WW2 replica Helford Surfboat makes an appearance at Port Navas Regatta

A piece of wartime history made waves at this year’s Port Navas Regatta, as our ambitious Helford SOE Boat replica project captured attention. The regatta provided the perfect setting for the boat’s debut, taking place close to the waters where its wartime predecessors once launched on their clandestine missions.

From Wartime Shadows to Workshop Spotlight

Deep in the Museum’s boatbuilding workshop, a team of dedicated volunteers led by our Boat Collection Manager and Lead Boatbuilder are painstakingly recreating an intriguing WW2 vessel.

During WW2’s darkest hours, the peaceful Helford River served as a crucial launching point for Special Operations Executive (SOE) missions into occupied France. Brave operatives would pilot these specially designed craft to within a kilometre of enemy coastlines, before rowing silently ashore under cover of darkness to deliver vital supplies to the French Resistance.

The replica being built follows original S.N.2 plans discovered at the National Maritime Museum Greenwich – designs created during ‘Operation Slide Rule’ in late 1942.

Watch History Unfold

Museum visitors can witness this historic recreation taking shape every Wednesday in the boatbuilding workshop. The completed vessel will anchor at a special exhibition planned for 2026, revealing more about the Helford River’s secret wartime role and the brave souls who risked their lives in these waters.

The replica’s appearance at Port Navas – situated on the same stretch of the Helford River that witnessed those clandestine wartime departures – served as a powerful reminder that beneath these tranquil waters lies a legacy of courage, innovation, and the extraordinary lengths ordinary people went to.

Visit the Museum on Wednesdays to see the Helford Surfboat replica build in progress and stay tuned for updates as this remarkable piece of maritime history comes to life.

The generous support of a ‘Victory 80’ award is allowing us to uncover more about the role the boats played during the war and reveal Cornwall’s connections to these clandestine missions. 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 the Victory 80 award, and what it will help us do.