A UNIQUE partnership between a water company and a tall ship project is to set sail.
The Blyth Tall Ship Project will recreate William Smith’s voyage in 1819.
The discoverer, who was born in Seaton Sluice, Northumberland, discovered the Antarctica landmass in a ship built in Blyth.
In 2019, to celebrate the 200th anniversary year of this incredible discovery, a replica ship, the Williams II, which is being refitted in almost the same location that William Smith’s ship was built, will set sail to Antarctica.
Northumbrian Water has joined the Blyth Tall Ship Project crew.
The water company’s sponsorship includes £40,000 of financial support, working in partnership with schools and others to develop scientific experiments and support through its employee volunteering programme.
The project gives young people, aged between 16 and 28, skills to help them gain employment and showcases the engineering and technological potential of the region.
It also works with people over 28 who are unemployed, who would like to retrain or who volunteer.
More than 200 crew will be trained and have the chance to sail the Williams II on various legs of the expedition around Britain between May and July 2019, reaching Antarctica by January 2020 and arriving back in Blyth in July 2020.
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