Small Boats, Big Stories

Our new presentation of the Boat Hall highlights the role that small boats play in shaping the world we live in.

The Boat Hall Re-rig, which began in November last year and will be completed on 19 April, has seen us reorientate the hanging boats, perform a number of conservation tasks, install refreshed and cohesive interpretation, produce bespoke and adaptable cradles for the boats, and add much improved interactive screens. Walking into the space now, you’ll notice a brand-new presentation of familiar boats alongside newly acquired vessels.

Highlights from the reimagined exhibition, ‘Small Boats, Big Stories’, include the display of several small boats that tell compelling maritime stories. This includes the smallest ever boat to cross the Atlantic (measuring in at just 5 ft 4”), an Olympic Gold Medal-winning boat used by Sir Ben Ainslie, and the Ednamair, a small dinghy which saved the lives of the Robertson family in 1972 after they became shipwrecked for more than a month in the Pacific Ocean, following a killer whale attack.

The exhibition is also a platform for small boats that are shaping contemporary history. Our presentation of a Zodiac dinghy, acquired for the National Small Boats Collection directly from UK Border Force, is believed to be the first ever display of a boat of this kind by a UK museum. The inflatable boat was intercepted by a passing tanker in the English Channel in November 2018, with its five occupants later brought to Falmouth. The Zodiac is exhibited alongside several lifejackets, also acquired from UK Border Force, as a symbol of one of the most significant and socially relevant issues of our times.

These boats are joined by an array of other small vessels, which collectively tell the story of centuries of British maritime history. This includes an original Sunderland Coble boat from the 1880s, a traditional Falmouth oyster fishing boat, an original 1940s Crandall Hydroplane and Eileen, and the very first ‘Mirror Dinghy’ which opened up the world of sailing to thousands. Small boats from global history are also represented, with the display of a traditional Iraqi Quaffa (meaning ‘basket’ in Arabic) and a replica of a 1,000-year-old Viking Faering, built by students from Falmouth Marine School, supported by staff at National Maritime Museum Cornwall. You’ll also gain an insight into small boats of the future, through the display of the AutoNaut, a prototype for a pollution-free research vessel, which harnesses energy from the rise and fall of waves.

Together, the boats paint a rich picture of how small boats can not only play a pivotal role in fishing, transport, sport, science and migration but also tell some of the most powerful stories of our times.

Please see some FAQs related to the Zodiac boat here.