Classic Boat Museum facts for kids

The Classic Boat Museum

The Classic Boat Museum is a special place on the Isle of Wight where you can explore the amazing world of boats! It's not just a museum; it's a working museum. This means they don't just show old boats, they also fix them up, or restore them. This work happens all year round. The museum has two main parts, located on opposite sides of the River Medina: The Boat Collection in Cowes and The Gallery in East Cowes. Besides classic boats, you'll find tools, old items, books, photos, films, and records. All these things tell the story of how boats have been built, sailed, and raced over the last hundred years.

The Boat Collection: Amazing Boats and Their Stories

The Boat Shed beside the historic Hammerhead Crane

The Boat Collection is where you can see many different kinds of boats, most of them made from wood. These boats have been carefully restored to look their best. Along with the main exhibits, there are also smaller boats on display, like dinghies, canoes, and rowing boats. Each boat has a unique history!

Flying Spray: A River Launch's Journey

• Flying Spray is a beautiful river launch from the 1920s. It was found in a very bad state, full of holes and rotting, in a river in England. After being restored, this boat has traveled to many boat shows in France, Germany, and Switzerland. It even won a special award called the Concours d'Elegance at a French boat show!

Airborne Lifeboat: Saving Lives in Wartime

• The Airborne Lifeboat is a very important boat. It's a Mark 1 version of a special design created by Uffa Fox in 1943. This boat was used for Air/Sea Rescue during World War II. It was carried by planes like the Lockheed Hudson and later larger planes like the Vickers Warwick. These lifeboats were dropped by parachute to airmen who had crashed into the English Channel or the North Sea. It's believed that these boats saved between 200 and 300 lives! Each boat had enough food, water, fuel, and clothes for a month at sea. This meant rescued crews could sail, motor, or even row back home. This particular boat was found buried in a garden and took two years to restore. Helicopters eventually replaced these lifeboats in the 1950s.

Sopranino: The First Mini Ocean Racer

• Sopranino is a very famous boat. It was the first small boat designed for both cruising and racing across oceans. In 1952, two sailors, Patrick Ellam and Colin Mudie, sailed her all the way across the Atlantic Ocean! Later, she was found in the USA in poor condition. She was bought for just $1 and brought back home to be restored. This boat helped start the idea of the present-day Junior Offshore Group fleet, which is for smaller offshore racing boats.

Kestrel: A Unique Design

• Kestrel is an early example of a Bembridge Redwing boat. In 1934, Lord Brabazon of Tara added some very unusual features to it. He put on a rotating wing-like sail, a mast that could swivel, and a brake at the top of the mast. This design makes Kestrel truly one-of-a-kind!

Rosabelle: Capturing Sailing History

• Rosabelle is a launch boat that was restored in 2011. This boat is famous because it was used by Frank William Beken to take his incredible sailing photos. His pictures of boats on the water are known all over the world!

Vigia: An Ancient Sailing Yacht

• Vigia is a historic Una Catboat that is waiting to be restored. It's the newest boat to join the museum's collection. It was given to the museum by a family who had taken care of it for over 70 years. Vigia was built in Cowes in 1872. It is thought to be the oldest English pleasure yacht that is still sailing today!

Black Bess: A Racing Ferry

• Black Bess is an Itchen ferry boat from 1870. This boat proudly carries the museum's name on its sail. You can often see it at many boat races and events during the summer.

The Gallery Exhibition: Stories and Treasures

Entrance to Classic Boat Museum Gallery

The Classic Boat Museum's Gallery is located in a building that was built in 1935. Here, you'll find many interesting photographs and items that tell more stories about boats and famous sailors.

Uffa Fox: A Design Genius

• You can see photos and other items related to Uffa Fox. He was a famous boat designer. The displays include information about his 14-foot dinghies and sailing canoes, and even his transatlantic voyages (journeys across the Atlantic Ocean).

Thornycroft Family: Naval Engineering

• There are photos, papers, and models used for testing boats that belonged to the Thornycroft family. They were important in naval engineering on the Isle of Wight. You can even see the testing notebooks of naval engineer Blanche Thornycroft.

Historic Yacht Photos

• The gallery has many photographs of yachts sailing in the Solent and East Coast areas from the 1920s onwards. These photos are often named and dated, showing how boats looked and sailed long ago.

Jo Carstairs: Motorboat Racing Star

• The museum has a collection from Jo Carstairs. This includes newspaper clippings and photos about her exciting motorboat racing career in the 1920s.

Models and Books

• You can also see models of powerful motorboats and working boats. The museum also has a library with about 2,000 books all about maritime (sea-related) topics.

Gipsy Moth IV and Famous Sailors

• The Gallery has a special connection to the famous boat Gipsy Moth IV. You can see some of the original equipment from the boat and even clothing worn by Francis Chichester during his incredible journey sailing around the world alone.
• Other displays tell stories about famous sailors like Ellen MacArthur, important sea organizations like Trinity House, and big naval events called Fleet Reviews. You can also learn about the Princess Flying Boat, Hovercraft, and the grand J-Class yachts.