Our Boats

Our festival wouldn’t be the same without the spectacular boats who visit. We invite scores of historic and classic vessels to fill the harbour, re-creating the sights, smells and flavour of what was once an important, vibrant fishing port. Traditional wooden vessels, (from Brittany to Falmouth) are rigged with spars and tan sails and line the harbour wall. They then set out for an impressive parade of sail over the three days, a sight that stirs the heart of even the most hardened land lubber.

Boat Owners – we encourage you to please send us your details via the ‘Book your boat’ link on the homepage. We will do our very best to include your boat details on the website or in the festival catalogue.

Please note: the finer details of many of these vessels can be found through their skippers at the festival. As ever, the number of vessels attending is governed by the weather and we apologise in advance for any descriptive mistakes.

THIS YEAR’S BOATS – The boats listed under ‘this year’s boats’ are those who sent in their details in time for the 2022 festival.

This year's boats

Agnes

Agnes was built by Luke Powell, who followed the lines of the original 1841 pilot cutter from the Isles of Scilly. She had a long working life back then, ending her days under Capt. Stephen Jenkins, whose grandsons Alf and Harry helped launch the new boat in 2003. Her dimensions are 46ft on deck, 13’ 3’’ beam, 8’ 6’’ draft and a displacement of 26 tons. Agnes was originally built for an American and sailed across the Atlantic for the first few years of her life. Owned by Luke and Joanna Powell, she now operates as a charter vessel from Cornwall.

See website

Alert of Fowey

Alert of Fowey is a replica of an 1835 smuggling lugger, designed and built by Stirling and Son at Morwellham Quay, Devon.  Following her launch in 2007, Alert sailed to Iceland on her maiden voyage. Since then, she’s been owned by Tim Marchant and based from the River Tamar. She is 37 ft, however, overall length is 65 ft. Notable contemporary design features are the wide boards of clinker planking up to the whales, which are of oak, carvel and thicker. Relatively full forward sections above the waterline lead to an upright stem, while a deep and pronounced forefoot is the culmination of a fine entry below the waterline. The 11′ 3” beam of the vessel is comparatively wide, which gives a beam to waterline length ratio of less than 3:1. This lends the boat stability and an ability to stand up to a large rig. The long run leads right up to the tuck of the lute stern, which overhangs the sternpost by approximately 4 ft. The keel is straight and her depth of draught (6′ 3”) reflects her Westcountry origins. She is built of larch on oak with lead ballast and copper and bronze fastened throughout.

Alf Smythers

Alf Smythers is a 26ft Truro River Oyster Dredger built between 1966 and 1972. She’s a carvel constructed gaff cutter, based from Mylor and owned by the oysterman, Chris ‘Ranger’. ‘Ranger’ is hoping to tick one off his bucket list this summer, by hand gathering some Pacific Oysters from the Carrick Roads, depurating them in his purification centre at Mylor Harbour, then sailing them to Mousehole (to donate them for Sea Salts & Sail). Alf Smythers is 50 years old this year – check out AlfSmythers.co.uk. Also, if you want to see his latest 150yr old oyster boat ‘Shadow’ in 2024, then please support her restoration via Shadow1870s.co.uk

Alva

Built by Ben Harris & Co at Restronguet, Cornwall, she was launched in 2011. Alva is a 30ft Gaff cutter yacht, designed by Paul Gartside along the lines of the later Falmouth Quay Punts. She is fast, seaworthy and immensely strong, with full headroom and accommodation for three adults and two children. Construction is larch on laminated pitch pine and steamed oak frames. Cedar decks, cabin-sides and capping rail are iroko, cockpit and trim are teak, pitch pine interior and bronze and copper fastened throughout. Having had a grounding on the reef at Trefusis in Falmouth during a storm, she has recently undergone repairs to her frames and planking and has now been refitted with a new interior. She looks spectacular.

Amokura

Amokura was built in 1939 for Major (later Sir Ernest) Harston, ADC to Lord Mountbatten. Renowned designer Fred Shepherd designed her and supervised the build, which took place at the yard of AH Moody & Sons Ltd, at Swanwick in Hampshire. She was later owned by the author George Millar, who wrote extensively about her in his book Oyster River, describing a summer spent cruising the Gulf of Morbihan in the early 1960s. Amokura was later sold to Richard Carr, of the Carr biscuit family, who re-rigged her then sailed her extensively in the Mediterranean through most of the 1970s. In 1980 she was returned to Moody’s yard and her interior was stripped out to enable the structural beams to be reinforced and refastened. A new interior was installed under the direction of designer John Mumford and following her relaunch, Amokura was sailed to the Caribbean, the US East Coast and the Mediterranean. She is now based in Falmouth.

