7. Engines Off, Stars On — Tom Cunliffe on Seamanship, Self-Reliance & his thriller Hurricane Force

Tom Cunliffe joins us for a proper cup of tea and a wide-ranging conversation about boats, books, and why real seamanship still matters. A merchant seaman turned delivery skipper, Yachtmaster Examiner, columnist and broadcaster, Tom has spent a lifetime at sea—from engine-less beginnings on the Norfolk Broads to long ocean passages on traditional gaff craft and a Colin Archer to South America, the Caribbean and back. He shares the formative moments that shaped his philosophy: sailing without an engine, learning to think like a sailor (not a motor-boater with sails), and why how you recover from a mistake tells you more than whether you make one. We talk navigation then and now. Tom argues that modern electronics are brilliant—but can diminish us if we forget the craft. He explains why raster charts and analogue plotting still earn a place on an iPad, and how his AngelNav approach lets you keep navigating if GPS goes dark. Starlink, he says, has changed cruising beyond recognition—useful, yes, but it dilutes the old solitude that bred self-reliance. Tom also lifts the lid on the writing life: columns on both sides of the Atlantic, the decision to leave certain magazines over copyright, and the long road from textbooks and history to fiction. That leads to his new novel, Hurricane Force—a 1970s Caribbean sailing thriller with rave reviews (Alexander McCall Smith calls him “the Dick Francis of yachting thrillers”). We explore why he set it pre-GPS, how real people and places inspire composite characters, and why plotting a thriller sometimes needs an old roll of wallpaper more than a fancy app. Stories abound: a teenage initiation on a 25-foot gaff sloop with no engine; beating for days into current off Venezuela; sharing an anchorage (and a mishap) with Don Street; ship-handling lessons from the merchant service that still apply to tying up a 45-footer with two people and no drama. Throughout, Tom keeps circling one idea: seamanship is joyful competence—clear thinking, tidy lines, and the confidence to make landfall by the stars if you must. If you love traditional craft, bluewater problem-solving, or just a well-told sea story, this one’s for you. We cover: • Learning under canvas: why starting engine-free rewires your seamanship • The philosophy behind analogue-first navigation on digital tools • The romance and reality of long passages then vs. now • How Hurricane Force was born, shelved, and reborn—plus hints at the sequel • Practical ship-handling tips yacht owners forget (and examiners notice) Pour a brew, settle in, and let one of yachting’s great raconteurs remind you why we go to sea in the first place, and why the best safety gear lives between your ears. Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2528535/open_sms)