Ice with Everything

by H.W. Tilman

‘For most men, as Epicurus has remarked, rest is stagnation and activity madness. Mad or not, the activity that I have been pursuing for the last twenty years takes the form of voyages to remote, mountainous regions.’ H.W. ‘Bill’ Tilman ’s fourteenth book describes three more of those voyages, ‘the first comparatively humdrum, the second totally disastrous, and the third exceedingly troublesome’ . The first voyage describes Tilman’s 1971 attempt to reach East Greenland’s remote and ice-bound Scoresby Sound . The largest fjord system in the world was named after the father of Whitby whaling captain, William Scoresby , who first charted the coastline in 1822. Scoresby’s two-volume Account of the Arctic Regions provided much of the historical inspiration for Tilman’s northern voyages and fuelled his fascination with Scoresby Sound and the unclimbed mountains at its head. Tilman’s first attempt to reach the fjord had already cost him his first boat, Mischief , in 1968. The following year, a ‘polite mutiny’ aboard Sea Breeze had forced him to turn back within sight of the entrance, so with a good crew aboard in 1971, it was particularly frustrating for Tilman to find the fjord blocked once more, this time by impenetrable sea ice at the entrance. Refusing to give up, Tilman’s obsession with Scoresby Sound continued in 1972 when a series of unfortunate events led to the loss of Sea Breeze , crushed between a rock and an ice floe. Safely back home in Wales, the inevitable search for a new boat began. ‘ One cannot buy a biggish boat as if buying a piece of soap. The act is almost as irrevocable as marriage and should be given as much thought. ’ The 1902 pilot cutter Baroque , was acquired and after not inconsiderable expense, proved equal to the challenge. Tilman’s first troublesome voyage aboard her to West Greenland in 1973 completes this collection.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nautical

Paperback

First published June 1, 1974

About the author

Major Harold William "Bill" Tilman, CBE, DSO, MC and Bar, was an English mountaineer and explorer, renowned for his Himalayan climbs and sailing voyages.

See Wikipedia for more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ti...

Reviews

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slender offering from HW Tilman, and author I am very fond of. His books are equally split between his mountaineering exploits and his sailing exploits - this is his second to last book and covers three sailing expeditions to Greenland (taking in visits to Iceland and the Faeroe Islands as well as stops in parts of Britain and Ireland. Published in 1974, the journeys took place annually in 1971, 1972 & 1973.

The previous sailing book I read was featured his first yacht Mischief, whereas this book explains his last two voyages in Seabreeze and his first voyage in a new yacht Baroque; as you might have guessed, it include the wrecking of Seabreeze.

All three of Tilman's yachts were Bristol Channel Pilot Cutters - his boat of choice. The got progressively larger, 45 foot, 49 foot and 50 foot respectively. All were constructed around the turn of the century (1906, 1899 and 1902).

It is fair to summarize the three journeys as having modest success - ice in Scoresby Sound prevented them reaching their intended destination in the first journey, the Seabreeze was lost in Greenland in the second journey, the third was (like many first journeys in a newly set up boat) was a trial with various mishaps and equipment failures (although at least they made a successful voyage to Greenland and above the Arctic Circle.

In describing the events of each expedition, Tilman explains his crew (which differs each time, although some crew members are recurring), describes a lot of the technical design of the cutters, the sails etc and of course the exploits on the sea, places they visit and people who they meet.

While it perhaps didn't have the continuity of a book about a single expedition, it was a quick read and as typical with Tilman, a well presented read worth seeking out if this is a topic of interest.

4 stars

[Sandra Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A niche read and I loved every page of it.