As school carpentry projects go, Alton O'Connor's is pretty ambitious.

The 17-year-old Berkeley Institute pupil is building himself a 13ft by 5ft fishing boat based on a design he downloaded from the Internet and modified.

Even more impressive is the fact that the high honours student had never made anything from wood before he started his project in November 2008.

His teachers are stunned at the workmanship he has displayed and the long hours he has committed to creating the vessel from scratch.

The Pembroke teenager, a member of the TS Bermuda Sea Cadets, has spent lunchtimes, evenings, weekends and holidays carefully crafting the boat, while never letting his academic studies slip.

"That's my passion," he told The Royal Gazette. "Boats are my life and will be my life and by finishing this I will be one step closer on the path to my future.

"Building the boat by myself has made a career change for me. I want to be a naval architect now, which is designing and building boats."

Alton's goal is to launch the boat on the water this summer but he needs expensive supplies to complete the job, including a 50hp engine, fibreglass and paint.

His school has paid for materials so far but the remaining cost is beyond its resources so Alton has written to businesses, organisations and individuals asking for help.

His letter says: "I chose to build this boat because I have always had a dream of building a boat by myself. When the opportunity arose in my carpentry class at the Berkeley Institute, I thought I was still dreaming.

"Building this boat made me realise that dreams can come true just by believing in them and following through."

He added: "I am a young black male who is trying to do something different and working to portray the image of a positive, focused black male."

He told this newspaper: "What I want to do is put all my sponsors on the boat and make it like a Berkeley boat and have two words — dedication and commitment — on the side."

The vessel will take its name from a phrase used by Alton's two Barbadian carpentry teachers, Trevor Haynes and Gregory Sargeant, whenever anyone makes a mistake: Ooo Shooot.

Mr. Haynes, Berkeley's head of technical subjects, said: "Alton has reached a stage now where he is basically working on his own, he's solving his own problems, he knows his tools. He's actually at the stage where he could be employed in industry.

"I'm here some nights until 7 p.m. and after with him. He's here on the weekends and holidays. I can't ask for any more from a student. I think it's remarkable."

Joann Adams, the school's staff development director, said: "Day in, day out, this young man is here and he is doing well in school. He is such a lovely young man."

• Anyone who can help Alton should call Mrs. Adams on 292-4752 extension 4071 or E-mail jadams@berkeley.bm.