A Life on the Seas of Northern Europe
with Tom Cunliffe
Saturday, February 20th, 2021 – 1900 GMT/UTC
We started off the show’s live presentations Saturday with the legendary Tom Cunliffe, who’ll be taking you on an insider’s journey through Northern Europe and the U.K. As a host of BBC series and author of over twenty books on sailing, Tom will weave a story about his home sailing grounds filled with boats, history, geography and more boats.
Tom’s Club:
If you enjoyed Tom’s talk as much as we did, we encourage you to check out his membership club. Simply go to his website below and click on “Membership Area” to learn more and sign up.
Tom’s Website: TomCunliffe.com
Nice to see you here, Tom – I think it was 1976, you and Roz on the Saari @ Hog Island, Grenada.
Ken Shock, Schooner Lora – Tarbert Scotland, 1907
What an absolute treat. Even my non sailing French companion loved it.
Many thanks!
Tom You are A library of info and emotion which no book can emulate.
I was born in1937 and had to wait to ‘get to sea from Netley ,half way along Southampton Water.You showed one picture of a J class in the mud at Hamble/Bursledon and I remember rowing under the stern of a J like in this place and can smell the mud (plenty to go around).
I have been in NZ/ Aus since 59 and generally in dinghys until a few years ago and it was even worse as I “Raced”. This video made me appreciate the other side of the coin and I heartily thank you for that!!
Ron Godwin
Beautiful presentation!
Thank you for a great presentation Tom. You most certainly have a gift and most importantly you are are a treasure to the community.
I loved listening to your stories and would certainly love to hear the one’s that you could go on about, but didn’t. Maybe next year, eh?
BTW, I’d really love to hear your thoughts on moving to a fiberglass hull.
Best regards and respect.
Dave
This presentation was extremely eye opening. Could see where ideas of men who designed various sailing boats here in the US may have gotten ideas from. Very entertaining spokesperson for this segment. Tom Conliffe loves to ramble on and take us with him as he gets excited remembering his days aboard various sailing vessels. I will enjoy re-watching this again. So many boats with so many designs. Loved it!
Brilliant!
Thanks Tom!!
Fantastic
What a fantastic perspective. Thanks for sharing all that wisdom, experience and enthusiasm.
Quite the memorable yarn.
I was sad to miss the live broadcast but wow, what a resource this video is and what good entertainment. Tom is a star and a wonder. Excellent work Off Center Harbor, and thank you Tom!!
Tom is my new favorite human being.
Thanks, Tom, for a fabulous presentation. Very informative, great photos, great tales, humorously given.
Loved your views on cutters. I used to sail a William Atkin cutter, Bermuda-rigged, and loved it.
Thanks to Steve, Nate and everyone, for making such a great Show! I must have had a smile on my face for most of the two hours.
I have been sailing for over 40 years and am learning new things every day from the live presentations.
Most enjoyable!
Fantastic presentation – thank you!!
Thank you, Tom, I ever so much enjoyed the presentation. I am not a sailor, have never been on a sailboat but by listening to you I feel I had this wonderful journey and feeding this passion of late learning about sails and their boats.
That was a blast – really enjoyed it. Have read Tom’s tales in Classic Boat UK for years. Better in real life 🙂
Alan Houghton – New Zealand
Ahh Tom I could listen to you all day!
You brought a tear to my eye Tom and I’m a hard old bastard, at 77 years I’ve sailed most of my life, thought I knew a little bit, and I do , very little!
Just wonderful mate, grand, thank you.
keith glover
Thanks for the info. Was nice to hear the references to NOVA SCOTIA, which is where I am from 🙂
What a wonderful presentation! I love the wisdom, passion, and philosophy that naturally bubbles up in this community. The feeling of the wind passing through the rig, keel, rudder and tiller creating forward motion is something that binds sailors together. Tom connecting that to our creator was a wonderful sentiment! I feel that bond especially with my father who introduced me to the sport 60 years ago. I lost him a year ago but we still share the connection! We sailed together up to a year before he passed. What a sport we have and how good it is to pass it to the next generation.
I see your point about the advantage of a full keel in heaving to; however, in my 1967 Chris Craft Apache 37 (S&S) that I’ve sailed the last 35 years, I’ve successfully hove to quite often in heavy weather on long trips and sometimes to just have a quiet lunch in brisk weather, or to stop the boat when the dingy I was towing overturned and filled with water, etc. Although it has a stoutly bolted on cast iron fin keel, the fact that the beam is only 10ft might help. Again, great show.
