Boats

This is a typical example of a traditional outrigger canoe from Sri Lanka primarily used for fishing, both off the beach and further out to sea. The shallow dugout hull, carved from a single log, is raised with side strakes (planks) fixed on shaped inserted frames and sewn to the hull with coir. The two…

This wooden canoe was one of many imported into this country in the early 1900s from North America by Rowland Ward & Co. and sold through large London stores, in this particular case, Naturalists of Piccadilly. It has three seats. It is decorated with a poker-work design including dragons and dolphins, zig zags and swags,…

This canoe was probably made by Sarazin of the Algonquin Reserve in the Ottawa Valley of Ontario. It is a modern interpretation of the most developed form of birch bark canoe. It was presented to Prince Edward on the occasion of his visit to Canada in 1901 and now belongs to the Royal Collection. It…

In the years following the Second World War, as rising living standards and increased leisure time led to an expansion in leisure boating, Fairey Marine was an important player. Employing and developing techniques used in the production of wartime aircraft, Fairey Marine produced a number of widely varied boats, from the Firefly dinghies used in…

The use of glass reinforced plastic (GRP) for boatbuilding began in the USA in the early 1940s, with the first dinghy produced in 1942. In Europe, however, despite wartime shortages of other materials, it was still to be some years before this revolutionary technique impacted on the marine industry. The pioneer and first to capitalise…

In 1975 four members of the British Kayak Expedition completed a journey from Bodo to Nordkapp in Northern Norway, Europe’s most northerly point. Their chosen craft for this pioneering expedition was a kayak designed by Frank Goodman – the Nordkapp. The 480 mile journey, which took a month to complete, was undertaken through the worst…

The Merlin Rocket, a merger between the Merlin and Rocket classes in 1951, belongs to a  restricted class of dinghy, which means a considerable degree of latitude is allowed in hull shape, layout and sail plan. Although not the single most successful builder, Jon Turner is certainly one of the best. For some years he…

The Essex One Design dates from 1919, when it was commissioned for the Essex Yacht Club, together with the nearby Alexandra Yacht Club, both sailing the tidal waters of Southend on Sea. Another local and not dissimilar design, the Thames Estuary One Design, had originated a few years earlier in 1911, in an era when…

This single handed sailing dinghy was designed and built by Norfolk boat builders William Starling and Sons of Blakeney in 1929 for Miss Patience Hardcastle of Godalming in Surrey. She had been taught to sail by Mr. Starling whilst on holiday in Norfolk and had initially sailed in the family’s heavy boat, Teal, helmed by…