Programme Spring 2018

Geoff Selley

Shackleton – The greatest story ever told

Geoff Selley will recreate the original lantern slide lecture given by a member of Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 – 17 Antarctic Expedition. His presentation tells the extraordinary story of the survival of the ill-fated expedition using original words.  More details

Paul Barnett

Disaster Waiting - the Severn Bridge Disaster

The tragic tail of the 1960 destruction of the  Severn Bridge by two run away tankers. The talk will unravel several bridge myths and present recently unearthed documentary evidence relating to the bridge.     More details

John Rugg

Sailing the Baltic

John Rugg will tell how he and two other GXSA members brought his new boat home via the Kiel Canal, Friesian Islands and Netherlands inland waterways standing mast route. This was through the Ijsselmeer, down to the Westerscheld and back home via Dunkirk and the Channel in what became a F7.   More details

Bob and Elaine Hazell

Sailing the Indian Ocean

Bob and Elaine return from their successful circumnavigation to tell us about crossing the Indian ocean. The talk will focus on the sailing aspects, their chosen route, some of the many high points together with what went wrong and how they recovered – and the lessons learnt!   More details

Tom Sowerby  -  First Aid at Sea

Peter May - Accessible Sailing for All

Both from Bisham Abbey Sailing School, Tom and Peter will update us on nautical First Aid and tell us about current efforts to provide opportunities for people with a wide range of disabilities to enjoy sailing and other activities on the water.  More details

Royal Navy

What your Navy is doing - and why it matters !

A team of Officers, sailors and royal Marines, all of whom have been on active service, will explain what they do, how they do it, where they do it and what the future holds. They will be willing to answer any questions you may have. This will be followed by a short presentation by

John Apps

Saved from the RNLI

Entering the Western Approaches with salt water  in your engine fuel system, why would you call out the RNLI just because it is blowing a gale? All you have to do is find a quiet anchorage to fix the problem. Why put the Penlee lifeboat at risk again?    More details for both talks

Chris Tarratt

The Mutiny on the Bounty and the Loss of the Vergulde Draeck

Chris will describe how these famous events happened and the survival of some of the crews.  Although more than 100 years apart, both these events are about getting to safety in an open boat over a large tract of sea.   More details

David Horn

Old Father Thames: Cruising the non-tidal Thames

Based in Marlow, GXSA members Marion and David  have explored the noble river from Teddington to the limit of navigation in their 27’ motor cruiser ‘Naiad’. David will delve into history, literature, locks, bridges, boats and wildlife while ‘cruising’ along.   More details

David Bray

Battle of the Atlantic - Convoys and Corvettes

Captain David Bray, a Master mariner, tells the story of the desperate struggle to defeat the menace of the U-boats to Atlantic Convoys in World War 2 and preserve the essential supply of food and fuel. It is a tribute to the Merchant Seamen who gave their lives manning this lifeline. More details

AGM, followed by

Review of the Year and a look forward to the coming sailing season and events.

Agenda and more details