The Ship That Changed A Thousand Lives: Over a century of history and stories

Memories frequently die with those who hold them; if they are passed on verbally, they often become embellished to become more attractive, amusing or riveting to a new audience. When the memory is written down by the person who experienced the event, it is retained intact for posterity.

The brigantine (now brig) Eye of the Wind, was built in Germany in 1911. Over the first sixty years of her life we understand that she worked as a Baltic trader serving the Northern European and South American trade routes. She also carried Cornish china clay and operated seasonally, fishing for herring off Iceland.

It would have been difficult to imagine her current beauty in the early 1970s, when all that remained of her was a burnt out hull following an engine fire. A syndicate of tall ship enthusiasts led by Tiger Timbs purchased the vessel in 1973, and through skill, determination, extreme hard work and ingenuity restored her to above and beyond her former elegance.

The Eye had been transformed into an expedition flagship, an historic vessel in commercial films and a tall ship where square sail sailing skills have been passed on to new generations. She carried crew members from countries as diverse as Tibet and Iceland; she circumnavigated the world and rounded the Horn, allowing many people’s dreams of travel and adventure to become a reality. In recent years, following changes in ownership, the Eye has remained in the Northern Hemisphere, continuing to introduce fledgling sailors to the joys of tall ships.

The idea behind producing a book containing both the Eye’s history together with some personal experiences of those associated with her, originated in a conversation between crew members who were concerned that memories would disappear in the mists of time. Over the last 107 years the ship has influenced many lives, broadened horizons, initiated and cemented friendships – even marriages – and exposed those on board to the power and beauty of the sea.

This book goes a small way towards uncovering the history of the ship that changed a thousand lives.