OCC Webinars

An interview with Fabian Fernandez who is one of very few Malaysian sailors to undertake a short-handed circumnavigation in a sailboat. He describes the cultural, linguistic and financial barriers he has encountered as well as the great support he has received from his Ocean Cruising Club mentor in America. Once his trade-wind circumnavigation is complete he wants to prepare a new boat, S/V Challenge, for a more arduous North West Passage and Figure of 8 circumnavigation of the Americas.

In this second episode of Zora's Altantic Circuit, Rhys describes his icy voyage through Prins Christian Sund to Iceland and Ireland.

Along the way he was accompanied by Luke Franklin who was sponsored by the Ocean Cruising Club's Youth Sponsorship scheme.

Hailing from the rugged Pembrokeshire coastline, Charlie’s childhood was shaped by water. Forced to grow up in a wetsuit, her summers were spent camping, rock pooling and coasteering where her fascination for the natural world took hold. At the age of eleven her family relocated to the sub-tropical archipelago of The Canary Islands where she spent a decade immersed in the rich waters of these volcanic islands and learnt to scuba dive. This deep rooted love for the natural world led Charlie down the path of studying Conservation Biology (BSc), before continuing on to complete her masters (MRes) in marine science where she studied carbon exchanges in coral reef habitats. 

In this webinar she describes the overfishing of sardines in West Africa that deprives locals of work and food forcing them to abandon their homes. She shares the story of the fishmeal industry  and its impact across the world.

Nick bought the rusting, burned-out hull that had been abandoned 21 years earlier and made good the steel worst of the rust. He then sold the the empty shell to Rhys and Niamh who, in their spare time, worked on S/V Zora for 3 years before finally setting off on their ocean adventure in 2022. With the help of YouTube followers, this dynamic and resourceful couple scraped together cash, volunteer labour and discounted equipment to create an impressive yacht capable of taking them to the Americas and the Arctic. They then embarked on their dream voyage.

In the final episode of the OCC NWP Videocasts our OCC boats have made great progress. All have passed through the most challenging sections.

The westbound boats are plugging away into headwinds with strong countercurrents with about 1,300 miles to go to Nome, Alaska. The two eastbound boats are now at Pond Inlet or on the east coast of Baffin Island. All crews still have a long way to go in weather that will deteriorate as the autumn advances. The most difficult ice challenges are now over but crews need to remain vigilant. Catch up with the progress of S/V’s Lumina, Abel Tasman, Thor, Moli, Voyager and Dogbark and hear their stories of mishaps in the Bellot Straits.

The views, opinions and recommendations expressed on this website and the documents referenced herein are those of the persons expressing them alone. The OCC and its officers and directors have not verified, and accept no responsibility for any such views, opinions and recommendations.

S/V Hawkeye reports on Tonga and Fiji and recent changes to cruising rules in French Polynesia.

S/V Eyra discusses the upwind passage from the Tuamotu to Marquesas and the delights of cruising in low season.

The views, opinions and recommendations expressed on this website and the documents referenced herein are those of the persons expressing them alone. The OCC and its officers and directors have not verified, and accept no responsibility for any such views, opinions and recommendations.

During the summer of 2024 all the OCC boats attempting the North West Passage connect via Zoom with the OCC Port Officer for the NWP, Victor Wejer, for a conversation about their exploits, the ice conditions and their plans. In this episode the NWP veteran, Rev Bob Shepton, joins the call.

All photographs of S/V Abel Tasman are by Keith Tuffley

The views, opinions and recommendations expressed on this website and the documents referenced herein are those of the persons expressing them alone. The OCC and its officers and directors have not verified, and accept no responsibility for any such views, opinions and recommendations.

