Memorandum submitted by the National Maritime
Museum Cornwall
THE NATIONAL
MARITIME MUSEUM
CORNWALL
The National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC)
is an independent museum which opened to the public for the first
time in November 2002. It does not receive revenue support from
any Government bodies.
Its mission is to promote an understanding of:
— Small boats and their place in people's
lives; and
— The maritime history of Cornwall.
The museum is the only one in the UK solely
dedicated to small boats and the maritime history of the immediate
regional area. It was recognised by the UK Maritime Collections
Initiative (UKMCI) as being the lead museum for boats of "sporting
and recreational use and (the) social significance of boats and
small sailing craft".
The museum was founded by a happy congruence
of interest between the Cornwall Maritime Museum, a regional museum
in Falmouth, and the National Maritime Museum (Greenwich) which
was looking for a location where their collection of 104 small
boats (the National Small Boat Collection) could be displayed
for public benefit.
The construction of the museum was part funded
by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the SW Regional Development Agency
and through private sponsorship. Professional input was provided
by NMM Greenwich.
It now stands as an iconic building on the waterfront
in Falmouth playing a dual role as a museum and a catalyst for
regeneration. It welcomed 168,000 visitors in its first year and
presents the history of small boats and the maritime history of
Cornwall. It engages the enthusiasm of some 170 volunteers—possibly
the largest single heritage site volunteer programme in the country—and
has a full time staff of 25 people. In addition to its collections
of boats, artefacts and archives, it is supported by the unique
Bartlett Library of over 13,000 volumes which contains one of
the largest collections of books and magazines on small boats
in the country.
The museum works closely with relevant partners
especially:
— The Falmouth Marine School (part
of Cornwall College) whose NVQ Level 3 course on traditional boatbuilding
is run from the museum's premises, helping to preserve craft skills
— The Cornish Maritime Trust whose
restored boats, Ellen and Softwing may often be seen on the museum's
pontoon
— The Port of Falmouth Sailing Association
which brings together the local sailing clubs and local working
boats
— The RYA and other similar bodies.
WHAT IS
THE UK'S
SMALL BOAT
MARITIME HERITAGE?
As an island nation the UK has had a long tradition
of producing small boats. The history of vernacular small boats
is poorly documented but experience suggests that the range is
very wide indeed. These boats were generally produced by small
local builders who did not formally document their work and types
thus vary significantly.
In the late 19th century, the rise of leisure
boating led to well known yacht designers and builders such as
Fife, Linton Hope and Camper & Nicholson.
From the 1930's onward there has been an enormous
growth in mass participation in waterborne leisure activities.
Designers such as Uffa Fox, Jack Holt, Ian Proctor, Peter Milne
and the Prout brothers were experimenting with new designs and
materials which made small boat sailing, both competitive and
leisure, a sport for everyone and not just the preserve of the
very rich.
No figures are available but it is estimated
that some five million people are actively involved in designing,
building and sailing small boats of one kind or the other ranging
from jet skis to small family cruisers.
SMALL BOATS
IN COLLECTIONS
IN THE
UK
There is no recognised central database of boats
in collections in the UK, however surveys suggest that there are
at least 500 boats in museum collections.
The two largest collections are:
— The 300 or so boats of the SISCAE
collection, a combination of the collection of the former Exeter
Maritime Museum with that of a private collector. Only a few boats
from this collection are currently on display to the public
— The 122 boats in the NMMC, consisting
of the National Small Boat Collection which is in the process
of being transferred from the National Maritime Museum (Greenwich)
to Falmouth and the museum's own collection created over the past
two years
In 2000 the Transport Trust was commissioned
by the Heritage Lottery Fund to produce a report into the heritage
needs and potential of transport in four categories, aviation,
buses railways and boats (too small to have been considered by
the NHSC.) In the case of boats the Transport Trust split them
into classes derived from specialist umbrella organisations eg,
The Old Gaffers, Lifeboats, The Steamboat Association of Great
Britain.