Anny of Charlestown

Anny of Charlestown was built as a fishing vessel in Denmark in 1930, then under German control during WWII, finally ending her working life in the early 70’s. In 1972, she was converted into the topsail schooner and travelled the world, including Australia and the Caribbean. In 2019, Anny was purchased by Charlestown Harbour and sailed back from Germany. As the harbour’s flagship, she now completes a busy season of day sails, residential voyages and special events. Her dimensions are 94ft LOA, 16ft beam and 9ft draft.

See website

Atlas

The original Atlas was built in 1895 to take bricks to London from Cremer’s brick fields at Oare Creek, Kent.  After her original barge boat wore out, another 14ft barge boat was built for her in about 1949 by the Cremer’s foreman, shipwright Bill Gregory. He had spent a life time perfecting this type of boat. The barge Atlas was sold to the Westwood family who lived aboard her and used her for pleasure trips from Wargraves on the Thames. Eventually the barge boat Atlas finished up in Sarah Westwood’s garden in Shotley, upside down and rotten in the bottom. The boat was given to Robert Simper in 2017, who then had her rebuilt by the Pioneer Trust, Brightlingsea.  Since then the barge boat has been sailed on the East Coast and taken to Brittany, Looe and the North Norfolk coast. Some fibreglass hulls of the Atlas have also been made.   

Barnabas

Barnabas is an 1881 40ft St Ives Mackerel Driver. She is the only survivor from the thousand strong fleet of lug rigged seine and drift net fishing boats, registered at Cornish ports at the turn of the 19th century. She underwent considerable renovation in 2005 and is now sailed as one of four traditional boats within the Cornish Maritime Trust. In 2015, she successfully circumnavigated the UK and attends all local festivals, as well as several in Brittany. There is an active community that sail and maintain her, generally based from Newlyn. Membership and sails are very affordable.

See website

Burgundy

Burgundy is a Nicholson 26ft South Coast One Design, built in 1956. She’s a sloop with a fractional rig. She won all three races in the 2014 Sea Salts and Sail under 26ft event and was awarded the Low Lee Trophy. Owned by Andy Tanner, she’s based in Newlyn.

Clio Marie

Clio Marie is a 46ft (LOD) Grimsby Smack built around 1895. Originally called Bertha, she had an extensive rebuild by Sid Fisher in Poole over a 10 year period and renamed Bertha Fisher when relaunched in 1985. Sid Fishers family had been boat builders for many generations and Sid, assisted by his father felled the oak trees in the autumn of 1975 and planked and seasoned them for five years before starting the rebuild. She was sailed as a yawl for many years, but is now reverted to a gaff cutter rig. She is massively built using 1 and ¾ inch oak planks on 4’’x4’’ oak frames, doubled below the waterline and mostly copper fastened. She is based in Falmouth and owned by Shane Carr.

Dandy

Dandy has a ferris cement hull and is an extremely capable Norwegian type double-ender. She is Marconi ketch rigged, capable of being solo sailed and is around 36ft on deck. Owned by the artist Richard Sowman, she was used as a live-aboard for a decade and sailed extensively in France and Spain. Currently moored is Saltash, Devon.

Dawn

Dawn was built by Dauntless Boats on Canvey Island, (Essex) initially as a rowing dinghy but converted into a fine sailing craft by Allan Staley of Faversham, during the 1960s. She’s been trailered to the Brest and Douarnenez festivals and many in Cornwall. Dawn is 12ft long with an enormous 18in bowspit! Gaff rigged with Wilkinson sails from new. In 2022 she had a big refit by James Baker in Falmouth, (below and above decks!) and according to Spider, sails like a witch! Owned by Nicholas and Leila Hardy.

Donna Capel

Originally named Françoise Helene, Donna Capel has a fascinating history. She was constructed under German licence in Ostende, Belgium, during 1943/44. The oak was pre-war timber, originally destined for a boat about 90ft in length. This explains why, at 52ft, she is so heavily timbered. She was the last of the sailing trawlers built that worked out of Ostende during the war. Though, the first to be fitted with an inboard engine. Fished off the Belgian coast until the late 1950s, the record fish caught on one trip was 22 tons. She was then bought by Mousehole’s Howard Capel and towed by trawler from Belguim to Brixham. Here she was renamed Donna Capel after his wife and given the new registration number BM142. Mr Capel used the boat for trawling until 1970, when Terry Heard (Gaffers and Luggers) purchased her in Newlyn and took her to Mylor Bridge. Terry passed away before he was able to restore her, though she was restored by Martin Heard and managed Brest and Douarnenez in 1992. She was then bought by John Davison in 2000. With a strong-back and tarpaulins laid on, she spent the next six years untouched at Mylor Bridge. From 2006 to 2009, she was rebuilt and now sails as a stunning 16 meter Gaff Ketch, with 4 meter beam, 2 meter draft and is 40 tonnes in weight. She’s now based in Falmouth.

