Sailing is an all-year-round sport and pastime, so whether you fancy racing or cruising, sailing is open to all. 

 

Sailing opens up the opportunity to sail in lovely natural surroundings, such as the Lake District, Norfolk Broads, Suffolk and other estuaries, exploring backwaters explored by the likes of Arthur Ramsone, whilst stopping off at a riverside pub or two for lunch and making a leisurely way back to the campground for drinks around a campfire.

 

What do you need for dinghy cruising 

• A suitable boat, car or van with a tow bar and associated electrical outlet. 

• Launching trolley along with a road trailer with road tyres and mudguards.   

• We recommend putting the boat onto a launching trolley and put the pair onto a road trailer (this is called a piggyback). 

• You will need to fix a light board with your number plate , turn signals, stop lights and night-time running lights, plugged into the electrical outlet by the towbar.

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Cruising Days/Rallies

There are several national groups that encourage cruising days or rallies. 

 

Members at WRSC are part of a group called Tideway Owners Association (TOA) https://www.tidewaydinghy.org/, this group is limited to Tideway dinghy owners.

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Other groups are the Dinghy Cruising Association (DCA) https://www.dinghycruising.org.uk/ and the Old Gaffers https://www.oga.org.uk.

 

Members of the TOA meet at Ullswater, Windermere, Barton and Hickling Broads, Falmouth and Chichester harbour (Portsmouth) along with many other venues.

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Typically, cruising groups meet at a set venue such as a marina with camping or a campground with a slip way. Some members stay in camper vans, some at Bed and Breakfasts while others camp on site.  Members pay for their own accommodation and access to the slip.  Often the meeting organiser will call a morning briefing at 9:30am and suggest a plan for the day.  This might be sailing with the tide to beach A or B, a picnic lunch, and a return with the tide to the launch site. It might be sailing across broad C with a pub lunch and back with the wind to a BBQ from 7:00pm.  Skippers control their boats and may choose to do any day cruise they please.

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One advantage of joining a group like this, is that existing members can assist with boat launch and recovery, boat set-up and rigging along with assisting with supply's if needed.

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With the TOA our members have been to places they would never have been to had they not joined these groups.

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TOA are thinking of running a two day cruise on the non-tidal Hornsey Mere (including camping overnight) - this would be suitable for those new to cruising .  Date(s) to be announced next year.

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For further details please see Richard Taylor, Anne Wroe, Malcolm Lawrence or Bryan Denson, who are happy to discuss dinghy cruising. 

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