Using a 1960s hand-wound camera, Huw Wahl shot Wind, Tide & Oar over a three-year period. In that time he followed a diverse array of traditional boats and the people who sail them as they journey through rivers, along coastlines and across open seas.
The film offers a poetic perspective that uncovers the unique rhythms and motivations of engineless navigation and invites deep reflection on our relationship with the natural world.
The presentation of the film at CAST, in summer 2024, includes additional footage from the making of Wind, Tide & Oar, with a focus on some of the land-based workmanship that is essential to the maintenance of traditional boats, alongside a display of related objects and materials. Rose Ravetz has written detailed notes on the materials and processes shown in the film, and on some of the sailing techniques seen in Wind, Tide & Oar.
The production of the film was supported by Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, National Historic Ships and 90 people who contributed to a crowdfunding campaign.