Dinghy Cruising Association
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Dinghy Cruising Association

Aim

 ​The aim of the Dinghy Cruising Association is to    facilitate communication, exchange of knowledge and meeting between enthusiasts of dinghy cruising, who share a passion for sailing small boats non-competitively.

​Throughout the year, we facilitate meeting between members and sailing in company via an extensive programme of suggested dates and locations for  rallies, raids, meets and messabouts.

We facilitate communication and exchange through publication of our quarterly journal, our on-line  Forum and the DCA Facebook Group, and by providing technical advice    and access to a lending library of sailing-related literature. 

​Based in the UK and founded in 1955, the DCA has members worldwide. You can read about how it all began   here..
​DCA President, Roger Barnes, speaking on Dinghy Cruising at the RYA Dinghy show.
LEGAL STUFF
The Rules of the Association
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​Promoting dinghy cruising & sharing information

Journal

​Dinghy Cruising is the Association's quarterly journal. Formerly the DCA Bulletin, it has been published continuously since 1955 and is available only to members. Designed and edited to a professional standard with 80 to 100 A4 pages, most in full colour, Dinghy Cruising provides a wealth of inspiration and practical advice.

You can see a selection of articles and download a sample copy   here.
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Advice

Technical advice on any aspect of dinghy cruising is available to members from our technical advisor: Dave Jennings. If he does not know the answer, he will find it for you.

​Members collectively are a fount of knowledge which they share generously - in articles and letters in the Journal and via our discussion forum   and Facebook page.. Some of the articles can be found on this website but many more are available from the Journal Archive and  DCA Library.

Library

The DCA has a comprehensive lending library of books about cruising in small boats and related matters. Members may borrow books and back copies of the Dinghy Cruising journal. Postage is free both ways. The books will be posted with a return, postage-paid  envelope included. The books may be retained nominally for a month but in practice until someone else wants them.
​           Read more...
 

Awards

Two awards are made each year for items that are published in Dinghy Cruising:
1. the Naylor Noggin for the best log of a cruise in a sailing dinghy, and
2. the Peter Bick Cup for the best technical article.
The South Coast group have three  awards for those members who complete the Hayling Challenge.
​             Read more…

Meeting & sailing together

The DCA has a number of regional groups who get together to suggest locations where members can meet and sail together in company. These occasions are not organised events, they are simply opportunities to sail in company. Each member attending a meet-up is fully responsible for his  or her decisions about whether or not to sail and for their own safety and that of their crew.  There are seven groups in England  covering the South West, South, South East, East, Midlands,   North West    and North East of the country. The North West group share their sailing area with North Wales and regularly include suggested locations along the North Wales coast. Another group  plan potential meet-ups in South Wales. There are two regional groups in Scotland - North and South - and one in Ireland.   As our overseas membership has grown, groups have formed to suggest possible meet-ups in France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and in the Baltic.   Our biggest overseas membership is in North America and a number of local groups are forming to suggest locations for meeting up in the USA and Canada.   Read more…

Members  can attend any proposed get-together  in any region. One member usually offers to be the contact point and their  contact details will be found in the Journal and the Forum.  Members can also suggest pop-up rallies  at short notice   to create additional opportunities to meet and sail together. There are regional spaces in the DCA Forum to facilitate sharing plans for meeting up and you can search for members sailing near you in the Member Directory which is  available in the Members' Section. 

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A breath of fresh air

Dinghy cruising - whether adventuring or pottering - is a breath of fresh air in a competitive world, where day to day life is increasingly disconnected from the rhythms - and power - of nature.

Join the DCA

The friendly club with a sense of adventure. For all sailors who use boats for more than just racing.

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Contact us
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​© 2010-2025 DCA. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
    • About
    • Origins
    • Why join us?
    • Women in the DCA
    • Contact us
  • Cruising
    • Getting started >
      • FAQs
    • Living aboard
    • Taking the family
    • Pilotage Notes >
      • The Dee Estuary
    • Boat Safety Recommendations
    • Howard Rice goes Below 40 South
  • Dinghies
    • John Welsford talks about designing boats
    • Michael Storer talks about becoming a boat designer
    • Boat reviews
    • Technical Articles
    • Roamer and Rebell
    • YM Designs
  • Rallies
    • Rallies in England >
      • South Coast
      • South East
      • South West
      • North West
      • North East
      • East Coast
      • Midlands
    • Rallies in Scotland
    • Rallies in Wales
    • Rallies in Ireland
    • Rallies in North America >
      • Northeast Chapter
      • Pacific Northwest
      • ChesapeakeSWS
    • Rallies in France
    • Rallies in the Netherlands
    • Rallies in Scandinavia
    • Rallies in the Baltic
  • Journal
    • Archive contents
    • Digital Subscribers >
      • 2025 Journals
  • Other Membership Features
    • DCA Library >
      • Good Reads
      • Book Reviews
    • DCA Shop
    • DCA Forum
    • DCA Awards >
      • Naylor Noggin
      • Peter Bick Cup
      • Hayling Challenge
    • Photo Competition
  • Join now
  • Members Section