Ravi

IP: 86.131.244.218

Mar 30, 08 - 2:03 AM

2008 DCA Cruise

Hi all,

(esp Bob ... In the absence on Committee member contact info on the new web site!!)

The Dinghy Cruising Association has changed their spring cruise to September (19-21) this year. This coincides with a Kielder cruising day. Bob - what chance a Kielder expedition?

The DCA site says "This rally is suitable for the novice or the skipper with a young family as the launch area is directly into sheltered water"

And yes, the holy island tidal bay is just like an inland lake. (Except that there are plenty of seals and seabirds to distract you while you sail onto a tidal sandbank!)

In addition to the usual circumnavigation of Holy Island, this years DCA rally also plans "a night passage from Inner Farne (The Kettle anchorage) to Holy Island. The 7M passage has unlit rocks and shallows to negotiate. Navigation aids are represented by three local lighthouses and by generous lateral and cardinal buoyage. "

A great chance for all the people with their Day Skipper ticket to practice their navigation lights without getting into one of those awful things with keels.

Sailing under the ramarts of Bamburgh castle with porpoises and puffins around you is something else.

It would be great if there was a Kielder presence there.

Of course, if the weather is rotten, there is always the penny arcade in Amble :-)

Rav.

David M

IP: 82.113.171.131

Apr 1st, 2008 - 9:25 AM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Hi Ravi,

I'd be up for it - sounds ideal for a Drascombe, especially as I've just retaken my Day Skipper Shorebased (first did it twenty odd years ago!) BTW, will you be taking your "awful thing with a keel" or doing it in the Wayfarer?

David M

Steve

IP: 86.166.194.92

Apr 1st, 2008 - 9:44 AM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Ravi - 47 members have emailed me over the last week to state an interest in this. How do we want to organise this? Only 4 of them have ther own seaworthy boats though. Should we organise a fleet fo dolphins for a swim?

David M

IP: 82.39.247.38

Apr 2nd, 2008 - 8:25 AM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Steve, as I'm sure you know, Drascombes are eminently seaworthy boats (indeed many DA members wouldn't be seen dead on freshwater!) I'm sure several of the owners would be only to happy to offer spare places (luggers can acommodate 6 adults comfortably) for such an expedition.

David M

Judy

IP: 195.105.20.6

Apr 2nd, 2008 - 9:09 AM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

I think we would be interested in this - not sure about doing it in the Mirror though with four of us (haven't risked all four of us in it even on Kielder!). Would be happy to crew in a Drascombe, otherwise we might have to take the "awful thing with a keel" (lucky it's a lifting keel, for the tidal sandbanks) and use the Mirror as a tender.

Should we all be joining the DCA?

Judy, John, Ben + Annabelle

David M

IP: 82.113.171.131

Apr 2nd, 2008 - 9:49 AM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Good point, Judy. How do the DCA view hangers on ...er sorry, I mean guests?

BTW, how is the "awful thing with a keel"?

David

David M

IP: 82.113.171.131

Apr 2nd, 2008 - 1:53 PM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

For those that want more info, here's the link

http://www.dca.uk.com/rallies/nemeets.htm

Judy

IP: 86.9.31.75

Apr 2nd, 2008 - 4:06 PM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Hi Dave,

The "awful thing with a keel" is doing fine, thank you! We (that is Ravi, Ali + family, plus me) got out for the first sail of the year on Sunday, in the one-hour window between the wind dropping sufficiently and the sun setting. Ariel has a wee bit more windage than your average dinghy, and our problem at the moment is that we daren't try and manoeuvre round the marina in anything over a very mild force 4, so we haven't actually got out much so far. On the other hand, we are getting an amazing amount of maintenance experience (although the actual list of tasks to do never seems to get any shorter).

I am looking forward to more sailing-friendly weather, and to getting out in the Mirror too!

Judy

Ravi

IP: 86.131.244.218

Apr 3rd, 2008 - 10:52 PM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Hi all,

The couple of times we turned up for the DCA (spring) rally at Holy Island it was blown out with F6 winds so nobody went out in dinghies.

As you might imagine it was a very casual affair. I think that, technically, you should be a member of the DCA but I imagine that owning a pipe and Arran jumper might suffice. Sailing a Drascombe probably propels you staight onto the committee.

