Newport Classic Boat Museum

[Nasher]

All

Last week my Wife and I had a great weekend staying at Ventnor on the Isle Of Wight.
We left the kids at home with Grandma Friday afternoon, and spent the weekend visiting the parts of the Island we don’t get to see when visiting by boat.

Considering it’s virtually on our doorstep the majority of the Island was an unknown quantity and we discovered many of its treasures, including its Devon/Cornwall like Southern coast.

Of particular interest was The Classic Boat Museum in Newport that our very own Tim Griffin is involved with. It is completely funded by donations, and all work is carried out by volunteers, yet most of the boats still go on the water at some time during the year and are very well prepared.
No Ribs I’m afraid, but there are some frightening old race boats with open drives etc and loads of lovingly polished and varnished wooden sailing boats.
An Ex-RAF parachute drop lifeboat has been restored to immaculate condition, and I was interested to see a special services two-man canoe similar to my own.
Well worth a visit.

Also of great interest was the shipwreck museum at Arreton Mills.


Nasher.

[tim griffin]

Glad you liked it Nasher
My favourite is the lifeboat we should be getting a ex Cowes /Torquay race winner soon two in line engines scary beast.
Why not organise a ribnet cruise next year to the museum they welcome ribbers with open arms .

[SOLENTER]

Which one tim or is that a secret/the year will do

[codprawn]

That must be the lifeboat I mentioned in another thread about Uffa Fox!!!

[tim griffin]

Originally Posted by GRUMPY

Which one tim or is that a secret/the year will do

Surfury 1968 Cowes Torquay race winner its been made homeless from the Basildon Maritime Museum ,the Classic Boat Museum may get it on loan or donated which ever the custodians want .

[tim griffin]

Originally Posted by codprawn

That must be the lifeboat I mentioned in another thread about Uffa Fox!!!

Yes you are right the flying lifeboat is my favourite , they were made very cheaply and only had a life expectancy of a couple of trips. Onboard was an instruction manual on how to sail, rig the mast and so on.
On making impact with the water a sea drogues was fired to slow the drift down to enable the crew to get onboard they also had a small inboard petrol engine ,they also had a signal box hite and other bits and bobs the boat looks amazing.

[M Humphray]

The oridginal airbourne life boat was built at Woodnuts Yard at St Helens I.O.W?. which my father assisted in the making of, as were the M.T.B's. He then went with Uffa Fox, after a lot of testing, with the boat fixed upside down on Uffa's large open car, to sell the idea to the War Departemnt. Unfortunately my father has passed on, and the memory fades with time, but I do remember him saying whilst Uffa was a brilliant designer, he enjoyed nothing better than a good time at the pub, at the end of the day. Just a foot note, my father also commented on the fact the Americans were so impressed with the idea, of the boat, they tried to make them out of aluminium, or aluminum as the would write it, but it would fracture on hitting the sea, where as the wooden ones would spring and flex, on impact. The main problem they had with the design was getting the size of the parchutes right to balance the boat so as to hit the water as level as possible. Sorry if this is a bit disjointed, stretching the little grey cells. Martin

[tim griffin]

If you have any memorabilia on the lifeboat or the MTB's and local boat building in general the museum would like to have copies if possible
Regards Tim

[M Humphray]

Tim Unfortunately not, but there are still a few ex Woodnutts boat builders around, I will make so enquiries.

[Nos4r2]

There's one of the american lifeboats kicking around in the UK still too-it was on ebay a few months back. It had been converted to a liveaboard canal barge but caught fire and burned the wooden superstructure off.

[tim griffin]

Originally Posted by M Humphray

Tim Unfortunately not, but there are still a few ex Woodnutts boat builders around, I will make so enquiries.

Thanks
Would be good to see some pictures in the museum displaying local boat building