Boat building will cover traditional boats, leisure boats and also new design fishing boats aimed at 3-day deep-sea fishing (Sashimi Boats).
A special boat building facility has been established and fully financed by theGerman Technical Cooperation (GTZ) which implements the project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and in partnership with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Regional Development. This boatyard is capable of housing and building boats up to 44 feet in length (13.5m) in a fully controlled atmosphere in terms of temperature and moister content of the air. A controlled environment is necessary when using the techniques and materials such as epoxy strip planking and sandwich carbon fiber structures. This boat construction and maintenance program has allowed for the development of the first Sashimi boat prototype and has created the skills and technology necessary for the future development of the boating, yachting, construction and design industries in Sri Lanka. Another goal in this program is to gear the next generation with regard to sailing skills, an interest within the Sashimi Project, and of course within the water based leisure industry.
The BAF Foundation will do the pioneering and developing work and when the operations become commercially successful, the other boatyards in Sri Lanka will be encouraged and provided with the skills to build these types of boats. Contacts in this regard have been established with the organisation GTZ, which is in the process of setting up a Boat Builders' Association for this purpose.
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