Solar boat trip in heatwave not all smooth sailing

Making the most of the ongoing sunny weather, a married couple are attempting to travel 124 miles (200km) down the River Thames — all in a solar powered boat.

Tim Knox’s vessel is using only the power of the sun to travel from Lechlade, in Gloucestershire, to Teddington in South West London.

Having set off on Monday, Knox and his wife Sue are now travelling along the river through Oxfordshire, before making it into Berkshire towards the end of the week.

Knox said he had been building solar powered boats for the past 15 years, and that the main reason behind his latest creation was “my wife doesn’t like solar [energy]”.

“I wanted to build a boat that she really liked going on, because I absolutely adore being on the water — I’m one of the water people,” he said.

The couple are taking on the journey as the UK experiences yet another heatwave, which should provide the vessel with plenty of energy for its solar powered battery.

But just days into their expedition, Knox said the weather had also hindered the trip.

“The water shortages are causing a little bit of an issue, which is adding a little bit of a stress to the whole thing — it’s become a torture test for the boat, and for me and my wife,” he said.