Will Whatley joined the British Atlantic Survey in 2008. He has risen through the ranks and has been working on the RRS Sir David Attenborough project since 2016. He will take command when she comes into service. In his talk, he will cover the build and capabilities of the vessel and how modern ice navigation techniques are put into practice in the Survey.
This is a joint event with the Royal Institute of Navigation.
Date: Wednesday 5 December. Lectures and talks start promptly at 1900 hrs.
From carrying lime products for Roses marmalade on a pair of canal boats to transporting grain by barge from Tilbury to Coxes Mill on the Wey to eventually operating three coasters in and around the Thames Estuary, the Murrells followed the inland trade to its eventual demise.
The Baltic - arguably one of the best cruising areas in the world – and it’s almost on our doorstep. Why visit, what might you find, how can you get there, how do you get back home again, what about language, isn’t it expensive?
Colin will share answers to these and many other questions during his ‘Beginners Guide to the Baltic’. Hear something about the history, the nature and the people that make this a ‘must do’ destination on any cruiser’s wish list. He will also explain some of the fantastic resources about cruising in the Baltic that are available to CA members.
A review of the history of navigation and mapping, how developments in one drove developments in the other, how scientific and engineering understanding and development drove both, although not necessarily at the same speed.
Climate change is having a visible effect on weather conditions around the world and this, more than anything else, affects sailors planning a long voyage. In his presentation Jimmy Cornell will discuss the major changes that have occurred in recent years and advise sailors how still to plan a safe voyage.
Date: Wednesday 31 October. Lectures and talks start promptly at 1900 hrs.
Most of us carry safety gear, bought with reluctance at great expense. For many the equipment is regarded as a talisman against disaster. Some gets used, but most of the things languish in a locker unloved and neglected. Will the apparatus work in the unlikely event that it is needed ? Probably not! It may be the ignorance of the user, lack of practice, or more likely potentially fatal faults in the gear itself.
The hydrographic surveyor Commander Edye, when greeted by Queen Victoria with "So you’re the man who knows where all the rocks are" famously replied "I fear not Ma’am, but I do know where they aren’t." Norman Kean, Editor of the Irish Cruising Club Sailing Directions and frequent contributor to Yachting Monthly, takes us on a scenic circumnavigation of Ireland, stopping off here and there to illustrate some of the pitfalls facing all those who prepare and use charts, whether paper or electronic.
Having crewed on two previous west-going Atlantic crossings, Graham was keen to skipper his own boat and complete the circuit returning via Bermuda and the Azores. He and Pam will talk about the boat and their preparation as well as the different legs from Portsmouth to Las Palmas, the ARC via Cape Verdes, time in the Caribbean and the return passage. There was no big drama, but many interesting and sometimes challenging experiences. They hope to interest those who have undertaken similar passages and encourage anyone planning to do so for the first time.
In 2014, Gareth and Frances decided they wanted to sail from the UK to Svalbard, a remote archipelago 600 nautical miles from the North Pole. The first step was to buy a boat. Within 15 months they had achieved their ambition and were were sailing their Hallberg Rassy 352 amongst the icebergs.
In this lecture, Gareth and Frances will discuss the reasons for the adventure, the planning, the trip and anything else that might come up!
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.
Date: Wednesday 31 October. Lectures and talks start promptly at 1900 hrs.