U-8047 Replica Submarine is a floating museum that has travelled along the Leeds Liverpool Canal, to facilitate historical education to children. Currently moored at Clarence Dock (Leeds) UK, the 45 foot narrowboat has been converted, both inside and out, in to a replica submarine, which opens its doors to teach historical education to children. The Museum opens 12pm to 5pm, Friday to Sunday along with Bank and School Holidays throughout the year. Visitors can come aboard and walk through the boat; Via the captain’s cabin, with charts, maps and WWII memorabilia, a working galley & heads, a control room, with sonar, radar, periscope, helm position and radio area and a forward torpedo room, with crew bunks, torpedo’s, anchor locker and Brigg, with chained prisoner.(1}
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The original Idea of the project was that of Lancashire business man Capt.Richard Williams and was commissioned by his wife Laurel as a £60k, 50th birthday present to him. The steel work was fabricated by Collingwood boats in Liverpool, with the interior being fitted out by Laurel, Richards Son, his Brother and many other family and friends. The name U-8047, which has been given to the boat was the brainchild of Laurel Howarth and represents a car number plate distorted version of U-boat.(2)
The boat was launched, under a media storm in Oct 2010, at Botany Bay (Chorley) in Lancashire, appearing on national television and many national and international newspapers and blogs. Its notoriety was that of a “German u-boat” which had apparently appeared on the canal system in Britain. For days on end visitors and journalists flocked to Botany Bay, looking for the owner, taking photographs and trying to get inside to look around. Richard mingled with the crowds, pretending to be just a visitor and hinting that the owner was a retired fisherman Cyril Howarth, who was living in Canada. Many of the reports followed this story, which was of course just complete nonsense.(3)(4)
The boat was placed in trust in April 2011 and is a social enterprise for the upkeep of U-8047 Replica Submarine to facilitate the free historical education of children and can be seen adjacent the Royal Armouries, at Clarence Dock in Leeds or visited 12-5 Friday to Sunday, along with Bank and School Holidays.(1)
(1) BBC Look North 21 August 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-14662402
(2) Daily Mail 29 July 2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019983/Richard-Williams-home-U-boat-sailing-English-canal.html
(3) ITN and finally http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xf46dg_u-boat-causes-a-stir-on-british-canal_news
(4) The Guardian October 2010 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/oct/07/search-lancashire-u-boat-commander