari Park and twelve for the Olympic Games in 2012. The narrowboat will use an all-electric propulsion unit from Fischer Panda. The electric propulsion batteries with be capable of being charged from both mains power and on-board solar panels. The Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust is funding the construction of the boat with contributions from Crest Nicholson, via Milton Keynes Council s106 funding for the Campbell Wharf development, the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, and donations from Trust members. Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust The Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust was established in 1995 to promote a new 16-mile Waterway Park, incorporating a new broad canal connecting the Grand Union Canal in Milton Keynes to the Great Ouse in Bedford. Running trip boats is a key activity for the Trust, raising funds and awareness. Its cruises let thousands of local people enjoy being on their local waterway in Bedford, and soon in Milton Keynes, demonstrating the value that Waterway Parks can bring. Having designed a route, now protected by local authority policies in three Local Plans, it is currently lobbying for its inclusion as part of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc infrastructure. The Trust works with a range of partners to ensure opportunities to integrate the Waterway into development and deliver local benefits are maximized. It is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. Yellowyoyo Design & Marketing specialists. www.yellowyoyo.co.uk
email: james.clifton@bmkwaterway.org