See website

Edith

Edith is a Polperro gaffer built circa 1890, one of the oldest boats attending. She worked as a fishing boat (FY92) until 1923 by a fisherman called William Curtis. He had a daughter ‘Edith’ who the boat was named after. From 1923 until the late 1980s, she was owned by the Ferris family in St Mawes who used her as a sail training boat. Restored in the 90s by Richard Toyne of Falmouth, she was then used for five years as an oyster dredger before sold to Mal Stone.

Eileen

Eileen is a 42ft 1920 Looe lugger and (along with Guide Me) was one of the last five boats still working out of Looe in the late 1960s. Being a late lugger, she is not as fine lined as earlier boats, therefore, doesn’t  sail as close to windward. She makes up for this with ample internal space. We’re also told, once her particularly large “iron tops’l” is hoisted,  they generally make it in time to catch last orders.  

Eleanor B

Eleanor B was built at Bristol Marine in 2002 of rolled steel plating to the classic lines of an Alan Pape design. She is a replica of a Looe Lugger, based on the West Country lugger TALISMAN FY242 built in 1898.

Ellen

Ellen is an engineless Gorran Haven Crabber, one of four historic vessels that form part of the Cornish Maritime Trust. She was built in 1882 by Dick Pill for the Willmott Family, is 17 ft, a beam of 6ft and a 2’ 6” draft. Her lines and spritsail rig are specific to Gorran Haven. She’s reputed to be the fastest original Gorran Haven Crabber ever built, though there’s two new ones based in the Carrack Roads. She’s certainly the oldest! By 1900, she was being fished by the Billings brothers, Dick and Andrew, who moved her to Flushing as there were too many Crabbers in Gorran Haven! She’s now permanently based in Mousehole, trailered to certain events and there’s a plan for adventures further afield. There is an active community that sail and maintain her, generally based from Mousehole. Membership and sails are very affordable.

See website

Enterprise

Enterprise is a graceful little 17ft Beer Lugger and was built with mahogany on oak in 2003. She has a 1956 Stuart Turner 1.5hp inboard engine and owned by Justin Adkin. Based from Beer.

Evangelina

Evangelina was built is 1912 and we’re told has a fascinating history. She is a 62ft Goleta, based in Rianxo, La Coruña (Northwest Spain) and owned by Silva Pineiro.

See website

Gladys

Gladys was built in Peel on the Isle of Man in 1901. She is 40ft long with a draft of 5’ 5’’ and a beam of 11’ 5’’. She was originally built for the herring trade and had a standing lug rig, however, has a dipping lug rig now, These boats were called Nobbys locally. Based in Penryn, she’s fast and graceful and owned by Charlotte Whyte.

Gleaner

Gleaner (LT64) is a graceful 60ft twin-masted vessel and the only dipping, lug rigged Lowestoft Drift Netter sailing today. Originally built in 1878 by Richard Kitto’s yard in Porthlevan, Mounts Bay, she was abandoned on the hard in Germany in the 1970’s. Spike Davies and an incredible community of skilled friends brought her back to life and after nearly 50 years, she made the 2018 SSS her first proper passage.

Guide Me

Guide Me was built in 1911 by Peter Ferris of Looe and started life as a pilchard driver and long liner in Cornish waters. She was sold in 1966, re-named Guidez Moi (FY233) and then ended up in the Channel Islands, later Portsmouth. Jono and Jude Brickhill purchased her in 1977. During the full restoration, they found her christened name Guide Me, carved into the original bulwark. She is based in Gweek, Cornwall. This twin-masted dipping lugger is in a league of her own and powered entirely by wind (or oars!). She’s 40ft in length, though overall 72ft, with a 12’10” beam and 5’10” draft. Being a very fast sailing vessel, carrying ample sail, she’s generally out front in most of the classic races. In 1988, the Brickhills, including four children sailed via Douarnenez Festival to Spain, Portugal, Tenerife, La Palma and then on to Brazil. They returned via Cape Town and then later back to America.