This initial study by the Transport Trust concluded
that there were probably around 500 small boats which might be
of sufficient historical importance to merit grading. This figure
accords with the museum's own study. However, the Transport Trust
did not specifically address many of the types of small boats
most familiar to the general public: boats associated with leisure
and pleasure.
The Transport Trust report concluded that:
"Prioritisation across the categories should
be actively encouraged, and its coordination funded. It will however
have to be led . . . Grading within categories and classes is
the first priority. This should lead to improved co-operation
between private and public sectors of preservation."
LARGE SHIPS
V SMALL
BOATS
The National Historic Ships Committee (NHSC)
has done excellent work in surveying the needs of historic vessels
as a whole and producing the National Register of Historic Ships.
In order to reduce the range of vessels considered the register
was limited to vessels of over 40 ft in length, over 40 years
old and British built.
The options for small boats are different from
those for large ships. Small boats are more affordable for individuals
to care for, store and use. Where they are owned by conservation
trusts, fewer members are required and, if the materials of the
boat are traditional, the repair work can often be done by enthusiasts.
Importantly, the "conservation option of
last resort"—taking the boat out of the water permanently—is
much more affordable with small boats than it is with big ships.
Experience of projects such as SS Great Britain or the Cutty Sark
demonstrate just how costly it can be to make a ship "dry".
In contrast, the boats in the museum's displays or store can be
stored dry indefinitely and cost-effectively with minimal direct
intervention simply because of their materials, size and ease
of storage.
For a given amount of money, small boats are
thus a much cheaper option, and can provide more variety, than
large ships. Used in imaginative educational displays, they can
also portray a greater variety of stories about the past.
DCMS POLICY TOWARDS
MARITIME HERITAGE
AND SMALL
BOATS
The NMMC would expect to interact with the DCMS
in two ways: as part of the museum community and as the lead museum
for small boats.
In practice the museum has had not been invited
to engage in any direct policy discussions with the DCMS and it
is therefore difficult to define what, if any, the DCMS policy
is towards maritime heritage and small boats in particular. A
search of the DCMS website for maritime heritage' concentrates
on the Historic Ship Survey and Underwater Archaeology.
Despite this, the museum's task is entirely
consistent with the declared DCMS objective: "to make the
historic environment accessible to everyone and ensure that it
is seen as something with which the whole of society can identify
and engage".
The museum does engage in discussions with sponsored
bodies such as the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and
its regional body SWMLAC on professional matters; and with VisitBritain
and SW Tourism on tourism development.
DEVELOPING PRIORITIES
FOR SMALL
BOATS
In looking at the small boat sector of the maritime
heritage of the nation it is clear to the NMMC that a number of
steps are needed:
— The provision of leadership to build
on the work done by the Transport Trust.
— The creation and maintenance of a
central database (the National Small Boat Register or NSBR) to
coordinate the information collected by all bodies concerned with
the preservation of small boats.
— Fostering the development of a grading
system which will enable priorities for the conservation individual
craft to be set.
— Provision of a common archive "of
last resort" to ensure that valuable material is not lost.
— The establishment of a centre of
expertise in the management of small boats, their conservation
and preservation.
— Engaging fully with all sectors of
this very diverse group and draw upon expert advice from those
with experience in the relevant sectors.
The NMMC has already carried out a pilot project
to establish the feasibility of creating a central database as
the core of its proposal for the establishment of a National Small
Boat Register. It is seen as eminently sensible to build on this
experience, and working according to the principles established
by the Transport Trust, draw upon the expertise available within
umbrella and other groups in the field. The museum's intention
is that the project should be a very inclusive one, engaging partners
all around the country to report and provide information. This
project has yet to be scoped in detail and is, as yet, unfunded.
It is most strongly felt that the museum is
now in a good position to take the lead and make a very real contribution
to the understanding and management of the small boat sector of
our maritime heritage.
28 January 2005
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