About Us

The business is run by Barry Wheelock, who owned a number of different sailing dinghies whilst growing up, and has had a long-held passion for varnished wooden sailing boats. After school he sailed on a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, built in the 19th century, with the Island Cruising Club to the Channel Islands and Brittany. 

After he was married, he bought his first yacht ‘Woodpecker’. She was a Borresen Folkboat (they also made the beautiful Dragons). ‘Woodpecker’ had a varnished pine hull with varnished pine and mahogany interior. Barry’s love of varnished wooden yachts carried on to his next yacht ‘Zingana’, a 37ft yacht, again varnished and built of Burma teak on English oak frames, designed by Peter Brett, who went on to design the famous Rivals. In fact, she was like a teak Rival and was built by Allansons in Lancashire.  After many years with her moored on the beautiful Beaulieu River and happy trips, particularly to the South West of England, she was sadly sold.

Barry then sailed overseas, both in the Mediterranean and extensively with his wife, her sister and brother-in-law to many of the Caribbean islands.

After a few years break from the sea owing to work, the pull of the sea was too strong. Barry’s yearning to be back on the water brought him and his wife to Cornwall and they fell in love with the area surrounding the Fal estuary. Having acquired a beautiful varnished day boat, ‘Uhuru’, Barry wanted others to share the joy of exploring the magic of the Fal on a wooden sailing boat so Fal Wooden Boat Hire was born.

Wild Life Filmmaker

For many years Barry has been filming wildlife and has made a film called “Wild Deer Watching” so he is an ideal person to have with you if you want to observe nature any time of the year on and off the water! Visit www.deerwatching.com or www.calmerbynature.com