Guiding Star

Guiding Star is a Looe lugger built in 1907 by James Angear for Thomas Soady to fish for mackerel, pilchards and herring off the coast of Cornwall. She was one of the last Looe boats to be designed as a pure sailing boat. She has a finer hull and sails faster than boats built only three or four years later, after petrol engines were introduced. Guiding Star fished for nearly thirty years but was sold during the depression of the 1930’s and converted into a yacht in 1937 at Uphams yard in Brixham. Her first owner was a surgeon from Torquay. From 1960 to 1989, Guiding Star was owned by Brigadier John (Jack) Glennie, who sailed her all around Europe including the Baltic Sea. She was then substantially rebuilt in the early 1990’s by Barry Jobson and Jacquie Gillespie, who sailed her to the Caribbean and back and took part in many classic regattas. Her current owners are Paul and Sue Eedle.

Happy Return

Happy Return is an original 40ft Cornish Lugger built at Kitto’s Yard, Porthleven in 1904. She was the oldest registered fishing boat when the owner decided to decommission her in 1998. She has a beam of 13’ 6’’ and a draught of 7’. She was restored by ‘The Mounts Bay Lugger Association’ and sails out of Penzance.

See website

Holly Mae

Holly Mae is a 35ft gaff cutter, traditionally built by Joff Rorke of larch planking on oak frames. The design is inspired by the West Country work boats of around 100 years ago, though there are influences of Falmouth Working Boats, Falmouth Quay Punts and Pilot Cutters. She was built in Gulval and has crossed the Atlantic, spending a winter in the West Indies and several seasons exploring the Baltic.

Ibis

Ibis is an East Coast Oyster Smack of timber carvel construction with pitch pine hull and an inboard diesel engine by Kubota. She was originally built in 1888 for The Whitstable Oyster Company and worked the oyster grounds for about 30 years. When bought by her previous owners in the 1970’s Ibis needed extensive work and it took seven years before she could go for her first sail. Since then, she has been kept in sailing condition and in 2003 completed an Atlantic crossing where she won the Spirit of the Regatta Cup in Antigua. Today, she lives in Penryn and is used to ship Petrel Rum to events around Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and Brittany. She is owned by Elle Demaus.

Isis

Isis is a 32ft gaff rigged cutter originally built in Fowey in 1909 and based on the lines of a Falmouth Quay Punt.

In the mid 70’s she sailed from the Hamble to Sri Lanka and then to Singapore. Here, she was sadly badly eaten by termites. A Cornish man, Llewelyn Baker from Porthlevan  bought her and proceeded to start a four year rebuild. In the early eighties, now freshly built in a Malaysian hardwood called Chengal, Isis set sail again for Cornwall via the Cape of Good Hope. Voyaging for four years without an engine, she finally arrived in Porthlevan. Llewelyn then decided to set sail for the Mediterranean where he and Isis voyaged for ten years. More recently, she has undergone a light refit and now has an engine installed. Isis has many a tale to tell and she will captivate you. Now owned by Richie Morris and based in Penryn.

In the mid 70’s she sailed from the Hamble to Sri Lanka and then to Singapore. Here, she was sadly badly eaten by termites. A Cornish man, Llewelyn Baker from Porthlevan  bought her and proceeded to start a four year rebuild. In the early eighties, now freshly built in a Malaysian hardwood called Chengal, Isis set sail again for Cornwall via the Cape of Good Hope. Voyaging for four years without an engine, she finally arrived in Porthlevan. Llewelyn then decided to set sail for the Mediterranean where he and Isis voyaged for ten years. More recently, she has undergone a light refit and now has an engine installed. Isis has many a tale to tell and she will captivate you. Now owned by Richie Morris and based in Penryn.

Island Swift

Island Swift is a 35ft Gaff Cutter (Wylo II), designed and built in 1996 by Nick Skeates and John Richardson. She’s one of the few examples of a modern gaff rigged cruiser, designed to sail around the world. She is easy to manage, safe as well as beautiful and owned by JoJo and Simon Pickering of Penzance. The family have sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, via Portugal, Spain, Maderia, Canaries and Cape Verde. JoJo comments, ‘she’s a low tec boat, we do not have a fridge, radar, chart plotter or shower and we love using our lead line, Walker’s log and sextant’

