National Small Boat Collection

  This wooden clinker rowing boat was built by James Goss, and was the last boat he built before his yard closed. It was constructed from the odds and ends…

The firm, G. Prout and Sons, was formed by Geoffrey Prout and his sons, Roland and Francis, in 1935. The company originally specialised in building canoes and folding dinghies as…

A racing canoe’s long thin hull minimises drag, allowing it to travel at high speeds but, being narrow, great agility and strength is required by the crew to prevent capsizing.…

On January 9th 1956 Enterprise dinghies numbers 1 and 2 crossed the Channel by night between Dover and Calais.  This remarkable achievement rocked the sailing world and brought international recognition…

In 1935 the Yacht Racing Association – the forerunner of the Royal Yachting Association – created the National Twelve Foot restricted class. A restricted class limits possible adaptations within a…

In 1972 this boat saved the lives of the Robertson family as they drifted in the Pacific Ocean for 38 days. Lyn and Dougal Robertson had bought a 43ft, 1920s…

In 1969 two friends, Ian Fraser and Kim Stephens, both successful sailors, formed a boat building company, Panthercraft, in Restronguet, near Falmouth. They applied for a license to build the…

Very few successful, long-lasting dinghy designs happen by accident. The Fireball is no exception and was designed by Peter Milne to meet a need: to bridge the gap between small…

The Victorian yachting era existed in an age when being part of the “set” required a large bank balance. In return its participants enjoyed a position in society which others…