If you have a bolted on fin keel, which you mention , please have them examined most carefully by a qualified marine surveyor. Make sure that periodically the keel itself is examined and that there are no hair line crack s or fractures. further that the bolts are in good condition. Just thinking about all that under water structure and the possibilities for hidden inner damage and/or deterioration gives me the heebie jeebies! You did not mention where you sail but or any further details but make sure that your keel isn’t about to part company from the hull.
BY “them in the first sentence I mean the keel itself and all the attachments, fasteners and flanges, etc.
What a great presentation. Thanks.
It’s such a pleasure listening to you talk of boats and all to do with them. Thank you Tom
One of the very best two hours I have spent this winter, thank you Tom, thank you Steve, thank you Nate, and all the rest of the OCH team . . . Can’t wait for 2 PM EST today
The best presentation I have watched ever. Highly informative and inspirational.
Thank you Tom for a fascinating talk with so many wonderful boat photos and a lifetime of experience to relate.
Thanks too to Maynard, Steve and Nate for bringing this together, *and* recording it! such a great idea – I couldn’t watch live but this meant I could catch it all today instead.
Looking forward to the rest of the show.
All the best
Tom’s presentation is worth ten times the price of admission. Erudite without being didactic, whimsical but not facetious, humble without false modesty, can Tom please move to America and run for president! Tom is a world treasure, long life, god bless.
Hi Tom,
Thank you for your great interview and wonderful insight.
Michael & Doreen Ferguson S/V St. Leger, Thetis Island BC Canada
What an absolute Joy. A lifetime of wisdom. Thanks Tom.
Hi Tom,
Hello from Sydney, Australia. I have read many of your articles and admired your beautiful boats for over 25 years. I really enjoyed your presentation, thank you.
Just WOW!
It’s been awhile since I’v had the opportunity to go sailing and listening to Tom’s passion about this craft has stirred a desire to do so again. Thank you for this opportunity to hear from a true seaman who so obviously loves wooden boats.
This has been a blast. Thanks for posting the recording.
Thanks for watching, Tami!
That was the most entertaining and informative talk I’ve ever witnessed.
Learned so much! Thank you Tom!
any idea when it will be available ? Thanks !1
It’s up!
I need to get to Denmark!
Just finished watching and listening to Tom Cunliffe. I must say that if that was all I listened to, it was worth it !!! I had to laugh at his reaction to diesels and the like….I always loved the East Hope engine that was basically hand cranked and made extraordinary noises. I found him wonderfully opinionated and a fount of knowledge. Although I do not have a boat at this time, I built my first one back in 1969, an 45′ cutter designed by Cecil Norris. After that I was hooked. I didn’t have the boat very long , it actually caused a marriage break up, and moved to Australia where I took several courses at Melbourne Tech in marine design. I always wanted to see Tasmania, and decided to build a boat there. Using my new found skills I designed a 40 ft (cutter) and sailed it back to Canada 3 years later. A designed several other sailing vessels part time, including a family friendly 15 footer with bilge keels and a loose footed gaff rig. I ended up building 32 of them.
My final boat was a 42′ bridge deck cat that I kept for 12 years and sailed up and down the west coast from Alaska to Mexico and everything in between.
I certainly agree with everything Tom had to say, his boat photos were amazing. Maybe I will have enough energy in my “old” age for one more cutter !!! Looking forward to the rest of the week !!
Is there a replay of Tom Cunliffe’s talk available?
Hi Graydon. Soon. Tomorrow for sure, maybe sooner.
Unfortunately I only caught the last 10 minutes as it is early Sunday morning here in Melbourne Australia but what an uplifting speaker. I loved his comments on Celestial Navigation and the uncertainty and demons one had to conquer when using it. My first thought was that Us septagenarians’ are thankfully the the last generation to have known the mental toughness of character it needs to stay cool on a dark night in heavy seas approaching a lee shore when you only have a rough idea of where you are and everybody’s life on the boat is relying on you the skipper to survive but of course that is not true. The skipper today can still can face those demons when the technology fails. Knowing where you were when it all turned to shit and how to navigate by dead reckoning out of trouble are still essential skills for the skipper. Having the knowledge and mental toughness to do under pressure so still sorts out the men from the boys. The difference is that the old skippers faced these issues on a regular basis, not once or twice in a lifetime. I love my GPS but never take it for granted!
“The skipper today can still can face those demons when the technology fails…”
Well said!
I would dearly like to buy Captain Cunliffe a virtual pint (or four) just to listen to whatever he wishes to wax poetic! Good Lord, he makes me wish to be a young man again just so I could have made the choice to ‘follow the sea’…..
A SUPERB storyteller!
Well done OCH, well done indeed.
Check out Tom’s “club” on his website Richard. Seems like a great deal. That answer to the question about the cutter at the end was stunning.
