Take one boat. Knit it a coat. Add some Nikwax. See if it floats.
It’s as simple as that! The idea was the formulated by Esen Kaya with The Customs House Arts Centre and was implemented by them with local artist, Ingrid Wagner, and the North East Maritime Trust. A 21ft Coble was built, a replica of fishing boats used in the area, and Ingrid organized a team of over 400 to knit a coat for it using recycled cotton sheets donated by Northgate Hospital. Once knitted, the coat was thoroughly treated with Nikwax Cotton Proof to make it seaworthy – and the big launch is on Sunday 12th July at the Mouth of the Tyne festival. If you miss the boat you can always see it on display at the Alexandra Palace, London, in October, following a second launch on the River Thames.