Wind, Tide and Oar

Ticketed event

Essential Information

Type	Talks and tours
Location	National Maritime Museum
Date and Times	23 April 2024 \| 6pm - 10pm
Prices	£20 Adults
	£15 for Members. Not a member? Join now

Book tickets Book Member tickets

Join us at the National Maritime Museum for the premiere of Wind Tide & Oar, a compelling exploration of engineless sailing and the lives of those who navigate the seas without relying on auxiliary power.

The event includes a film screening, Q&A and book launch at the National Maritime Museum, followed by a special drinks reception beneath the historic ship Cutty Sark.

***Tickets also include entry to Cutty Sark on the day of the premiere, as well as exclusive access to the Thames Sailing Barge Blue Mermaid***

Book now

Event Information

Programme

5.45pm: Doors open

6.00pm: Start time (National Maritime Museum Lecture Theatre)

6.15pm: Film premiere

A screening of Wind, Tide & Oar will start at 6.15pm after a short introduction. The film is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes long. There is no intermission. Please feel free to bring refreshments. The screening will take place in the Lecture Theatre. Access details will be sent to attendees closer to the event.

7.45pm: Q&A and book launch

Following the film screening, Hannah Cunliffe, Director of National Historic Ships, will host a Q&A session with filmmaker Huw Wahl and sailor Rose Ravetz. Elte Rauch, founder of The New Menard Press, will join them to launch the accompanying Wind, Tide & Oar book. You will have the opportunity to purchase signed copies of the book during the drinks reception.

8.15pm: Make way over to Cutty Sark

Between 8.15pm and 8.30pm we will take a short 5 minute walk over to the historic tea clipper Cutty Sark where a drinks reception will be held under the suspended hull. A complimentary drink of prosecco or non-alcoholic spritz will be available on arrival, and a pay-bar will be opened until 10pm.

8.30pm: Drinks reception at Cutty Sark

10.00pm: End

About the film

Wind, Tide & Oar is a compelling exploration of engineless sailing and the lives of those who navigate the seas without relying on auxiliary power. Shot on 16mm analogue film over three years, it follows a diverse array of traditional boats, delving into the rhythms and motivations of sailing engineless.

Director Huw Wahl takes viewers on a mesmerising journey across rivers, coasts, and open seas, spanning the UK, the Netherlands, and France. The film serves as a contemplative space, addressing themes such as ecology, mental health, heritage, traditional skills, and maritime history. Using a 1960s hand-wound camera, Wahl offers a poetic and intimate perspective on the ancient craft of harnessing the wind for travel, creating a stark contrast to the contemporary issues of sea exploitation and pollution.

Wind, Tide & Oar invites deep reflection on our relationship with the natural world, where sailing becomes a place to explore our interaction with and responsibility to the environment. It immerses audiences in a thought provoking experience that informs our understanding of sustainability and the world around us.

Trailer:

Note: The film is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes in length and is suitable for a general audience.

About the book

Wind, Tide & Oar the book takes us deep into the conversation between sailor, boat and elements. Exploring what it means to sail "engineless", this unique anthology accompanies the analogue film of the same title, offering a diverse range of first-hand seafaring narratives. These collected works speak to themes such as tradition, sustainability and self-knowledge; we are invited to experience what it is to be in dialogue with the natural world.

Further Details

Access to Cutty Sark

Free access to the Cutty Sark is available to all premiere ticket holders between 10am and 2.30pm on 23 April (normally £20). Please present your ticket to the reception desk to gain access. Details of how to get to the vessel can be found here.

Access to Thames Sailing Barge Blue Mermaid

Exclusive access to the Thames Sailing Barge Blue Mermaid is available to all ticket holders between 4pm and 5.30pm on 23 April. She will be moored at Greenwich Pier.

Embarking on a unique Sea Tour along the Southeast coast from April to July 2024, the iconic Thames sailing barge Blue Mermaid, operated by the Sea-Change Sailing Trust, will use wind and tide to reach ten destinations. Its cargo hold will be transformed into a floating cinema for screenings of the Wind, Tide & Oar film.

Find out more about the vessel here.

Price:

Adults: £20 (+ booking fee)
Students and unemployed: £15 (+ booking fee)
Members: £15 (no booking fee)

Ticket includes:

Entry to film premiere
A complimentary glass of prosecco or non-alcoholic spritz
Free entry to Cutty Sark on 23 April 2024 between 10am and 2pm
Free entry to 'Open Barge' event on Thames Sailing Barge Blue Mermaid on 23 April 2024 from 4pm till 5.30pm

About Huw Wahl - Filmmaker

Huw Wahl, a filmmaker and artist, has earned international recognition, winning awards and showcasing his work globally. With funding from organizations like The Henry Moore Foundation, Arts Council England and the RPS, he explores the transformative potential of creative action through the material qualities of moving images, driven by his belief in film’s power to open experiences and ideas for communal change. His last film The Republics (2020), made in collaboration with the poet Stephen Watts, premiered at CPH:DOX and went on to screen internationally. He was introduced to sailing by his sister Rose Ravetz on her boat, Defiance, where he was struck by the poetic and filmic potential of going engineless. This experience produced the first shoots of the project, which grew into a sibling collaboration of multiple proportions.

About Rose Ravetz - Sailor

Rose’s first sailing experience was crossing the Atlantic Ocean at age nineteen, having left home with a dream to travel. She spent four years on various ocean crossings and adventures, eventually reaching New Zealand, from where she then sailed back to Europe as a professional crew on the famous classic schooner, Atlantic. Since her return, she has worked professionally for sail-cargo initiatives and sail-training charities, and as a traditional rigger on museum ships including Cutty Sark and HMS Gannet. She owns her 23ft engineless boat, Defiance, which she restored herself. Rose is now studying for a BA in Philosophy and Sustainability, continuing her explorations into how humanity can redeem its relationship with the natural world. Wind, Tide & Oar came about when Rose shared her knowledge of sailing with her land-locked brother, Huw.