Thoroughly enjoyable, especially stationed beside a cozy fire, with a glass of Old Pulteney. Excellent narration Tom. Looking forward to tomorrow’s event. Thank you for inviting me.
Tom, your closing comments on what it’s all about struck a fine chord. Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom with all of us.
Absolutely magical, wise and wonderful gift to the world sir! If you get another chance to come to our Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, I hope I’ll get a chance to shake your hand again and thank you personally. Have no idea if you like Japanese cuisine, but if so, and are interested, we’d be happy to have you to dinner. My wife, Tomoko, is from Northern Japan, where we were married and is much loved in our town for her incredible sushi. Just ask anyone, and they’ll tell you where to find her. Her store is just up the hill, a few blocks, an easy walk from our festival grounds!
Kirk Gresham
Just the best. From a wooden boat building student in Maine. An abundance of inspiration!
Are you related to the historical Capt. Slocum we all treasure so?If so please tell us all about your family’s history in relation to him!
Tom’s presentation was absolutely fantastic! Thank you.
I’m so glad you invited Tom to speak!
Very informative and what a great storyteller! Thanks Mr Cunliffe!
I’ve heard Tom, talk of ships on the horizon before. I could listen to him all the day long. What a great natural
resource. Cheers, P. Frances Larkin
This was epic! The end was right out my heart. Thank you so much.
I’m speechless! That’s just from the Q & A! I can’t wait to see his presentation!
Fantastic….so good to hear someone speak in such an articulate manner about such beautiful swimmers and why we’re so taken by the life aboard~
Thank you!!!! _/)
speechless… what fun that was… thanks Tom…
Wonderful history of boat designs and fab to find new places to visit, to see places I know through fresh eyes, and to go so far so fast! Head and heart is full tonight. Thanks, Tom Cunliffe~ and OCH.
Absolutely GREAT!
Wow what an afternoon ! Lucky us and Thanks !
That was just fantastic!
WONDERFUL presentation – many thanks !!!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Fair Winds and Following Seas Tom!!
Thanks Tom, really enjoyed this presentation! Cheers from Ipswich, Suffolk…
Thanks for a great presentation…Tom Cunliffe is just amazing!
Thank you! Wonderful!
In the drawing of Saari the mast was curved forward. John Leathers draws his masts straight. Which is more correct? And why?
Tom, thanks for a great presentation. I have a Maid of Endor by John Atkin. It was not designed with a topsail but the person who commissioned its construction was a sailmaker. He made a topsail for the boat. I local sailmaker who has experience in making sails for classic boats said not to sail with it as it was not designed with one. What is your opinion?
I’m a second-year boatbuilding student at The Landing School in Arundel, ME. My current project is a Nordlandsbåt and I’m using a survey of a 1950 Lofoten islands-built craft as a reference (survey by Bertil Andersson of Sweden). I literally wept when you spoke about these boats. To me they are the most beautiful boats in the world. Thank you for speaking about them. Is there anything you would say to a novice boatbuilder in my shoes?
awesome show I love it. Thank you!
Fantastic storytelling! Thanks so much!
I have taught math, woodworking and some intro to boat building in high school for the past 30 plus years-your gift for storytelling and knowledge of the past inspires me beyond words-skal to you Tom!
Do you have any objections to a multiple lazy jack system on a loose footed main for a pilot cutter? It seems most of the European designs have just one small lazy jack at the end of the topping lifts…
Such a delightful documentary Tom. Thank you.
Tom Cunliffe’s website for reference: https://www.tomcunliffe.com/
Just excellent. Thank you!
Fantastic presentation. Larry Stam
Thank you Tom. You are a legend.
Bravo! Well done Tom
Great presentation…just loved it
That was AWESOME! thank you.
Great presentation and very motivating. However, I was wondering how a foreign boat make port in another country? Is there some sort of internationl permitting or registration process?
Hello Tom – and everybody over there!
Thanks a lot for this wonderful presentation, I´ll have to look & listen to it several more times to get everything you tell us.
Have your book “Hand, Reef and Steer” which is sort of my bible on how to sail and maintain our little gaff yawl.
Best regards from Germany!
Hey Tom – What is more enjoyable Sailing in Daylight or at Night. Where is your favorite place to sail?
Fab commenatry, as always, Tom – at a terrific event. Many thanks – Joan Paton Chairwoman Scottish Fisheries Museum BOATS Club Anstruther Scotland – REAPER FR958!
Joan, Hello from Troon, lovely to see the Reaper looking so well. Best Charlie
Absolutely fantastic presentation … I would like to share Tom’s presentation with some dear friends and boat builders… can they pay the fee and see it? Thank you Big Bill from Brooklin
It will be up for replay within an hour
Question for post presentation. I’ve been on eBay looking for a “Liverpool Screwdriver”. I feel that I should have one. Suggestions please?