Jimbob

Jimbob is a GRP 16′ 6” (LOA 18′ 4”) Saltern’s Tela, she’s three-quarter decked and a is gaff rigged day sailor moored on St Michael’s Mount. Her design follows the lines of a 1911 ”seaker” boat named ‘Tela’, that worked out of Barry Harbour in the Bristol Channel. These were smaller versions of the famous Bristol Pilot Cutters and would put out into the Bristol Channel with a pilot on board, to meet incoming ships. Clearly the fastest boat out to the ship would get the pilot on first and earn the pilotage fee.  Tela was apparently the fastest of the seeker boats, working up to 10 miles offshore. The modern class was developed by Chris Libby who created a mould from the original Tela in Penryn Bridge Boatyard, Falmouth.  Jimbob was then built by Salterns Yard, in 2005. In 2012 the moulds were moved to Collars Spars in Oxfordshire where the boats continue to be produced. These pretty boats have a shallow draft (14″) with a centreplate, making them excellent river and estuary boats. With a reasonable weight of 540kg and a 50% ballast ratio and protective decks, they are capable of coastal passages. They are easy to handle single-handed, but can also take 4 people with comfort. They are very stable with good performance in light breezes, as well as having the capability to handle well in a blow. Owned by Paul Elliott in Marazion.

Juno

Juno is a 23ft 1980’s fiberglass cutter built by Terry & Martin Heard of Mylor. She is owned by Jim Wilkinson and sailed out of Penzance. With a gaff rig, she’s very capable, as well as a beautiful traditional looking vessel.

Kittiwake

Kittiwake is a 1967 Maurice Griffiths Thames Bawley Bermudian Sloop. She is bronze fastened, with carvel mahogany planked on Iroko centreline structure, over rock Elm frames. She has been owned by Amber Tresahar for five years and her home berth is Newlyn. Prior to this, she was at Bucklers Hard, Beaulieu and according to local Portsmouth sailors, in hushed tones of awe (sic), she apparently crossed the Atlantic. With much affection she is lovingly maintained here in Mounts Bay.

Lady Blue

Lady Blue is a 16ft Jolly Boat, with 6ft beam plus 6ft bow sprit. She was built in 1996 under license from Giles Laurent classic boats no 109. She is gaff rigged with all classic bronze fittings and in a lovely condition. Owned by Phil and Zoe Manley of Lamorna.

Letty

Letty is a 52 ft 1905 Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter owned by Phiol Cogdell. She’s based in Bristol.

See website

Lowenna

Lowenna is Cygnus Tamarisk 29 built in 1980 with a gaff cutter rig. She is owned by Ollie Hughes, moored in Penryn and has a 9.8ft beam, 4.6ft draft.

Lufra

Lufra was built in 1931 by Everson’s at Woodbridge on the River Deben. She’s a 21ft Deben Cherub, No7 of 12. She was due to be cut up after storm damage on the Scilly Isles, where she was subsequently saved for a ‘rainy day’s’ restoration project. When lockdown came, James Fletcher made a start replacing several planks, sections of keel, ribs and caulking. She will be relaunched this year in time for the Scilly ‘crossing’ and to Sea Salts & Sail!

Luke’s Minnie

Luke’s Minnie –  ‘Minnie’ was built on Channel Pilot Cutter lines by Luke of the Hamble in 1893 as a gentleman’s yacht. She was commissioned  by Charles Harry Card of Vodoss House, Banister Road, Southampton who registered her at Lloyds on 28th March 1893 and claimed his occupation to be ‘gentleman’. It is known that she has remained in commission as a private yacht ever since, more or less, and each owner has continued her registration .

On the 14th of April 1966 she was sold to an American subject, who allowed the registration to lapse until 1973. The vessel was then purchased by Reginald McKern (the actor – Rumpole of the Bailey) who immediately re-registered her, but this time as Luke’s Minnie. He has recently revealed photos from his time as owner.

Her cut away forefoot must have been an advanced feature in her era and her heavy scantlings were typical of the period. She spent most of her life in the English Channel but with one period of over 20 years based in Belfast around WW2. Recent research by Tom Cunliffe’s daughter has produced interesting reminiscences from the Belfast owner’s family. The earliest available photo shows her under sail during this period with a larger rig.

In 1977 she spent 4 years cruising Europe and the Caribbean before arriving in the USA in 1982. She crossed the Atlantic in 17 days. During this period she was owned by a shipwright who extensively repaired and refitted the hull, including adding the double diagonal mahogany skin; this was epoxied to repaired planking after haul-out and drying out on a Florida beach .

