Bill Tilman, sailor and mountaineer

Rye Harbour Sailing Club has  invited a crew member of the infamous Bill Tilman, mountaineer and sailor, to give a talk on April 2. Clubhouse open from 1900. RHSC Commodore Eric Zon says ‘I have just reread the omnibus of 8 books written by Tilman and can thoroughly recommend it. I know I bored my crew with Tilman quotes but read one of his books for yourself and you might well disagree with them.’

In the unlikely event that Bill Tilman is a name you’re unfamiliar with, then go to wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Tilman for a brief introduction.

In his book “Blokes Up North”, Ken Oliver, writing about the explorers who inspired him, said this about Tilman: “He spent his retirement conducting a series of exploratory trips with volunteer crews, first far south then north around Greenland, although few of his crew made a subsequent trip with him; most were put off by his ability to endure the harsh conditions.”

Clearly, Bob Comlay was an exception to the general rule. In 1970, waiting to go to university, Bob Comlay sailed to Greenland on Sea Breeze, Tilman’s second Bristol Channel cutter, a voyage which, apparently, involved using ice axes to cut mooring bollards on ice floes. And he signed up again the following year for another voyage heading to Greenland via the Faeroes and Iceland.

Containing many unpublished photographs and letters, this talk will offer a fascinating insight and will bring to life the real experience of voyaging with one of the Twentieth Century’s iconic explorers and sailors.

Entry £ 5 for members and £ 7.50 for non members

Rye Harbour Sailing Club,
The Point,
Rye Harbour,
East Sussex,
TN31 7TU