A tale of two voyages to Greenland, one made recently to Scoresby Sound in a friend’s boat acquired for remarkably little money via a well-known internet trading site. This successful trip contrasts with an earlier pass at Greenland in Tom’s 1911 pilot cutter unassisted by anything in the way of electronics or modern comforts. The voyage followed the route of the Vikings’ westward push to Cape Farewell a millennium ago, based on saga evidence and some archaeological conclusions. The illustrated lecture combines all three expeditions – 985, 1983 and 2014 - in one rollicking tale.
Keith’s talk will illustrate the passage from the Aegean in the east to the Ionian in the west of mainland Greece, taking in three world heritage sites, as well as transiting the spectacular Corinth Canal.
Date: Wednesday 21 March. Lectures and talks start promptly at 1900 hrs.
Bob Comlay was one of only a handful of crew-members who returned for a second voyage with Bill Tilman, earning a level of trust that gives him unique insight into the true character of this self-effacing legend of twentieth century exploration. This illustrated talk will bring to life the real experience of travelling with Tilman. Containing many unpublished photographs and letters, the talk offers a unique opportunity to gain awareness and understanding of this remarkable man based on a friendship that endured until Tilman’s loss at sea in 1977.
John and Kyla Brand explored the Baltic coasts of Denmark and Germany in 2014, 2015 and 2017. This delightful cruising ground offers welcoming harbours, gentle scenery, pretty villages and historic cities, with sheltered waters and reliable winds. In this talk John will introduce the islands of the ‘Danish Archipelago’, with its sleepy towns and pastoral landscapes, and the German Baltic coast with the Schleswig Fiords, spectacular Hanseatic towns and the holiday islands of Rügen and Fehmarn.
James spent six months cruising in Brazil during 2016, including Rio during the Olympic games. During his time there he got to grips with the peculiarities of checking in and out, laying up a boat in a customs bond and retrieving the boat afterwards, as well as cruising and replenishing in several of the most beautiful areas such as Bahia Ilha Grande, with its 365 islands, Salvador and Fernando de Noronha.
Nicky and Charles participated in the Oyster World Rally from Antigua to Auckland from January to October 2017 on their 575 Calliope. The sailing had its moments with a broken gooseneck and genoa foil. Features include meeting the locals through holding eye clinics and dispensing glasses, awesome diving and snorkelling, and acting as supply ship to a remote Polynesian island.
Philip and Richard will present episodes from the award winning log of their 600 mile cruise in a Rustler 31 from Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, to Ardfern, in the Western Isles of Scotland during the summer of 2016. Sparkler, skippered by Philip, with several crews, visited the five kingdoms of England, Wales, Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland.
To send a signal from your boat to the Moon was once thought more likely than reaching another ship below the horizon; talking to (let alone seeing) your granny on the other side of the Earth was definitely out.
We'll see how a combination of sums, styluses, soldering and stubbornness enabled Maxwell, Hertz, Marconi, Arthur C. Clarke, Julius Caesar and many others to predict, prove, build and strengthen the communication systems we now take for granted, taking us from flags and flares, semaphore and cyphers to VHF, SSB, G&T and GMDSS.
Peter’s talk will cover his personal experiences of high profile counter piracy operations off Somalia in 2008 when he was Captain of the frigate HMS Cumberland.
Date: Wednesday 6 December. Lectures and talks start promptly at 1900 hrs.
Place: CA House
Booking: Book here, Tickets are: £4 for members and £7 for non-members. Season tickets are available at £27 for the nine lectures from 4 October to 6 December.
There can be few long distance cruising boats that do not boast a book by Jimmy Cornell. His latest, 200,000 Miles, is a memoir based on his personal experience both as a long distance cruising sailor and as an organiser of thirty transatlantic and six round the world rallies. In this talk he will share photographic highlights from over 40 years of roaming the oceans of the world and visiting over 100 countries in the process.
There can be few long distance cruising boats that do not boast a book by Jimmy Cornell. His latest, 200,000 Miles, is a memoir based on his personal experience both as a long distance cruising sailor and as an organiser of thirty transatlantic and six round the world rallies. In this talk he will share photographic highlights from over 40 years of roaming the oceans of the world and visiting over 100 countries in the process.