In 1989 she was then brought back to UK for further restoration by Richard Jordan who took care to retain much of the original panelling, the whole interior being restored to match to provide a practical cruising vessel, with modern electrics, plumbing, navigation and a new 35HP YANMAR diesel with a 3 bladed propeller which produces adequate power in all conditions. Under sail she is very comfortable and safe as one would expect with 10 tons displacement, but she also has a good turn of speed. Minnie has been raced  successfully, especially around Cowes where she achieved first place in her class in the 1992 Round the Island Race and second place in 1993 and 1994.

See website

Maia

Maia is a St Ives Sailing Punt. Built by Jonny Nance in 2015, she’s traditionally constructed with oak keel and douglas fir clinker planking. She has no centre board or dagger board and relies on her hull shape and shallow full length keel to sail to windward. She has a standing lug rig on an unstayed mast. Her overall lines were developed from those taken off one of the last St Ives punts in 1975. Sailing out of St Ives, she is owned by Scott and Tom Bowring and is 11ft 6’ long and only draws 1ft.

See website

Mallard

Mallard is an 18ft Clovelly Picarooner built in 1984 by Terry & Martin Heard of Mylor. She is number six built. Lines were taken from the Picarooners used for herring fishing in and around Clovelly. These smaller vessels were used in order to land the catch earlier than bigger fishing boats, hoping to secure the best prices! There is a rumour that the original boats were based as ships boats, found after foundered Spanish galleons from the Amarda. But there is only anecdotal evidence for this. The name comes from ‘sea robber’ or ‘pirate robber’, a name given no doubt by the owners of the larger craft that had to wait for the higher tide before they could land their catch! At the height of the herring fishing, there were over fifty Picarooners fishing from Clovelly. The rig is much modified by Malcolm Gorram, the present owner. There’s a longer bowsprit, more rudder area and 20% more sail. There’s even a less intrusive outboard, set within an inboard well.

Mascotte

Mascotte was built in 1904 by Thomas Cox & Son in Newport, Wales. After completion, Thomas became her owner and a Bristol Channel Pilot. At 65ft, Mascotte is believed to be the third largest Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter ever built. She was twice as heavy and 10ft longer than most others and now, the largest surviving. Built to be seaworthy, sea kindly and fast, she made Thomas Cox a wealthy man. She once even sailed around Lands End to Dover to pick up a ship bound for Newport. The opulence and Edwardian grandeur below deck was reflective of how successful the Pilots were and more importantly, how they liked to live at sea. Mascotte was completely refitted at T Nielsen & Co, Gloucester in 1994. She now runs a variety of voyages, day trips and sail training, including work for the newly formed charitable organisation ‘Rich’s Boat’, formed in memory of her previous skipper, Rich Clapham. Owned by Mark Tyndall and based from Charlestown Harbour, Mascotte is now prioritising the provision of meaningful and life changing experiences on the sea.

See website

Mischief

Mischief is a modern 22ft Cornish Crabber owned by Sue and Mike Garlick. As Mike humbly says, she’s not in line with the genuine vintage boats, but in the Spirit!

Mispah

Mispah was built by Gary Mitchell of Percy Mitchell & sons in 1982. She is 20’’ 7’ and constructed of English oak and elm with Larch planking. She has a standing lug mainsail, a lug mizzen and jib, referred to as a Mevagissey Tosher rig. She draws about 3ft and has legs. Owned by Jamie Palant, she’s sailed from Newlyn Old Quay.

Mousehole

Mousehole is a stunning 28ft Heard owned by Dimitri Muller and now forms part of the ‘Glaz Project’ based from Saint Malo, Britany. The project aims to link a diverse range of maritime education, through community, boatyards and cleaner carbon-free sail cargo.

See website

Nightfall

The 31ft Nightfall is a gaff cutter built in 1910 at Oulton Broad, Norfolk by Frederick Miller. She was an auxiliary shoal-draft cruiser design by naval architect, Harold H Lidstone, based in Cowes (Isle of Wight). Originally named Nautilus, she was constructed to a high price for the time (£610) by a yard used to orders for fine ship’s boats. Particularly, for London and Wivenhoe-based steam yacht designers, Cox and King, as well as yachts and Norfolk Broads hiring cruisers. Miller’s daughter Philippa (“Pippa”) became a much loved Broads artist.

Unusual for the times, Nautilus was fitted from new with a 6hp single cylinder 2-stroke petrol auxiliary motor. This was made locally by Boulton & Paul, who were later better known as aircraft builders. The motor was offset to port in the cockpit, belt driving, then a central shaft with a very modern aperture sited propeller. Her commissioning owner WD Silcock of Waveney Sailing Club, Oulton Broad, wanted a finely fitted yacht, capable of being sailed comfortably by him and his wife on both inland and coastal waters. This is how she has continued to be used by a succession of owners to the present day.

