Route
Leaving the Clyde we will sail north towards the beautiful islands and wooded lochs of Argyll. Depending on the weather conditions we will either head towards Loch Fyne and on through the beautiful Crinan Canal or if we fancy an adventure, round the Mull of Kintyre. on the way we can explore the Isle of Arran and the Kyles of Bute.

Accommodation
Ee will be living onboard yacht Alcuin, Sail Britain’s research vessel. while not a life of luxury, she is a cosy home and provides all we need for the duration of the residency with cosy berths and well-equipped galley.

Programme

Starlight Navigation
Skipper Oliver Beardon will discuss the history of celestial navigation and how it has enabled humanity to spread across our blue planet. Using found materials, Oliver will help participants to create a contemporary ‘stick chart’ to represent our journey using historical techniques employed by the islanders of the Pacific to represent winds, currents and islands.

Microscope Photography
We understand the world through the human perspective. Participants will be invited to collect natural and unnatural items along the journey. A moving image microscope will then be used to examine these objects in order to see the world through a different lens. The images will be printed via a Canon Selphy Printer. This will also be an opportunity to learn more about the creatures which inhabit the ocean and the challenges they face. The boat is equipped with a microplastics net which offers increasingly stark reminders about our impacts on the marine environment.

Underwater Sound Landscapes
Using the onboard hydrophone, participants will be able to listen to the communication and sounds made by the underwater world. These sounds will be recorded and shared with participants to be used in a collaborative sound piece made by Louise Beer and John Hooper.

Deep Time on the Isle of Arran
Along the way we will learn many things that will help us to see our environment in a different way.
A local geologist will challenge our perception of rock as solid and unmoving, and will talk about how rock can act like fluid over thousands of years. If humans could live for thousands of years, we would perceive the Earth’s crust and its’ many layers shift, allowing mountains to rise, shift and compress. This talk will prompt us to consider the concept of deep time in relation to geology and the human perspective of time.

Exhibition in Lumen Crypt Gallery
The participants will be invited to put artwork into a group exhibition in the Lumen Crypt Gallery, in Bethnal Green. The show will be a response to the participants’ journey through the lochs and islands. The exhibition will last for 3 days, and will be a great way to showcase the participants’ artwork.

About Sail Britain
Sail Britain aims to inspire positive change for the oceans through sailing. From poetry to plastic pollution, our focus is on interdisciplinary study, involving creative, environmental and community projects. The sailing boat is a social space where people can develop, exchange and explore ideas, and experience the ocean first hand. Our programme highlights the cultural importance of our relationship with the sea and the connection between ecological issues and society.