Traditional Sailing Boats
Preservation
Preserving Traditional Boats & the Skills to Sail Them
Safeguarding Cornwall’s Maritime Heritage
Maritime Heritage
The Cornish Maritime Trust exists to protect one of Cornwall’s most precious cultural treasures: its traditional working boats.
These vessels—built for fishing, trading, and surviving the wild Atlantic—carry the stories of generations who shaped life along the coast.
Today, the Trust ensures these boats continue to sail, not as museum pieces, but as living, working craft.
Restoring and Maintaining Historic Vessels
Restoration
Our fleet includes some of the finest surviving examples of traditional Cornish maritime design.
Each vessel is cared for by skilled volunteers who bring together craftsmanship, historical knowledge, and deep respect for the boats’ original purpose.
We:
- Carry out ongoing restoration using traditional methods and materials
- Maintain rigging, sails, spars, and hulls to seaworthy standards
- Document and preserve the unique design features of each vessel
- Keep alive the practical knowledge that would otherwise be lost
Every hour of maintenance is an act of cultural preservation—ensuring these boats remain part of Cornwall’s coastline for generations to come.
Keeping Traditional Sailing Alive
Traditional Sailing
A historic boat is only truly alive when under sail. The Trust is committed to preserving not just the vessels themselves, but the skills, seamanship, and working practices that defined life on the water.
We actively teach and demonstrate:
- Traditional rig handling
- Hand‑reefing and sail management
- Navigation by tide, wind, and coastline
- The working rhythms of fishing and trading craft
By sailing these boats regularly, we honour the people who built and worked them—and keep their knowledge in motion.