Join the OCC North West Passage Fleet as they make their way towards and across Baffin Bay. The fleet has expanded as other boats heading north have joined the Ocean Cruising Club. Welcome to Keith & Alex (S/V Abel Tasman), Sean & Kate (crew on S/V Voyager) and to Carol & Tim (S/V Lumina). Guests tonight are Henk & Bunny (S/V Tiana). George (M/V Migration) and Randall (S/V Moli) were not able to join the Videocast today but old hands Gerd & Melissa (S/V Thor), Tom (S/V Night Owl), Rhys (S/V Zora) and Adrianno & Marisa (S/V Voyager) were all online.

Victor Weger describes the ice conditions to the team and answers their questions. The weather in Baffin Bay is fine and windless but there is some fog in Disko Bay.

The views, opinions and recommendations expressed on this website and the documents referenced herein are those of the persons expressing them alone. The OCC and its officers and directors have not verified, and accept no responsibility for any such views, opinions and recommendations.

This Videocast links 7 OCC cruising boats by Zoom every month as they make their way across the Pacific from Panama to Australia and New Zealand. Each crew shares the lessons they have learned, their delights, their struggles and what they would do differently. One crew has even chosen to change their boat along the way!

Episode 1 catches up with each boat when in French Polynesia after 5,000 miles of downwind sailing. They discuss weather, visas, multi-year transits, use of WhatsApp Groups, mid-ocean rescues, choice of boat, routing, timing and the highs and lows they encountered along the way The boats and crews are:

S/V Enki (38’ monohull) sailed by Jamie and SunYoung (USA / Korean)

S/V Eyra (38’ catamaran) sailed by Valerie and Menno (USA)

S/V Hawkeye (45’ catamaran) sailed by Richard and Alexandra (UK /USA)

S/V Matilda (46’ monohull) sailed by Annika and Michael (Swedish)

S/V Pacific Wind (46’ monohull) sailed by Ulf and Monica (Swedish) S/V Ruffian (41’ monohull) sailed by Ian and Fiona (British)

S/V Shimshal (46’ monohull) sailed by Simon and Sally (British) The next episode will be in August 2024.

The views, opinions and recommendations expressed on this website and the documents referenced herein are those of the persons expressing them alone. The OCC and its officers and directors have not verified, and accept no responsibility for any such views, opinions and recommendations.

 During the short Arctic summer of 2024 the OCC News Feed will follow the exploits of 5 Ocean Cruising Club boats as they attempt one of the most difficult sailing challenges on the planet. Using modern satellite communications, they will be filing fortnightly videocasts (to the OCC News Feed) describing their preparations and progress.

Their story begins with episode 1 on 28th June when the boats were in the following positions:

S/V Moli (American), on passage from Homer, Alaska.

S/V Voyager (Swiss), St John’s, Newfoundland.

S/V Thor (American), St John’s, Newfoundland.

M/V Migration (American), Red Bay, Labrador.

S/V Night Owl (British), Nuuk, Greenland. Enjoy following their story.

The views, opinions and recommendations expressed on this website and the documents referenced herein are those of the persons expressing them alone. The OCC and its officers and directors have not verified, and accept no responsibility for any such views, opinions and recommendations.

The Ocean Cruising Club is pleased to support cruisers by increasing awareness of the potential hazards that cruisers face. In this video an OCC member describes how she contracted this dangerous illness in a very remote region of the South Pacific. 

One month on from contracting the illness she still suffers daily symptoms and knows that many of the effects will last much longer.

The views, opinions and recommendations expressed on this website and the documents referenced herein are those of the persons expressing them alone. The OCC and its officers and directors have not verified, and accept no responsibility for any such views, opinions and recommendations.

A fact-filled discussion about all aspects of the Jordan Series Drogue with some discussion of sea anchors and other storm tactics.

Bill will present an overview of the OCC's Website and App. He will then take any questions from members.  The aim is to provide a permanent resource for those wishing to master the OCC's digital resources.

