For those of you who like a bit of variety in your sailing, you might like to take a look at The Boat Project.

Funded by Arts Council England this is the South East region’s contribution to Artists Taking the Lead, a series of public art commissions across the UK to celebrate the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

And the reason that’s it’s interesting is that it involves building a 9m yacht out of donated wood, and sailing it along the south coast to arrive in London in time for the games.

The team of craftspeople are actively seeking donations of wood from the public, where that piece of wood is important to you and has a story to tell.  Using the latest boat building methods these random pieces of wood will be turned into something seaworthy.

To date the team have received a 15ft mast, a spoon, a paddle, a house sign and a bread board – which sound like a challenging combination!

In addition to volunteering to help build the boat, the public are also being asked to nominate potential sailors for the voyage.  A crew of 6 being required to sail alongside a professional skipper.

Find out more, and view the webcam to see the boat taking shape, at their website – www.theboatproject.com