National Small Boat Collection

Reputedly the oldest one-design in the world the Water Wag can trace its history back to the late 19th century. In 1886 Thomas Middleton, a member of the Shankhill Corinthian…

To the uninitiated, a kayak looks like a frail and fragile craft, scarcely one in which to tackle difficult and challenging waters, whether white water rivers or raging seas. In…

Curlew is a Falmouth Quay Punt which started life as a working boat at the turn of the 20th century. She has since had a long and distinguished career as…

In September 1993, lone sailor Hugo Vihlen stepped ashore at Falmouth after a solo Atlantic crossing which lasted 105 days. Others have also made that perilous crossing – the difference…

An important piece of dinghy sailing history – the Fireball Dinghy prototype – has been added to the Museum’s collection. In 1962 Norris Brothers, a pioneering engineering company based in…

On Sunday May 5th, 1946, the final race for the Henley Challenge Cup was sailed in cold conditions with a strong north easterly wind which capsized several boats. It was…

Light displacement hulls, bulb keels, low wetted areas, aspects of design perhaps more commonly associated with the modern era, actually have a longer history than is often realised. In the…

William Fife (1857-1944) was one of the world’s foremost yacht designers. His father and grandfather had also been boatbuilders and had a construction yard at Fairlie, on the River Clyde.…

Built for family pleasure boating, Jonik is a motor launch built in Fowey in 1934. Its first owner instructed the builder, Percy Clemens,  to use the best quality timber available.…