Topics covered include:

• Updating personal details and boat details
• Finding boats on the OCC Fleet Map
• Viewing the tracks of boats on the OCC Fleet Map
• Finding OCC members in your neighbourhood
• Discovering and recording Cruising Information
• Posting your boats position when out of the range of a terrestrial AIS receiver
• Searching Flying Fish - the OCC's journal
• Reading Newsletters on you phone or iPad
• Using the OCC Forum
• Discovering what Events are happening worldwide
• Where are Port Officers based?
• Downloading information to use when offshore without internet access
• Who has won an Award and how can I nominate someone for an Award

Marin and Stephanie describe their east to west traverse of the Viking Route via Labrador's Torngat National Park

Three OCC Members with very different backgrounds lead a discussion about Safety at Sea for Cruising Couples and refer to the excellent training provided by the Cruising Club of America. The discussion and external links to purchase the CCA book are hosted on the OCC Forum at:

https://forum.oceancruisingclub.org/Topic7776.aspx

Bob uses superb slides from his sailing career to describe how Tilman inspired him to sail to remote regions of he world to explore and climb mountains.

Traditional Boat Building

Around the world, traditional boats are built without lines planes, using skills and traditions handed down over the generations. The way we build in the west, starting with a skeleton of frames and wrapping them in planks is the exception. The great majority of boat builders start with the planks and put the frames in afterwards. The ways they do this vary greatly from place to place, resulting in a remarkable array of different boat shapes and traditions. This talk will whisk you around the world, comparing and contrasting the different approaches and end up by throwing light on the evolution of boatbuilding in Europe.

Dr. Toste Tanhua is an enthusiastic cruising sailor and a chemical oceanographer. The last few years Toste has been able to combine his sailing hobby with work as an oceanographer, and has supported several campaigns to make ocean observations to support ocean science. Toste will be explaining what kind of contributions to science sailors have been doing, why these observations are important and what the impact of these observations are, also to the benefit to the sailors them self.

Apart from editing the OCC's quarterly Newsletter, Jeremy: - has been cruising in Tasmanian waters for well over six decades;

- is an eastabout circumnavigator via the great capes of the Southern Ocean, the Baltic Sea, the W European canal system and many places in between;

- is editor of the Tasmanian Anchorage Guide - a must-have reference book for anyone serious about cruising around this windy but spectacular coastline;

- played a major role in organising 9 (mostly) biennial Van Diemen's Land Circumnavigation cruises, escorting a fleet of up to 45 boats on a five-week, 800M circumnavigation of Tasmania.

Tim and Emmie describe their summer aboard S/V Shadowfax diving, biking, paragliding and exploring the waters around the Isles of Scilly. Authors of the Isle of Scilly Anchoring Guide, David and Judith Eastman joined the webinar to contribute their vast knowledge of this idyllic cruising ground.

Pam's honeymoon was spent sailing an Atlantic circuit in the 1970's aboard the diminutive Carronade. She went on to complete two more circuits with her husband Andy and two children aboard the lovely 38' Kandarik which she and Andy built themselves. Kandarik is now 48 years old and is still owned and sailed by Pam every weekend from her home in Florida.

Cooya's Circumnavigation by Colin Palmer. ‘In 1972 two young men hatched a plan to sail around the world. They bought Cooya, a 13m Linton Hope yawl built of teak in 1914. Their plans did not work out as they hoped, but they both learnt a great deal along the way. I was one of those young men. My talk will recall the highs and lows of our time with Cooya, and compare those times to sailing today on my 10m aluminium Ovni 32. How did we manage without AIS, DSC, GPS, LEDs and most importantly of all, watertight decks…..’

Polar explorer, adventurer and boatbuilder Jarlath Cunnane describes building a replica of the James Caird, the Shackleton Antarctic expedition lifeboat, in an attempt to commemorate the Scots carpenter Henry 'Chippy' McNish, who was a member of the TransAntarctic Expedition 1914-1917. The modifications that McNish made to the Caird enabled it to weather the epic 800-mile voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia which Shackleton and five of his crew undertook after their ship, Endurance, was crushed by pack ice.