 

Her second owner from 1931, was small boat designer, writer, journalist and luminary, Maurice Griffiths. From here, we are afforded a remarkable insight into Nightfall, as Griffiths renamed her. After 21 years, she was still in fine condition. In a chapter devoted to Nightfall in his 1933 book ‘Ten Small Yachts and Others’, written on board, along with ‘Magic of the Swatchways’, Griffiths describes her in great detail. Also detailed, is the thrill of becoming the owner of such a finely fitted out yacht. Summing up yachts of her ilk he wrote: “These little ships are as desirable as the moon, and about as elusive – bless ’em!”

Norwegian Girl

Norwegian Girl, a Skanner 19 was built in 1982 by Mike Hawes of Devoran. She is the first of type and originally Bermudan rigged with an aluminium mast. She was also the subject of an article in the PBO in 1984. Early in her life, she was converted to a gaff rigged cutter with a short bowsprit and fitted with a direct drive Dolphin petrol diesel inboard. The present owner, Malcolm Goram has modified the rig by raising the gaff to a high peak, lengthened the bowsprit, increased the rudder area and design and re-engined with a Bukh 10 diesel inboard. She has also recently undergone an extensive internal refit.

Our Boys

Our Boys is a 42ft dipping lugger, built in Looe in 1904 by Dick Pearce for the Woodrow Pengelly family. Named ‘Our Boys’ after the first owner’s seven sons, she was involved in commercial drift-net fishing for pilchards and mackerel from Looe, until decommissioned in 1978. In the 1960s, she was skippered by Bill Pengelly, one of only five motorised former luggers still working from Looe. She has a wonderful history and has been owned by the Darts, Mike Cotton, the Greenwoods and currently Phil Cogdel. She’s now based in West Quay, Devon.

Peggy

Peggy is a 44ft Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter and was built in 1903 in Pil by Edwin Rowles for Richard A Case. In her day, she worked for a few Pilots, eventually sank but was restored in the 80’s and then owned by the Pridies until 2018. She now sails out of Bristol and owned by John Potter.

Precious

Precious is an 18ft traditional looking Clovelly Picarooner with a dipping lug rig. Built by Heards, she’s owned by Sam Coltman.

Prudence

Prudence is a Percy Dalton designed 28 ft, hard chinned steel gaff cutter. She is loosely designed around a Falmouth Working Boat, currently moored in Penryn and owned by Harrison Wood. She has a long keel and was built by a fishing boatyard as a one-off in 1980, along with her 25 ft twin that her owners have never tracked down.

Reliance

Reliance (FY59) is a 38ft Mevagissey dipping lugger, built in 1903 by Dick Peal of Gorran Haven. She was built for the Hunkin family of Mevagissey and fished from here until 1948 when she moved to the Penzance registry as PZ290. She has a beam of 11′ 6″ and draft of 5′ 6″.She left the fishery in 1966 and like many luggers, she fell into disrepair but was discovered again in the late 1990`s in the Heards Yard near Falmouth. Rescued in 1998 by Deana Russell, she’s been fully restored between 2014 to 2018 by the current owner, Since then she’s cruised to Brittany and the Outer Hebrides. She is owned by Graham Butler and her home port is Cawsand, Cornwall.

Roanna

At 36ft, Roanna is a modern 3 masted lugger, designed by Nigel Irens. With a modern take on the evolution of Westcountry fishing boats over the centuries, she was built in Staverton on the river Dart in 1999. She portrays a charming blend of old sea-worthy values with modern lightweight materials, with strip planked cedar hull and carbon fibre free standing rig. She will give any modern boat a run for their money, while visually retaining the charm of times long gone. Based on the River Yealm, she’s owned by Chris George.

Sea Urchin

Sea Urchin is a smaller version of a Gorran Haven Crabber and built by Percy Mitchell in Mevagissey (or Portmellon) around 1936. Sea Urchin has a Spritsail rig, similar to the Thames Barge, but she’s only 15ft. It’s an unusual rig for this style of boat, but fantastic for down and up wind sailing. Importantly, there’s no boom so perfect for kids. Also of interest, is the Ganderfied fore sails, as she’s now a cutter with two jibs and small bowspirit. She is owned by Richard and Chris Biker and sailed from Mousehole.

