The
Dinghy
Cruising
Association
UK Launch Slip
Directory
UK Rallies
Links to lots of good sites.
..but remember to bookmark us and come back!openboat
If you want to talk with like minded people who are interested in dinghy cruising, then you could subscribe to 'openboat', an email discussion list for dinghy cruisers, dedicated to the cruising of open boats in coastal or inland waters.
It provides a forum for discussion and the interchange of information and expertise on open boats and dinghies, cruising grounds, technical and safety matters related to dinghy cruising, supply of equipment suitable for such cruising, and a place to post information about rallies and passages organised by associations and individuals. The intention is to foster communication between dinghy cruisers all over the world, and to promote meetings of those living within reach of each other.
Click to subscribe to openboat
Check it out!
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a most important organisation to the British mariner. Given that it costs around £200,000 PER DAY to run, it is incredible to think that it is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from the public. Anyone who ventures out on the sea should think seriously about joining as an Offshore member, and thus provide a constant contribution to the service which keeps us all safer, sometimes at great cost to the lifeboatmen themselves. Join Here!
Gavin Atkin's Small-Boat Design Pages.
Gavin sails, plays guitar, fiddle and concertina, edits magazines for a living, and still has time to design a dinghy or two. His boat design pages have lots of links to interesting sites for small-boat cruisers.
Cruising Dinghies and Trailer Sailers.
Bill Serjeant is a DCA member who has put together this site to relate his own cruising experiences. There's a tale of a trip to Alderney and also some links to other good sites.
Jeroen Hoekstra's Dinghy Cruising Page.
These wonderful pages are devoted to Jeroen's experiences with a home built 'Roamer' dinghy. It includes technical information and instructions for making an epoxy mast plus a useful review of some of the equipment he uses while cruising. Well recommended!
Staying warm and dry (or perhaps warm and wet) is important in dinghy cruising. Knoydart Kayaking know about these things, and because sea-kayakers have even less room than dinghy cruisers, they supply some of the best and most appropriate gear available. Based in the UK Lake District, they can supply clothing, compasses, dry bags, safety equipment (flares, space blankets, etc.). Their web site is well organised and very interesting to dinghy cruisers.
The Canvas Windmill
If you are going to cruise a dinghy, you'll probably need a boat tent. You could use boarding houses but there's always the chance of not getting there due to adverse winds. You could buy a "bivvy bag" and rough it. You could carry an ordinary tent and hope that you always get somewhere to pitch it and that the trip ashore isn't too muddy or difficult. I even heard of somebody who carried a roll of "bubble-wrap" to use as an awning. A good tarpaulin pegged over the boom will suffice to keep off the worst of the rain. But the most comfortable solution is a purpose built boat tent, easily and quickly erected, strongly made, and pleasing to the eye. A good place to get one in the UK is The Canvas Windmill, run by a member off the Wayfarer Association. Checkout this site with its pictures and information.
West Wight Potter Home Page
Increasing numbers of the DCA members sail these very seaworthy little cabin boats. Some purists say that they can't be classed as a dinghy and you can see their point of view. However, Potter sailors share our sentiment of 'Small is not only Beautiful but also able to get to places other boats can't reach!' They've got lots of stories to tell, and lots of practical advice to give. Check them out!
The UK Wayfarer Association
There is an active Wayfarer Association in the UK and it has a very strong
cruising section. On these pages you'll find their UK cruising calendar,
and also some details of Wayfarers outside the UK. For those of you who
don't know, the Wayfarer is a 15'8" Bermudan rigged quarter decked boat,
designed by the late Ian Proctor. It was made famous by Frank Dye, who
sailed W48 'Wanderer' from Scotland to Iceland on one trip, and Scotland
to Norway on another. These boats are regularly sailed across the English
Channel, the Irish Sea and around the Baltic ports by UKWA and DCA members.
The UK
Drascombe Owners Association
Some DCA members sail Drascombe Luggers, a boat developed from the British
North Sea Coble, a traditional fishing boat.
Drascombe Specialists.
If dinghy cruising brings out the urge to dine off the fruits of the sea then this site is for you. Buy a folding lobster pot, creel, or shrimp net, drop it to the sea bed and start chilling the half bottle of chardonnay.
Boat Building
Books
If you're thinking of building a dinghy, then this might be the place
to go. Run by Mertens-Goossens, it has free boat plans, plans and books
to buy and some pages on 'Stitch and Glue' methods and junk rigs.
Also check out the D4 and D5 dinghies at bateau.com/index.html
Classic Marine
Dinghy Cruisers often do it with traditional style! .........and if you want the most stylish fittings and traditional bits, a good place to look is here. Bronze, brass and galvanised fittings, cleats and winches, ash and tufnol blocks, fastenings, oils - you name it, Classic Marine can probably provide it. Their motto is 'Proper Bits for Proper Boats'!
Many useful books for the dinghy cruiser, but you'll have to select from amongst much 'big boat' stuff. They publish Frank Dye's Sailing To The Edge Of Fear but it's not prominent on their site. Search on 'Frank Dye' or even 'Fear'.
The Miracle Dinghy Class website
Chris Vincent-Bennett runs this site which extols the virtues of the Miracle as a lightwight cruising dinghy.
Falmouth Bass Boat
DCA member David Willis has put this information site together and is hoping to develop it with articles and photographs from owners, etc.
http://www.classic-sailing.co.uk/
If you are going to the St.Just in Roseland Rally or doing any holiday sailing in the West Country, you'll find this a useful site.
http://www.sharpies.org.uk
Although the Sharpie is usually used as a (vintage) racing dinghy, it
was actually designed originally with the intention as partly a camping
boat, which a number of Dutch and Germans still use for this purpose.
(you can actually sleep two people in the flat bottom, utilising specially
made boom over camping covers.).
"Good company, magical creeks, wide horizons, sunsets over quiet anchorages and the satisfaction in being part of the team that sailed there. For those with an adventurous streak its an enjoyable way to live in harmony with the wind and tides and leave every day life behind for a while."
Sounds like dinghy cruising doesn't it - but these Dinghy Cruisers sail bigger stuff too!