NEWS ARCHIVE
Engine Comes Back to College
Students on the Light Marine Engineering Level 3 course at Falmouth Marine School will get a chance to work on an engine that belonged to the College almost 20 years ago.
The engine was given to the College for repair by Claire Taylor, daughter of James Taylor a local milkman. The engine will become the project for two students on the Light Marine Engineering Level 3 course starting in September. Both Theo Pound, 17 from Constantine and Jack Drew, 18 from Penzance, are progressing to the Level 3 course from the Marine Technology Level 2 course which they have just completed. They will work on the engine as part of their course, finishing the repairs by the spring.
James Taylor was working as an engineer in the Merchant Navy in the 70s when his boat docked at Falmouth. He met his wife here and decided to stay, working at various places as an engineer including RNAS Culdrose. He then came to Falmouth Marine School to study a Marine Engineering NVQ3 course after which he was offered a job as a tutor at the College. But by that point he had bought a milk round and went on to become a milkman until he retired.
Around the time James finished his course, he gave the College an old engine, for the students to work on and repair. In turn he was given one of the Colleges inboard engines to use on his boat - a 24ft Arden 4 sailing boat. Three years ago James took the engine out and stripped it in order to repair it but sadly he died before he could do so.
Claire Taylor, who now owns the boat decided to donate the engine to the College in her father's memory for a project for the students to work on - as he would have done himself while he was studying here. She commented: "We thought it would be a nice idea for the engine to go back to where it had started. Dad would have known how to fix it and he would be really happy that it was being repaired as a project for students on the same course that he studied." Claire and her husband have fitted an outboard engine to the boat temporality but are looking forward to getting the repaired engine installed and getting the boat out to sea next summer.
The repair will be done completely free of charge, with the only cost to the owners being the cost of spare parts required for the repair. As part of the project the students will find the costs and availability of any spare parts needed.
Theo Pound said: "I'm really looking forward to starting work on the engine. I think it will be a good project and keep us both busy for a while. It's nice to know that by next spring the engine will be back in the boat and on the water."
Over the winter the boat will be laid up at the Watersports Association in Falmouth, where many of the Colleges students take part in watersports activities. It will be there where the students will re-fit the repaired engine back into the boat.
Ken Whitney, tutor, Light Marine Engineering Level 3 course at Falmouth Marine School said: "I'd like to thank Claire and the Taylor family for offering this great opportunity to the students. It's nice to have an engine back that started life here at the College. I'm certain that Jack and Theo will do a sterling job on the repair."
