Restoration work starts on much loved boat before summer sea voyage
It’s an adventure in the making. Multi-award-winning author, Wyl Menmuir, is restoring a well-sailed 1962 wooden wayfarer in the workshop at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
His work on ‘Eleana’ is part of a short-term residency at the Falmouth location. It’s been owned by the same family for more than 30 years and is now being overhauled.
Restoration of the boat forms an essential part of Wyl’s new book on seaworthiness, due to be published by Picador in 2028.
The book will blend an exploration of the mental health benefits of working with our hands, with the challenge of restoring a craft capable of sailing on the wild Atlantic.
‘I’m restoring this boat as part of an exploration of what seaworthiness means in our lives – in an attempt to feel less adrift in the world,’ explains Wyl.
‘She is the perfect boat for a writer who wants to understand seaworthiness in all its forms. My plan is to sail her from Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly in summer 2026, across 30 miles of open ocean.’
Wyl is being supported by the Museum’s expert Boatbuilding team which also allows for access to specialist tools and equipment.
‘Seaworthiness is a metaphor for the ability to navigate life’s storms. In an age of increasing challenges to our mental health, and changes in climate, it is perhaps the metaphor we need most right now.’
‘Our visitors get to see this beautiful boat take shape’
The boatbuilding team at NMMC is largely made up of dedicated volunteers, experienced in boatbuilding and knowledgeable about Cornwall’s maritime history.
Wyl will be working on Eleana in the boatbuilding workshop most Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from until Spring 2026.
‘It is a pleasure to welcome Wyl to our workshop,’ says Bob White, Boat Collection Manager at National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
‘He will benefit from the expertise of our boatbuilding staff and volunteers, as well as the stories of seaworthiness in the lives of those who pop in to meet him.’
‘In return, our visitors get to see this beautiful boat take shape, and can follow Wyl’s story as he embarks on a journey to the Isles of Scilly, and later completes his book.’
The workshop is visible to visitors all year round, and fully open to the public on specific workshop open day dates. On paying the admission fee, visitors receive an Annual Pass, enabling them to return as many times as they wish for the following 12 months.
Breaktime News recently reported on the SURF UP! Exhibition which is running at The National Maritime Museum Cornwall until January, 2027.