Jarlath attempted to repeat Shackleton's epic voyage in 1997 in an earlier replica that he had to abandon in the Southern Ocean when capsized by hurricane strength winds. He then went on to build the legendary 47' expedition yacht, Northabout, in which he, together with his adventurous fellow countrymen, transited both the NW and NE Passages.

Winner of multiple prestigious sailing awards, Jarlath was made an Honorary Member of the Ocean Cruising Club in April 2021.

Tim and Emmie's well travelled 'Shadowfax' accommodates all manner of sporting equipment all of which got well used during the 18 months they spent cruising the Canary Islands. Bicycles, SCUBA gear, parapents, rock climbing gear, drones, paddle boards are just some of the cargo squeezed into the lockers leaving just enough room for Emmie to fit an art studio and for Tim's camera gear. This is a multi-sports tale of adventure in the lovely Canary Islands.

They write, '“We planned to merely stop in at the Canary Islands en route to Senegal. We imagined hotels, jet skis and villas sprawling back into the interior of each island. Everything we wanted to avoid. 1.5 years later we were still there! With a little adventurous pilotage we discovered remote anchorages, amazing volcanic landscapes, superb scuba diving, challenging climbing, plentiful fishing, interesting locals and plenty of history for Emmie to create a series of paintings from. Join us for a webinar on "Canary Islands… Off the beaten track"

Marine biologist, Dr Howard Dryden, has studied water pollution, water filtration and the delicate chemistry of marine habitats all his life. In this talk he describes the scale and toxic consequences of marine plastic pollution as well as the consequences of the acidification of the oceans. He goes on to explain how nature will quickly recover if the world can stop polluting.

Starting at Port Barrow on Alaska's frigid north coast, Ellen describes the 5 seasons that she and Seth spent cruising the Alaskan Coast and the Aleutian Islands. Stunning photography, videography and story-telling do justice to the amazing landscapes and wildlife she encountered along the way.

The discussion led by Fi Jones, Rear Commodore, covers the difficulties that may be encountered when cruising during a pandemic, vaccine , vaccine passports,  insurance issue and some issues relating to the new rules around Brexit.

Garry was awarded the OCC's Seamanship Award for his long passage from Antigua to Northern Ireland. COVID restrictions in 2020 meant that many of the usual cruising routes became unavailable and so Garry took the decision to sail direct from Antigua to Ireland on his own - a voyage more remarkable by the disability that Garry has to cope with.

John and Sue Chadwick set off in 2016 on a sailing adventure. “We weren’t pitchpoled, dismasted, attacked by pirates or capsized” John says but the story of their adventure is as gripping as any you’ll hear. Leaving the Tamar River in 2016 in Dandelion, a Pan Oceanic 46, they sailed south to Spain, Portugal, Medeira, the Cape Verdes and then across the Atlantic to Brazil. In 2017 they cruised Brazil and the remote and tortuous rivers of Salvador. They pressed on to Uruguay and into the River Plate and put into Buenos Aires for storm repairs. 2018 saw them cruise further south to Argentina, Patagonia and to anchor in Bahia Buen Suceso in Tierra del Fuego. It was here they lost their kedge anchor - just like Captain Cook. Then on to the Beagle Channel, Cape Horn and the Falklands. There then followed a passage north to the Caribbean and back across the Atlantic returning to their Tamar mooring on 1st. September 2019.

Mike took a summer job skippering a Bowman 57 on a voyage from Scotland to northern Norway via the Faroe Islands. His crew were mostly novices searching for a sailing adventure and Scottish Single Malts. They found and abundance of both!

Nigel built his first boat out of concrete when a college student. He then cruised from the UK to the Caribbean on a shoestring budget. For some years he skippered other people's super-yachts but now sails his own Oyster 435, Azura of Felixstowe. This year he will be making his 18th Atlantic crossing in order to cruise one of his favourite regions - Galicia. When not sailing he lives and lectures in New Zealand. 