Search “Manchester Spanner”, Jeff.
Good luck,
Jack Shimmins.
Wonderful storyteller.
Are you recording this?
Yes we are we’ll have the recording available to re-watch later!
Such great storytelling! What kind of questions do you have for Tom? Imagine if we were all gathered around with a pint, what would you ask him? Post your question in the comments and we’ll ask Tom at the end!
Good evening, Tom, and everyone else on this nice evening (on this side of Atlantic). My name is Ivars and I am writing from Latvia. I am thinking about buying spidsgatter (32′, 1940) which I have found here in Baltic. Would appreciate sharing of your thoughts what you think and what you have heard about spidsgatters during your life. Thank you…
Hello? What’s happening?
Ahh Tom, you’re doing my heart good, in this dreary period in our history.
Muted??
Check your Vimeo box – the little bars at the bottom right are volume
Fixed, thanks
We’re hearing you in Port Townsend. Thanks!!!!
There’s audio
I hear something, “gimme a 321 counttown
They are working
Just about to!
Is it too late to see Day 1?
You can rewatch it here! https://dev.classicboatshow.com/day-1-friday-february-19th/
Question for Tom- We have Luke Powell’s HESPER- our background is based off of 10 years of traditional gaff rig schooners, from 45’-125’- so the gaff rig isn’t a foreign concept for us, but we haven’t actually gotten to sail Hesper yet!. Our question is what can one expect transitioning from the “classic American” coasting schooners, to the British pilot cutters?
That’s a great question Tom! it’s in the queue!
12 minutes until show time! If you have a question for Tom, please post it in the comments and our crew will add it to the queue!
We’ve built several full-scale ships representing their historic period. Also, involved with a few rehab projects, one of my favorite was the Canary Island schooner ROSE. We spent seven months in Tuscany working on it. Does anyone have information on her current whereabouts? The work was completed in 1993.
Agree w/ Frank, some music in the background would be a great suggestion for next time maybe?
Forget its here gmt + 1 hour. Sorry. Frank
How will the Q&A work? Do we post questions here or?
Feel free to post questions here in the comments and we will queue them up for our crew to ask Tom!
Had some very fun adventures sailing and chasing down classic wooden boats in Ireland and England in 2019. Still hoping to sail at Douarnenez and Brest someday! It’ll be great to hear all Tom wants to share this mornin’ indeed.
I’ve resubmitted again.added photos again. looks accepted again (I think three times now). I did not retype all the content in my story about her and my sailing in he, etc. Again, if you look at my personal profile which appears on this site in a link in the upper right corner sometimes, (not sure why that option is only on some pages and not on others) and which Grenseth below found for me and pointed it out to me, you’ll see there that you already have more photos and all the content I sent you in my first application on Jan. 15th.
Nate,
Perhaps our mystery is solved and can be easily and quickly remedied on your end. For some unknown reason it looks like all the pics and content I sent you went into “My Personal Profile”, rather than as a listing of my boat. Can you please just correct that. I was only trying to submit my boat. All the pics there are of my boat. If I goo all the way back through your submission process, it’ll just be exactly what you already have, only not with the boats, where I intended it in the first place!?!?! Please??? Then I’ll be very happy and be able to just applaud and congratulate, which I’d really like to be able to do, because I think this whole attempt is quite wonderful!!!!!
Kirk Gresham
I have a printed out bio, that you folks clearly had laid out. Has your logo in the corner. and at bottom reads “2021 Worldwide Classic Boat Show. All Rights Reserved…” are you turning any submissions away for any reason?I got your earlier Thank you and indication my submission was successful on Feb 15th at 6:22. I’ll try again, but it wasn’t easy the first time… Don’t at all want to sound like just a complainer. Just hoping you could look again!
If I click your bio all the info about your boat is there with pictures. Maybe it just didn’t make it into the boat entries and is posted to your bio instead?
Thanks a lot Grenseth. I’m trying to tell them now. Where do I (or for that matter, anyone else) find my “Bio”? They sent me an email, and it was there. As I said, above it has all they need. But they don’t seem to see that.Hopefully your comments too here will help them correct the error. Are you connected with them, or do you have a bat in the show? Where are you? I wish more of the boat info told us more about the owner’s and their local sailing or building experience. At our Port Townsend Festival and our Salish 100, or The Race to Alaska, meeting the people is as exciting and fun as the boats. And this being worldwide, could make that even more brilliant!
Thanks for your help.
Kirk Gresham
Awesome!
Thanks Tom, that was one of the best two hrs I’ve spent in a long while. I love your praise of the gaff rig.
Cheers, John