Silver Stream

Silver Stream was built in 2004 by the Falmouth Marine School, however, she’s a true replica of an 1892 Sennen Cove Crabber. The original was registered as PZ468 for the Nicholas family in Sennen. From here, she fished mainly for crabs and lobsters but reputedly sailed as far as the Scilly’s in good weather. It’s believed she was fished commercially until the 1930’s, after which no records exist. She’s now owned by Glenn and Clare Morris and sails as part of the Cornish Maritime Trust out of Newlyn.

She is built in the traditional fashion of larch planking on sawn and steamed oak frames, copper and bronze fastened. Spars are of Douglas Fir and the rig follows the original dipping lug design. She is solid, stable and a very capable 22ft 4’’ open dipping lugger. With a 14hp Beta marine engine, she can also be rowed and sculled.

A part of Silver Stream’s role within the CMT, is to help train younger members (and keen older members!) to sail a dipping lugger. The trust hopes this eventually gives crew the confidence and experience to skipper a larger more historical vessel, such as Barnabas.

The aim of the CMT is to help preserve a fraction of Cornwall’s maritime heritage, by maintaining and sailing four working vessels from the days of sail: Barnabas 40ft 1881 St Ives Dipping Lugger, Soft Wing 24ft 1900 Truro River Oyster Dredger, Ellen 17ft 1882 Gorran Haven Crabber and Silver Stream. We have a lot of fun sailing, but also work closely with our community of members on the maritime history and skills needed to maintain traditional vessels. Our vessels sail from Falmouth, Newlyn and Mousehole. The yearly membership is from £30 each to £40 a family.

St Ives Sculling Punts

The St Ives Sculling Punts(*2) are owned by the Jumbo Association and are two identically built traditional wooden punts. These will be used for Saturday’s extremely competitive sculling event.

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Unity

Unity is a newish 40ft workboat-style gaff rigged cutter, designed by Jon Bray and built by West Country Cutters. Her hull is based on a Mevagissey Lugger. She was launched in 2016 and turned heads at her first festival, Sea Salts and Sail, followed immediately by Brest and Douarnenez. She’s as traditional as it gets: larch on sawn-oak frames, copper and bronze-fastened, including a delightful wood burning stove, with a spacious, very practical interior. She’s fast, looks stylish under full sail and through simple rigging, can be sailed by two.

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Vilona May

Vilona May is a 29ft Polperro Gaffer, built in Looe in 1898. She’s sailed across the Atlantic five times and has also sailed to Australia and Greenland. Now restored in Milford Haven, she’s owned by Andrew McCloud and based in Milford Haven.

Wild

Wild is a 36ft, Percy Dalton, Falmouth Working Boat. Built in 1982 in Mylor Bridge, carvel construction of Iroko on oak, she was originally open. However, shortly after launching she was converted into a yacht and decked over. Current owners Evelyn and Ben have owned Wild for 3 years and sailed her between Cornwall and Scotland currently keeping her in Penryn. This year for Sea Salts, Wild has linked up with New Dawn Taders to transport and trade the most delicious fair trade goods to be collected and purchased from the vessel. The produce is sailed from across the Atlantic Ocean and along European coastlines pollution-free. ”Inspired by people, projects and businesses that promote resilience in local food systems, we have designed the Voyage COOP to apply this way of thinking to international trade. With our network of ships, producers and allies, we are building new models for supply chains that put planet and people first. We will be sailing in for Sea Salts & Sails to deliver the most delicious coffee, panel sugar, olive oil and more, onboard the beautiful Falmouth working boat, gaff-cutter Wild”.  Pre-order now and collect your goods from the harbour at the festival. NEW DAWN TRADERS is an experimental business. Contact Evelyn Hull shop@newdawntraders.com

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Wild Boy

Wild Boy is a wooden 17ft replica of an 1882 Gorran Haven fishing boat. She is a spiritsail yawl and built by Debbie Purser in 2020. With her near identical sister ship, Outdoor Girl, they were designed for inshore exploration, camping trips and making the most of wind, tide, sail and if all fails, ingenuity and oars.

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William Paynter

The William Paynter is a Jumbo class lugger, open, double-ended and introduced exclusively to St.Ives during the mid-1880’s. The modern Jumbos are replicas of some of the smallest (20ft 6’ LOA) designed by the renowned boatbuilder, William Paynter. Although rigged in the same way, Jumbos were significantly smaller than the other luggers which earned them their ironic nickname. With all the characteristics of the dipping lug rig in an easily manageable form, the Jumbo is an ideal boat on which to learn. The replicas were researched and built by Jonny Nance of the St.Ives Jumbo Association.

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