Good news! Dinghy Cruising 252 is at the printers
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3 December 2021
UK members at least can look forward to receiving the winter Journal - Dinghy Cruising 252 - before Christmas. Huge effort from the Editor to complete it in time for the printers to get it done before they shut down for their Christmas break. There's a great article from Roger about his trip to Venice and a lovely mix of other topics to keep you occupied over the Christmas period, unless you live in Tasmania in which case it will be sometime in January! |
New DCA National Secretary needed
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Our incumbent National Secretary is standing down at the next AGM for family reasons. Is there any DCA Member willing to take up the reins and help the Association? It is not an enormously time consuming role. The National Secretary is the named contact for the DCA in the DCA Privacy Policy and is responsible for planning and recording the Annual General Meeting in collaboration with the President and other members of the Committee. The National Secretary also liaises and corresponds with organisations and individuals who approach the DCA for information or with whom we are affiliated and assists in providing material for publicity at promotional events. If anyone is interested in volunteering for this role, please let us know on your AGM registration form or you can just drop us a line using the Contact Form on the website.
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2022 DCA Annual General Meeting
26 November 2021
This meeting will take place online using Zoom. To book your place, please complete the registration form on the AGM page in the Members Section of the website. This form gives you the opportunity to propose items for the agenda, raise matters arising from the 2021 AGM minutes and nominate or volunteer for the Committee positions that become vacant next year.
When the Officers' reports become available in January, they will be available to download from the AGM web page. It is important that you read these before the meeting takes place as they will not be read in full at the meeting. If you have registered for the AGM, you will be sent an email prior to the meeting which contains the joining link and some advice about using Zoom.
This meeting will take place online using Zoom. To book your place, please complete the registration form on the AGM page in the Members Section of the website. This form gives you the opportunity to propose items for the agenda, raise matters arising from the 2021 AGM minutes and nominate or volunteer for the Committee positions that become vacant next year.
When the Officers' reports become available in January, they will be available to download from the AGM web page. It is important that you read these before the meeting takes place as they will not be read in full at the meeting. If you have registered for the AGM, you will be sent an email prior to the meeting which contains the joining link and some advice about using Zoom.
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After the AGM there will be a talk by Michael Storer, Australian small boat designer. Michael has created a number of lightweight stitch-and-glue designs that have detailed build instructions and high performance on the water. Among his well known designs are the Goat Island Skiff and the Beth and Viola sailing canoes. Find out how Michael evolved from a dinghy racer to a designer of multi-role boats by joining us at our 2022 AGM. |
North West Planning Meeting for 2022
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15 November 2021
The meeting to discuss and plan the NW regional rally programme for 2022 will be held by Zoom at 11 a.m. on Saturday, 5th February 2022. Details will be sent to NW members by email and posted in the North West section of the Forum nearer the time. Our NW Regional Secretary is standing down at this meeting after more than a decade in the job. Everyone in the North West will be sorry to see him go and we all extend our sincere thanks to him for the hard work he has put in over the years. Is there anyone out there willing to take up the reins? |
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A DCA Milestone - 1000 Active Members
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02 November 2021
The DCA was formed in 1955 and, as can be seen from our current membership numbers, some 4000 people have joined us over the years for varying lengths of time. The active membership has always ticked over in the hundreds but now, for the first time, we have reached 1000 active members in the Association! It is great to see such growing interest and enthusiasm for dinghy cruising or should we say "messing about in small boats". |
Dinghy Cruising 251 is on its way
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31 October 2021 Both the printed and digital copies of the autumn Journal, Dinghy Cruising 251, will be posted or emailed this coming week from 1st November. Digital Subscribers who have registered with the website can access a copy online now. Enjoy the read! |
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A Date for your Diary
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16 October 2021 Next year's AGM will be held via ZOOM on Saturday 19th February at 10.00. Look out for the registration form on the website soon. Afterwards there will be a talk by Australian boat designer Michael Storer. |
Autumn Journal is running late
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25 September 2021
If you were looking out for your next copy of Dinghy Cruising at the end of September, I'm afraid you will have to be patient a little longer. The Editor had a lot on in August and was only able to concentrate on the Journal in September. So it's October folks before it will land on your mat or in your inbox! |
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Extra rally at Kielder Water
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20 September 2021 An 'end of season' rally has been planned at Kielder Water for the weekend of 23-24th October. Organisers are Bill Haylock and Keith Muscott. Kielder Water Sailing Club very kindly allow us the use of their launching facilities and club house. It's a great place to sail, so do think of joining us if you can. Further details on the rally page and in the Forum. |
No 'Softies' this year
20 September 2021
Thanks to the continuing constraints imposed by the Covid pandemic and limitations at Coniston Sailing Club, it has been decided that the Softies rally planned for early November will not take place this year. So why not round off the sailing season in the north with a visit to Kielder Water? See above for details...
Thanks to the continuing constraints imposed by the Covid pandemic and limitations at Coniston Sailing Club, it has been decided that the Softies rally planned for early November will not take place this year. So why not round off the sailing season in the north with a visit to Kielder Water? See above for details...
Good time to join the DCA!
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8 September 2021 New members joining the DCA near the end of the year will have the benefit of not renewing their subscription until February 2023. So it's a good time to join and gain an extra Journal with your first subscription! |
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Digital Subscribers
8th July 2021
Your Summer Journal has been emailed to you today and is available on the website.
Your Summer Journal has been emailed to you today and is available on the website.
