National Small Boat Collection

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…

Merlin Rockets are a “Development Class” of dinghy, which means a considerable degree of latitude is allowed in design, within certain broad parameters. In the case of the Merlin Rocket…

The Essex One Design dates from 1919, when it was commissioned as a “one-design” boat for the Essex Yacht club together with the nearby Alexandra Yacht Club, both sailing the…

This single handed sailing dinghy was designed and built by the well known Norfolk boat builders William Starling and Sons of Blakeney in 1929 for Miss Patience Hardcastle of Godalming…

Claritie is a 1956-built typical example of the common wooden and later GRP built pram dinghies which were carried aboard yachts as a tender. Designed and constructed by the well…

In 1980 the Flying Dutchman class claimed to be the fastest two man centreboard dinghy in the world and even today it remains a very fast design. It originated at…

Designed by the Swedish canoe designer Rickard Sarby in 1949, the single handed Finn class racing dinghy was adopted for the Olympics in 1952 in Helsinki, Sarby himself taking the…

This RNSA (Royal Naval Sailing Association) type of sailing dinghy was a modified version of the 14 ft One-Design Island Class, designed by Charles Nicholson and Uffa Fox in 1935.…

This type of punt originated from the fens of Cambridgeshire and was used as a general working boat and for fishing. This particular example, the last of its kind afloat…