Tag: Nick Smith

Half-decked Nick Smith motor launch for sale

Half-decked launch Isla on her trailer

Nick’s lovely traditional West Country boats don’t come up very often, but his boats are widely admired, and two students at the Boat Building Academy at Lyme Regis have used his plans in building their projects: see Phil Bevan’s recent 18ft motor launch and I’ve found a link to what looks like a very similar boat built in 2021 by Tony-something.

Isla is one of Nick Smith’s 16ft half-decked motor launches. It’s eight years old, but has only had two gentle seasons of use, and is said to be in immaculate condition.

Isla has room inside for two to overnight, and was built at the Nick Smith Boatbuilders workshop at Salcombe. She has a 14 hp Nanni diesel inboard engine, and a cover and trailer are included in the sale.

The vessel is currently lying near Salcombe, on a trailer and undercover. The asking price is £17,500.

Phone Nick at 07827644223; email nick_smith_boatbuilder@yahoo.com.

Isla sister ship Sauzon afloat

Nick Smith 17ft carvel 7/8th inch Douglas fir on oak fishing and pleasure boat

You don’t see too many of these. West Country traditional boat builder Nick Smith is selling a new built 17ft carvel built launch fitted with a fully restored 10hp Bukh inboard – what he calls ‘a proper old thumper’.
He started building it from a 24ft, 36in log four years ago, but only completed a year and a half ago.
It’s an offer he’s unlikely to repeat – the centre line went together well enough, but once the planking started Nick realised that building in carvel even at this length and size wasn’t going to be an easy project. Really, he says, it needed two journeymen and was tough work on his own. From now on, it’ll be clinker all the way…
Due to a change in the original customer’s circumstances the boat hasn’t been afloat, but Nick has run the engine on the trailer, and has faired and repainted the topsides, which are still settling in.
The bilges have been filled for a few days so the planking has taken up.

See eBay for prices and details – but be quick, for the auction is only open for another day. 

Nick Smith-built half-decked motor launch afloat

This is the charming 16ft Nick Smith-built clinker-planked half-decker Isla afloat, I think in Scotland.

She has basic camping accommodation for overnight or the weekend, with a double bunk, storage and a small cooker, and I have a feeling a boat might appeal to quite a lot of folks…

Nick trained in Salcombe as a traditional boat builder in the 1970s. To learn more or to contact him, check his website. For more on Nick’s boats, click here.