OCC Webinars

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.