In 1989 he sat out Hurricane Hugo at anchor and has gained much experience during the course of his sailing  career. His talk describes how to avoid hurricanes and how to prepare for them if caught in their path.

Thierry and Barbara sailed their then boat, Cérès (a Centurion 40), to St Petersburg and then followed the inland Russian waterways to the White and the Barents Seas to Tromsø in Norway. 

Thierry and Barbara are an adventurous couple and hope to be embarking on a voyage to Greenland and beyond on board their new boat, Gaia (an Amel 50). They have been awarded an OCC Challenge Grant for the science and educational work they will be undertaking on their 2021 passage. 

In December 2018, Stephen Foot set off across the Atlantic on his Centurion 45, Water Music bound for Antigua. There he was joined by his wife Grace and they then sailed with family and friends as crew through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand. The route takes in the San Blas, Galapagos, Marquesas, Tuamotos, Society Islands, Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga and Fiji. This talk follows their 15,000 Nm path and their Highs and Lows. Champagne Sailing, South Sea Paradises, Medical evacuation, flooding of the boat and flying coral are all encountered (mercifully not in equal helpings).

Prof Nick Owens keeps his 35' sloop just yards away from his office at the Oban-based Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). His talk explores ways in which geo-engineering can be deployed to mitigate the impact of climate change. Nick has a lifelong passion for the sea and for remote places and his work has taken him to South Georgia and the Arctic. He has been a Director of the British Antarctic Survey, The Sir Alistair Foundation of Ocean Science and the  Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

Tim and Emmie sailed in 2017 on their capacious S/V Shadowfax from Liverpool to Norway's Lofoten Islands  picking up hitch-hiking sailing superstars and rescuing stranded German climbers along the way. Once there they skied from sea to summit and back again, climbed prodigious rock faces, cycled, hiked and ate tons of cod.

Whilst Tim recorded their adventure on camera and video, Emmie pulled out her paintbrushes to record her impressions of Scandinavia in a series of exquisite art works. emmievb.com

Jamie and Behan Gifford sailed left California in 2008 with their 3 young children aboard S/V Totem. In this beautifully presented and illustrated talk some of the encounters with storms, pirates an unicorns they encountered during their leisurely circumnavigation. Please visit their website at: https://www.sailingtotem.com/

Judith has sailed in many of the world's remotest regions but one of her favourite cruising grounds is Scotland's West Coast. The tides, the wildlife, the scenery, the history make cruising the Hebrides a memorable expedition especially when the weather is good! 

The legendary Rev Bob Shepton describes his experiences with the 'Wild Bunch' sailing between extreme rock climbs aboard Dodo's Delight in NW Greenland.

Phil and Norma spent many months cruising aboard their much loved Ovni, Minnie B, in Indonesia as part of their circumnavigation. This is a practical account of cruising Indonesia with descriptions of the culture, landscape and the volcanos.

Steve describes the history, the geography, the wildlife of South Georgia and punctuates it with his own riveting account of sailing and climbing from his expedition yacht, S/V Novara.

Andrew is the Editor of the excellent Arctic and Northern Waters Cruising Guide published by RCCPF. He has sailed the NW Passage as well as remote coasts throughout the Arctic. This is an overview of Arctic sailing including the North West Passage and Scoresby Sund.

