June 2018
Our second voyage of 2018 was led by artist and conservationist Jazz Austin, bringing together two themes which provide the mainstay of Sail Britain’s programme – creativity and ocean conservation. This was an opportunity for our crew to experience the ocean first hand and learn to sail, while also experimenting creatively and learning more about the amazing creatures which live in the ocean and the challenges they face.
The first couple of days onboard are often the busiest, learning to sail the boat by reading the wind and working the ropes. And of course exploring some of Scotland’s most beautiful scenery! Once this skill is mastered, creative or scientific exploration gets into full swing.
Jazz encouraged everyone to push the boundaries of how they were making art, and using the sea as inspiration, either as subject or by dipping a painting in the ocean until it becomes something painted mostly by the sea.
We also deployed our microplastics gear to search for traces of one of the ocean’s top ecological challenges – our addiction to plastic. Inevitably we found some; tiny multicoloured particles amongst the more subdued colours of the seaweed. But we also bright up tiny creatures from the ocean which were transferred to a dish for a quick look under the microscope before being returned to the sea.
Jazz will be leading another trip as part of the 2019 Programme – we can’t wait to have her back onboard!
