Bob Shepton is a highly experienced Arctic explorer who has led several sailing and climbing expeditions to Greenland and Arctic Canada in his yacht, the Westerly 33ft sloop ‘Dodo’s Delight’. In a full and varied life, Bob has been a Royal Marines officer, a full-time youth leader down the east end of London and Kilburn, and Chaplain to two schools.
Since retiring, he has tended to leave the pulpit for the cockpit of ‘Dodo’s Delight’. Through countless seasons of exploring, he has become a leading expert on the waters around Greenland, winning the the Royal Cruising Club’s Tilman Medal twice for his exploits. His articles appear regularly in the international yachting press. Bob is a member of the Royal Cruising Club, the Ocean Cruising Club, the Alpine Club and the Arctic Club and the International Association of Cape Horners
‘Dodo’s Delight’ is a Westerly 33ft Discus built in 1980. The current yacht is the second ‘Dodo’s Delight’ and is an almost exact replica of the first which was destroyed by fire while wintering in the ice in Greenland in 2005. She has been pivotal to Bob’s expeditions, but he has recently sold her as age creeps on!
Bob traversed the North-West Passage east to west in 2012, and now west to east in 2013, in his own small boat. So, he is experienced and qualified to act as Ice Pilot and Adviser for this passage and the Arctic generally. Bob can act as a consultant, or as Arctic advisor / ice pilot on board, to sailing expeditions. He can undertake yacht skippering and deliveries, though the latter to a more limited degree nowadays.