Museum built replica WW2 SN2 Surf Boat at Falmouth Classics

Later this year, our replica of a WW2 SN2 surf boat, will be at Falmouth Classics 2026, a three-day regatta of racing, parades and onshore events.

The replica SN2 Surf boat has been built here in the workshop at National Maritime Museum Cornwall by our volunteer boat crew and Boat Collection Manager.

Written By James Totman

The boat was built from the original plans found in the National Archives dated April 1943. The design is attributed to a local Falmouth yacht designer Nigel Warrington-Smythe, more widely known for designing classic Gaff cutters.

During the Second World War Nigel Warrington-Smythe was a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was Senior Officer In Port (SOIP) of the Inshore Patrol Flotilla in Helford, the combined Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) and Special Operations Executive (SOE) base at Pedn Billy, close to Port Navas, on the Helford.

The base, code named Constance, was used for training SOE agents, landing and retrieving people from occupied Europe and delivering stores to the resistance movements in France. These last actions were known as “lardering” operations and used naval crews, also trained at Constance, to land on French beaches to bury cannisters of stores (weapons explosives and food) to be retrieved by the local resistance fighters.

Lt Commander Warrington Smythe realised that the Navy had no suitable craft for landing on the surf beaches of Brittany and set about designing, building and testing various designs of surf boat.

The boat designs were sent to the builders of Admiralty small craft, Camper Nicholson, a name familiar to many with an interest in classic boats. There were several SN designs of various sizes, the SN1 was a 14 ft pram design, the SN6 was a 20 foot design similar to the SN2 which, at 25 feet, was the largest of the wartime surf boats.

The boat is of lightweight double diagonal construction, a construction technique familiar to boatbuilders before the advent of fibreglass. A method commonly used for fast patrol craft from builders such as Vosper, British Power Boat and Fairmile. Originally the hull was constructed from 1/4 inch mahogany veneer, however due to reasons of conservation, availability and cost our replica is made from 6mm marine ply. The original technique of cold moulding was used although with modern epoxy rather than the formaldehyde-based glue that would have been used during the war. Part of the build was archaeology, working out how to build particular aspects of the boat and also why features of the boat existed.

The build of the SN2 was made possible by the generous support of a ‘Victory 80’ award, the WW2 S.N.2 Royal Navy & Special Operations Executive (SOE) replica boat build project is helping to uncover more about the role these boats played during the war. The award was funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and awarded by Museum Development South West with thanks to support from Arts Council England.

Read more about Falmouth Classics.

Videos of the build progress can be found on YouTube, subscribe to see the whole process of construction from ‘lofting’ to the final fitting out.

National Maritime Museum Cornwall is delighted to be a supporter of Falmouth Classics, and to have our SN2 surf boat at Falmouth Classics 2026.