‘Travels with Tilman’ Talk summary H.W. ‘Bill’ Tilman's climbing and sailing achievements rank amongst the greatest in the fields of twentieth century mountaineering and high latitude sailing. By the time of his disappearance in the South Atlantic in 1977, he had left a legacy of some of the finest travel books ever written. Quoted as an inspiration by both Chris Bonington and Robin Knox-Johnston, Tilman's books remain essential reading for those who embark on similar ventures. Born in 1898, Tilman was a highly decorated military leader who survived the brutality of the Great War and volunteered for covert operations behind enemy lines leading Albanian and Italian partisans during the second World War. Apart from this extraordinary wartime service, the rest of his life was spent climbing and sailing in remote parts of the world, stopping only to write the fifteen books that document his travels. Bob Comlay was one of only a handful of crewmembers who chose to return for a second high latitude voyage, earning a level of trust that gives him unique insight into the character of this self-effacing legend of twentieth century exploration. The talk covers a brief biography of Tilman with personal anecdotes from the two Greenland voyages of 1970 and 1971. The presentation includes a large number of unpublished colour photographs, archive documents and extracts from personal letters.

In the late summer of 2003 OCC member Clive Woodman set out from Plymouth in his Cornish Shrimper bound for Oslo, Norway. As soon as the first snows of winter arrived he swapped the yacht for a set of skis and spent the winter skiing 2,300 km northwards through the Norwegian to North Cape where he got back in the Shrimper to complete the circumnavigation by sea.

OCC Lecture #10 ‘FAMILY CRUISING IN HIGH LATITUDES AND DURING COVID-19’ by Gavin French - Gavin and his adventurous young family sailed away from home and secure jobs in Newfoundland aboard their catamaran. They chose the Viking Route to Norway which is an unusual choice for family cruising on a multihull. They are currently living aboard under lockdown in Italy.

Barton Cup winner Randall circumnavigated Antarctica and the Americas singlehanded in one very long voyage. His long suffering boat, S/V Moli, has won two Barton Cups

Cruising legend, Pam Wall, gives an overview of cruising in the Bahamas on board her beloved S/V Kandarik. Her talk covers preparing a boat for warm water cruising, getting to the Bahamas and, of course, lots of cruising information.

OCC Lockdown Talk #7: ‘Marquesas and Tuamotus’ by Ellen Leonard - Ellen won the OCC’s David Wallis Trophy 2018 for her writing about spending her 20’s sailing around the world and subsequently cruising the Pacific from the Bering Strait to Hawaii. Her blogs and her videos are exquisite as is this presentation.

Kirk Patterson, a 31-year resident of Japan, did a solo Pacific crossing and then spent six years cruising Japan, including the first full circumnavigation of the Japanese archipelago by a foreigner. 

OCC Lockdown Lecture #5: ‘Chilean Canals’ by Kath McNulty - OCC Rose Medal winners and, until very recently, Roving Rear Commodores Kath McNulty and Franco Ferrero tell the story of their Chilean adventures aboard Caramor their Rusler 36

Judith is Danish & Haakon is Norwegian and they live in Denmark. They both started sailing as adults. They met on a delivery sail from La Rochelle to Oslo, Norway and bought their first boat together 3 months later. They have owned 3 boats: 9 years in Denmark on an Hallberg Rassy 26’, 7 years in the Med on a Malö 40 (31.5’) and 10 years on Touché, an Island Packet 380.

They have Sailed approximately 22000 nM in Touche but always part time: 3 years in Scotland, 3 years in Norway, 1 season in Scotland & Ireland, 1 year in Atlantic France, then south to Gran Canaria, Crossing the Atlantic in 2018/2019 – The Eastern Caribbean, USA, Cuba, Grand Cayman and Panama. Touché is now in Panama waiting for new adventures.

Future plans (if Covid allows – they had planned to be in Chile around now): Through the Panama Canal, Galapagos, Easter Island, Puerto Montt, Chile and Patagonia. They don’t intend to sail around the world – unless you count as much as we can do ‘vertically’!

David and Andrea McKay, s/v Diomedea, take us on a 3,500 mile journey around New Zealand in their steel Van De Stadt Tasman 48 built by a Kiwi. Their voyage took place in 2013-2014.

Steve Brown recounts the story of his adventures in the Southern Ocean and his dragging anchor on Deception Island.

In 2020 Steve won both the OCC's Vasey Vase and the RCC's Tillman Medal for his account of this voyage.