I think that Ed Wingfield (regional co-ordinator) appreciates advance notification of numbers. He took people out to the Farnes on his yacht when it was too windy for Dinghy sailing. He knows the waters well and we once witnessed him piloting some DCA cruisers on a Wanderer around the more interesting eddies in the Farnes.

This year we will certainly be joining again (?£20?).

There doesn't seem to be much DCA activity in the North East although there is alot of stuff nationally. They run cruising 'workshop weekends' and organise a wide range of regional cruises. Their ?quarterly? magazine is also very good.

Steve - With the shortage of North East DCA events, maybe you could invite the DCA to include one of the Kielder cruises in their itinerary?

If the weather is right we will definitely be on the Wayfarer for the Farne Island trip.

Ravi

Steve

IP: 86.166.194.214

Apr 6th, 2008 - 5:39 PM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

MMM - it seems David M had not cottoned on to my April Fool joke so just n case you didn't Ravi I had no expressions of interest never mind 37!

Steve
(oops)

David M

IP: 82.39.247.38

Apr 6th, 2008 - 8:56 PM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Very red-faced I am! I thought it odd that Steve had quite so much (or any) interest in this event, so I tackled him on it between the blizzards at the clubhouse today. And, no, I hadn't spotted the date - ho, hum.

Frank Stewart

IP: 87.63.200.99

Apr 7th, 2008 - 6:25 PM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Hi
I thought this was a good moment to promote the sale of my Devon Lugger which has just gone up for sale - great tool for the DCA cruise and family sailing. See for sale section of the web.

Also just bought a book "sailing direction - Humber to Rattray Head". Published by Royal Northumberland Yacht Club. It describes very nicely the passage notes from Farne Islands to Holy Island.
ISBN 0-9515997-1-2.
from the book..."Given appropriate weather a night in the kettle is a memorable experience".

Count me in too.
Frank

judy

IP: 193.248.22.58

Apr 8th, 2008 - 8:37 PM

Re: 2008 DCA Cruise

Aaaaagh! I didn't spot the date either Steve. OK I'm gullible. Having said that, there does seem to be a certain level of interest now!

Judy (still thinking of cruising to Holy Island, one way or another).

