VOTE FOR VOLUNTEER!

Nominated for the Classic Boat Awards 2026

VOLUNTEER has been nominated for the Classic Boat Awards from British Classic Boat magazine in the category MODERN CLASSICS - SAIL. It's easy to vote online at awards.classicboat.co.uk

Come and support a friend of The Wooden Boat Centre. Ian Smith has over forty years experience as a dedicated boatbuilder and was a guest boatbuilding teacher at The Wooden Boat Centre in 2025.

“VOLUNTEER is the culmination of all of my years an experience of wooden boats.”

Volunteer

Design Cliff Gale, Build Ian Smith, LOD c24ft (7.3m), Gaff sloop

The original Ranger of 1933 is a Sydney legend. Seven were built since, all still in commission. Volunteer is the work of (clearly not) retired boatbuilder Ian Smith, with an exotic spotted gum keel, a blackbutt stem and sternpost, spotted gum frames and Huon pine for the planking. Since her launch, she has been racing locally; Ian plans some well-deserved cruising.