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 left over from previous constructions and is typical of the type of boat that was used for salmon fishing on the River Tamar; low sided…

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 yacht tenders: after the Second World War they opened a small factory on Canvey Island, in Essex. The firm grew and hundreds of folding dinghies…

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. A sliding seat allows the helmsman to sit out and balance the pressure of the wind on the sails, which at 10 square metres deliver…

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 to the designer Jack Holt. Jack Holt (1912-1995) was born into humble stock. The son of a panel beater, his love of boats and sailing…

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 set of rules. In 1936 The YRA asked Uffa Fox to produce his first National 12: the Uffa King. Fox  only built two 12s, of…

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 schooner, Lucette and planned to sail around the world with their children; leaving Falmouth on 27th January 1971 to embark on the adventure of a…

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 Tornado catamaran, which in 1966 was chosen for prospective Olympic status. Its designer, Rodney March, provided Ian with a Tornado as a demonstrator. In those…

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 family-type centre boarders and the larger, more expensive classes. Designed by Peter Milne in 1962, the International Fireball is a one-design high performance sailing dinghy.…

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 only dreamed of. One small boat born into these elegant times was Gweneve, a rich man’s gift to his daughters. Gweneve was designed and built…