The Smacks Boat was first produced in the early 1970’s from one of the last wooden dinghies built by master craftsman Alf Last of Cooks Barge Yard Maldon, and it has been evolving ever since. Early versions were sold to yacht and smack owners as tenders and many shells were fitted out by enthusiastic amateurs.
By the late eighties the mould was worn out and an injection of cash and enthusiasm was needed. That was when I acquired the mould and rights to produce the Smacks Boat. Since then I have been steadily building Smacks Boats for an enthusiastic East Coast clientele and further afield. Every boat built by me has been fitted out to the client’s individual specification. Only the amount of buoyancy remains the same, as there can be no compromise on that. Often I have incorporated an owner’s good ideas into subsequent dinghies until the boat produced today is simple and elegant in its functionality and grace on the water.