Dinghy Cruising 250 - Summer 2021
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June 22nd 2021 The summer Journal has gone to the printers today so not too long to wait now. It's 100 pages again and full of varied and interesting articles. It is good to see so many rally reports appearing and there were some that have had to wait for the next edition. Lots of new members to welcome and moving tributes to our elder statesman, Len who set off on his final voyage in March. Something to look forward to at the beginning of July. |
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Rallies are back
DCA members up the creek at Kielder Water in May
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June 13th 2021 It has been good to hear that successful rallies have taken place in the North West, North East and on the East and South coasts. These will be reported on in the Summer Journal which will shortly be going to the printers. It is important that members thinking of joining a rally keep an eye on the DCA Forum to see the advice given by rally organisers or find out if there are any last minute changes. For example, campsites are fully booked at Windermere, so this may be just a day sail now with a picnic rendezvous on the Saturday. |
Sad News
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March 25th 2021 Many members have met Len Wingfield, a very active member of the South Section of the DCA who also wrote many articles in the Journal. Today I received a phone call from his grandson, Mark, conveying the sad news that he set sail on his final voyage last Monday, 22 March 2021, aged a very youthful 98. He had a great sense of humour, and was well loved by all of us in the South Section of the DCA who knew him well. DCA rallies won't be the same without Len's company and we will miss him greatly. Liz Baker |
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Dinghy Cruising 249 - Spring 2021
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March 22nd 2021 Not long to wait now! The Spring edition of Dinghy Cruising will be winging its way to members early next week. It's another bumper edition with lots of great stories and articles to read. Digital subscribers should look out for their copies on the 29th March. |
Obtaining back copies of the Journal
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March 22nd 2021
It has been possible to purchase a CD with back copies of Dinghy Cruising for some time now and this is still the best way to access the Bulletins and articles that were published in the early years of the Association. To supplement this , however, you will now find a Journal Archive page on the website with details of the contents of the Journals published in the last eleven years. You can browse through these and, if you are a member, you can then ask for access to the Back Copies page where you will be able to download any copies you want. |
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Listen to John Welsford's Talk on Designing Boats
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March 2nd 2021
We are delighted to announce that the talk given by John Welsford following our AGM last month is now available for all to watch. We are indebted to Toby Williams-Ellis for his assistance in making the recording fit for publication. In his talk John covers the important features he takes into account when designing boats that are fit for purpose and in particular dinghies that are fit for cruising. You can also listen to the extensive question and answer session which followed the talk. Watch now.. |
RYA Dinghy Show goes virtual for 2021
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March 2nd 2021
The RYA Dinghy Show was a virtual event this year. It took place over the weekend of 27th and 28th February. Roger Barnes gave a keynote address on Dinghy Cruising which you can see by clicking the video link on the right and the RYA launched their dinghy trails initiative after his talk. Read more about the Trails on the RYA website. |
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2021 Annual General Meeting
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February 14th 2021 Wonderful! Our AGM took place yesterday with 70 participants and was followed by an excellent talk on Designing Boats by John Welsford. It was a pleasure to have members of AYRS join us for the talk, bringing our audience numbers to 109. A video of the talk has been posted on the website for everyone to watch - see above.. |
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Yachting Monthly Boat Plans
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December 17th 2020 We are pleased to have been given the opportunity to make the plans of two of the Yachting Monthly designs most suited to Dinghy Cruising available to download on our site. The Junior is a 13'6" half-decked dinghy and the Senior is a 16' double chine cruising sloop with a cabin that can sleep two. Each set of plans consists of six or seven sheets fully detailed for the amateur boat builder. Follow this link to find out more.. YM Designs |
Subscription increase
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August 6th 2020
At our last AGM we discussed income and expenditure for the Association. Our largest expense is production of our excellent quarterly journal. This provides one of the most important ways for our members to communicate. Many years have passed since our last subscription increase and we are now at a point where the production and postage costs of the journal alone outstrip our annual subscription income, eating into our reserves. |
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Our new subscription arrangements will differentiate between UK and overseas members, whose postage costs for the journal are considerably greater. However the journal will continue to be offered in pdf format for those members who prefer it. Overseas members who choose the pdf option instead of a paper copy will pay the same rate as UK members.
Those members who currently pay by Direct Debit, saving us a considerable amount of work, will have their annual debit altered automatically, with email notification by GoCardless of the increase in good time for their consideration.
Here are the new annual subscription rates for 2021 onwards:
UK members £30 which includes either a paper or pdf copy of the journal
Overseas members £35 which includes a paper copy of the journal; £30 which includes a pdf copy of the journal.
Those members who currently pay by Direct Debit, saving us a considerable amount of work, will have their annual debit altered automatically, with email notification by GoCardless of the increase in good time for their consideration.
Here are the new annual subscription rates for 2021 onwards:
UK members £30 which includes either a paper or pdf copy of the journal
Overseas members £35 which includes a paper copy of the journal; £30 which includes a pdf copy of the journal.
The Naylor Noggin
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Another "lockdown" video from Roger Barnes
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April 16th 2020 It is Easter 2020. I am still in "lock-down" due to the Covid-19 pandemic, deep in the county of Somerset, southwest England, and I continue to work on my cruising dinghy. |
A video message from DCA President Roger Barnes
It is late March 2020. In "lock-down" due to the Covid-19 pandemic, deep in the county of Somerset, southwest England, I work on my boat and try to answer viewers' questions.
The friendly club with a sense of adventure. For sailors and families who use boats for more than just racing.
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