Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2013 | Page 45

ON THE WATER

Set sail to view the
Classic Boat Museum

By Peter White
Tucked away in a quiet corner of
East Cowes there is a veritable
treasure chest of nautical gems
associated with the Island and much
further afield.
Over the past 17 years or so a
group of volunteers have pieced
together a magnificent collection of
boats that have been a part of British
and world heritage stretching back
more than a century.
They range from speed boats to
sailing yachts and canoes to even a
coracle, and each has its own tale
to tell. They have been brought
together under one roof of a former
factory in Albany Road that has

been painstakingly cleaned and
converted into the Classic Boat
Museum. Just a few strides away
in Columbine Road is the Classic
Boat Gallery, providing a rich
tapestry of photographs, models,
trophies, magazines and artefacts
F