Colourful new boats have been delivered to Onchan Park boating lake. Constructed in Jönköping, Sweden, by SB International, they have a GRP hull and are powered by electric motors. Similar boats to these are used at Legoland, Windsor. The old wooden boats have been removed from service.
Chief Executive of the Commissioners, Mr Malcolm Hulme, said, "The original wooden boats with their petrol motors have reached the end of their long life. Generations of children have been using them for over 60 years and the boat engines have become a recognisable sound of summer sunshine days in Onchan. Unfortunately the expense and difficulty of trying to maintain the old wooden hulls and their obsolete motors has meant that the number of boats available for use has been dwindling."
"The ten new boats offer a new lease of life for the lake and will provide enjoyment for children for many years to come. Further improvements to the lake and its surroundings are planned over the next winter and will be completed for the 2017 season."
All of the new boats will be operating from this weekend.