Author	Comment
Ravi IP: 86.131.244.218 Mar 30, 08 - 2:03 AM	2008 DCA Cruise Hi all, (esp Bob ... In the absence on Committee member contact info on the new web site!!) The Dinghy Cruising Association has changed their spring cruise to September (19-21) this year. This coincides with a Kielder cruising day. Bob - what chance a Kielder expedition? The DCA site says "This rally is suitable for the novice or the skipper with a young family as the launch area is directly into sheltered water" And yes, the holy island tidal bay is just like an inland lake. (Except that there are plenty of seals and seabirds to distract you while you sail onto a tidal sandbank!) In addition to the usual circumnavigation of Holy Island, this years DCA rally also plans "a night passage from Inner Farne (The Kettle anchorage) to Holy Island. The 7M passage has unlit rocks and shallows to negotiate. Navigation aids are represented by three local lighthouses and by generous lateral and cardinal buoyage. " A great chance for all the people with their Day Skipper ticket to practice their navigation lights without getting into one of those awful things with keels. Sailing under the ramarts of Bamburgh castle with porpoises and puffins around you is something else. It would be great if there was a Kielder presence there. Of course, if the weather is rotten, there is always the penny arcade in Amble :-) Rav. E-mail: ravi@casacabral.com
David M IP: 82.113.171.131 Apr 1st, 2008 - 9:25 AM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Hi Ravi, I'd be up for it - sounds ideal for a Drascombe, especially as I've just retaken my Day Skipper Shorebased (first did it twenty odd years ago!) BTW, will you be taking your "awful thing with a keel" or doing it in the Wayfarer? David M
Steve IP: 86.166.194.92 Apr 1st, 2008 - 9:44 AM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Ravi - 47 members have emailed me over the last week to state an interest in this. How do we want to organise this? Only 4 of them have ther own seaworthy boats though. Should we organise a fleet fo dolphins for a swim? E-mail: stephen.gibbon@btopenworld.com
David M IP: 82.39.247.38 Apr 2nd, 2008 - 8:25 AM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Steve, as I'm sure you know, Drascombes are eminently seaworthy boats (indeed many DA members wouldn't be seen dead on freshwater!) I'm sure several of the owners would be only to happy to offer spare places (luggers can acommodate 6 adults comfortably) for such an expedition. David M
Judy IP: 195.105.20.6 Apr 2nd, 2008 - 9:09 AM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise I think we would be interested in this - not sure about doing it in the Mirror though with four of us (haven't risked all four of us in it even on Kielder!). Would be happy to crew in a Drascombe, otherwise we might have to take the "awful thing with a keel" (lucky it's a lifting keel, for the tidal sandbanks) and use the Mirror as a tender. Should we all be joining the DCA? Judy, John, Ben + Annabelle
David M IP: 82.113.171.131 Apr 2nd, 2008 - 9:49 AM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Good point, Judy. How do the DCA view hangers on ...er sorry, I mean guests? BTW, how is the "awful thing with a keel"? David
David M IP: 82.113.171.131 Apr 2nd, 2008 - 1:53 PM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise For those that want more info, here's the link http://www.dca.uk.com/rallies/nemeets.htm
Judy IP: 86.9.31.75 Apr 2nd, 2008 - 4:06 PM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Hi Dave, The "awful thing with a keel" is doing fine, thank you! We (that is Ravi, Ali + family, plus me) got out for the first sail of the year on Sunday, in the one-hour window between the wind dropping sufficiently and the sun setting. Ariel has a wee bit more windage than your average dinghy, and our problem at the moment is that we daren't try and manoeuvre round the marina in anything over a very mild force 4, so we haven't actually got out much so far. On the other hand, we are getting an amazing amount of maintenance experience (although the actual list of tasks to do never seems to get any shorter). I am looking forward to more sailing-friendly weather, and to getting out in the Mirror too! Judy E-mail: judy@scullsabode.com
Ravi IP: 86.131.244.218 Apr 3rd, 2008 - 10:52 PM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Hi all, The couple of times we turned up for the DCA (spring) rally at Holy Island it was blown out with F6 winds so nobody went out in dinghies. As you might imagine it was a very casual affair. I think that, technically, you should be a member of the DCA but I imagine that owning a pipe and Arran jumper might suffice. Sailing a Drascombe probably propels you staight onto the committee. I think that Ed Wingfield (regional co-ordinator) appreciates advance notification of numbers. He took people out to the Farnes on his yacht when it was too windy for Dinghy sailing. He knows the waters well and we once witnessed him piloting some DCA cruisers on a Wanderer around the more interesting eddies in the Farnes. This year we will certainly be joining again (?£20?). There doesn't seem to be much DCA activity in the North East although there is alot of stuff nationally. They run cruising 'workshop weekends' and organise a wide range of regional cruises. Their ?quarterly? magazine is also very good. Steve - With the shortage of North East DCA events, maybe you could invite the DCA to include one of the Kielder cruises in their itinerary? If the weather is right we will definitely be on the Wayfarer for the Farne Island trip. Ravi E-mail: ravi@casacabral.com
Steve IP: 86.166.194.214 Apr 6th, 2008 - 5:39 PM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise MMM - it seems David M had not cottoned on to my April Fool joke so just n case you didn't Ravi I had no expressions of interest never mind 37! Steve (oops) E-mail: stephen.gibbon@btopenworld.com
David M IP: 82.39.247.38 Apr 6th, 2008 - 8:56 PM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Very red-faced I am! I thought it odd that Steve had quite so much (or any) interest in this event, so I tackled him on it between the blizzards at the clubhouse today. And, no, I hadn't spotted the date - ho, hum.
Frank Stewart IP: 87.63.200.99 Apr 7th, 2008 - 6:25 PM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Hi I thought this was a good moment to promote the sale of my Devon Lugger which has just gone up for sale - great tool for the DCA cruise and family sailing. See for sale section of the web. Also just bought a book "sailing direction - Humber to Rattray Head". Published by Royal Northumberland Yacht Club. It describes very nicely the passage notes from Farne Islands to Holy Island. ISBN 0-9515997-1-2. from the book..."Given appropriate weather a night in the kettle is a memorable experience". Count me in too. Frank E-mail: frank.stewart@jci.com
judy IP: 193.248.22.58 Apr 8th, 2008 - 8:37 PM	Re: 2008 DCA Cruise Aaaaagh! I didn't spot the date either Steve. OK I'm gullible. Having said that, there does seem to be a certain level of interest now! Judy (still thinking of cruising to Holy Island, one way or another).