A lifeboat found floating in the sea after being stolen by pirates has been turned into a 'Yellow Submarine' for glamping.
Andy Barton, 58, transformed the discarded vessel into camp-site accommodation.
It has a fully-equipped kitchen featuring a fridge, hob, sink, double-bed, single bunk-bed, a dining area with a sofa and an outdoor BBQ and firepit.
The sub was originally used on a big tanker ship named 'Northsea Pioneer' until it was attacked by Somali Pirates off the East African coast in 2019.
The escaping pirates stole the vessel and years year the lifeboat was discovered drifting between the UK and northern Spain.
Some friends of Andy's found the lifeboat off the coast of Portsmouth - and they held onto it until Andy decided to turn it into a fake submarine.
Andy, a semi-retired engineer who lives in London, said: "The words yellow and submarine just go together.
"I was originally going to do it as a Beatles-themed venture - but kids won't resonate with that now sadly!
"The emphasis is all about the fun and it's great for families or anyone who is looking for something a bit different and unique!"
Andy managed to get hold of the lifeboat in September last year, and it took him around six months to transform the lifeless vessel into a hyper-realistic submarine.
The submarine has real-life buttons and control panels, and Andy said: "It really looks like the inside of a real submarine!
"There are loads of buttons, with lights and sounds too.
"I wanted it yellow because I wanted it visible - it slaps you in the face when you're driving up to the site!"
This is not Andy's first time converting transport into accommodation as he has also converted two American School buses into glamping spots.
Andy purchased the buses in 2021 in an online auction based in Texas and California.
He said: "I meant to buy one but accidentally bought two - as you do after a couple of gin and tonics!"
One bus is based in the same location as the submarine - Petruth Paddocks campsite in Cheddar.
Andy explains how he was after a location that did not fit a "corporate vibe", as he was not after anything "too stiff or formal" - but when he met Julian Sayer, who owns and manages the campsite the two hit it off immediately.
Andy said: "I did a site visit and loved Julian - he's passionate and fun, unconventional without being too weird.
"It's an informal place where kids can run around and have fun."
Andy hopes to be taking his Submarine and bus to Glastonbury festival this year, as both are fully portable.
He said: "The buses can be driven and the submarine lives permanently on a trailor.
"We've just had our first guest in the sub and hopefully many more to come!"
Having just opened up for bookings last week, the submarine is live for anyone interested in spending some time away in the Somerset countryside.
Find out more about booking on the website and social media : https://www.yellowsubmarineglamping.com/
https://www.instagram.com/_yellowsubmarineglamping
Andy Barton, 58, transformed the discarded vessel into camp-site accommodation.
It has a fully-equipped kitchen featuring a fridge, hob, sink, double-bed, single bunk-bed, a dining area with a sofa and an outdoor BBQ and firepit.
The sub was originally used on a big tanker ship named 'Northsea Pioneer' until it was attacked by Somali Pirates off the East African coast in 2019.
The escaping pirates stole the vessel and years year the lifeboat was discovered drifting between the UK and northern Spain.
Some friends of Andy's found the lifeboat off the coast of Portsmouth - and they held onto it until Andy decided to turn it into a fake submarine.
Andy, a semi-retired engineer who lives in London, said: "The words yellow and submarine just go together.
"I was originally going to do it as a Beatles-themed venture - but kids won't resonate with that now sadly!
"The emphasis is all about the fun and it's great for families or anyone who is looking for something a bit different and unique!"
Andy managed to get hold of the lifeboat in September last year, and it took him around six months to transform the lifeless vessel into a hyper-realistic submarine.
The submarine has real-life buttons and control panels, and Andy said: "It really looks like the inside of a real submarine!
"There are loads of buttons, with lights and sounds too.
"I wanted it yellow because I wanted it visible - it slaps you in the face when you're driving up to the site!"
This is not Andy's first time converting transport into accommodation as he has also converted two American School buses into glamping spots.
Andy purchased the buses in 2021 in an online auction based in Texas and California.
He said: "I meant to buy one but accidentally bought two - as you do after a couple of gin and tonics!"
One bus is based in the same location as the submarine - Petruth Paddocks campsite in Cheddar.
Andy explains how he was after a location that did not fit a "corporate vibe", as he was not after anything "too stiff or formal" - but when he met Julian Sayer, who owns and manages the campsite the two hit it off immediately.
Andy said: "I did a site visit and loved Julian - he's passionate and fun, unconventional without being too weird.
"It's an informal place where kids can run around and have fun."
Andy hopes to be taking his Submarine and bus to Glastonbury festival this year, as both are fully portable.
He said: "The buses can be driven and the submarine lives permanently on a trailor.
"We've just had our first guest in the sub and hopefully many more to come!"
Having just opened up for bookings last week, the submarine is live for anyone interested in spending some time away in the Somerset countryside.
Find out more about booking on the website and social media : https://www.yellowsubmarineglamping.com/
https://www.instagram.com/_yellowsubmarineglamping
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FunTranscript
00:00I'm Andy and this is my Yellow Submarine.
00:07Some friends of mine found it drifting in the waters south of Portsmouth and they dragged
00:12it in and they told me about it and I bought it.
00:17When I first got hold of the submarine, or the lifeboat as it was then, it was pretty
00:20grimy inside, it was pretty horrible.
00:22We stripped it all out and over the course of the next six months turned it into what
00:26it is today.
00:28We can sleep four, maximum three adults, because one of the beds is for child only, it's up
00:32with the controls.
00:33It's a little bunk bed.
00:36We've got a king bed and a sofa bed as well.
00:38We kept a few of the original features, some of the controls.
00:42We added some silly stuff of our own, some clocks and dials and gauges and meters.
00:47We put some lights in, we put a radar in and a periscope and there's buttons to press and
00:53the sounds of the submarine for all the kids to have fun with.
00:56I've got a couple of American school buses which are again fully fitted out for glamping.