Meeting up with other members

​Suggested opportunities  to meet and sail with other members  are an important part of DCA life. They have traditionally been called rallies but can be called  raids, meets or messabouts. They range from day sails to short camp cruises in sheltered waters or coastal venues. They are always an occasion for socialising, making new friends, comparing notes and boats and lots of picnics! They are not organised events where you follow instructions. You can sail in company or you can sail alone, you make your own decisions. At some gatherings people all launch from the same place; at others they launch at different locations and meet up at a suggested spot. 
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Lunch break at Loch Lomond
​There are no safety boats at these informal meets.​  Individual sailors must decide whether they, their crew and their boat can handle the expected conditions.   Every skipper should personally check weather forecasts, tides and local conditions before sailing and make a passage plan if appropriate.   Sensible sailors know that there is no shame in deciding not to sail if they think that conditions are more than they or their boat can manage.  Dinghy cruising on exposed tidal waters in particular  is only for experienced sailors who are confident making their own decisions.
 All members are welcome at these gatherings, with or without their own boat.   Depending on the location, members cruise not just in sailing dinghies but also in rowing boats, kayaks and canoes, and there are often opportunities to  crew for others. If you are bringing your own boat it is essential that  it is insured and covered  for third party liability. 
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One member is usually designated as a contact person for a meet and it is a good idea to let that person know if you are planning to go along. This will    ensure that you are kept informed of plans and any changes that may occur. Sometimes a WhatsApp group is set up  to help members stay in touch. 

If you sail with members of your family, particularly young people, please remember that you are fully responsible for their safety  as their parent or guardian.

​Dates and locations for meets are agreed among members  early in the year at planning meetings or  through discussion on the Forum or by email.    The finalised details are always included in the Dinghy Cruising journal sent to all members and are posted in the   Forum  as well as here on the website on the following pages.  It is important to remember that plans are always subject to changes and members thinking of attending a meet are advised to check  the Forum   carefully for updates before travelling. 
Members have organised themselves into the following groups to facilitate the planning process:
  1. England:     South Coast;   South East; South West;   East Coast;   Midlands;   North East;   North West -    including North Wales
  2. South Wales
  3. North of Scotland
  4. South of Scotland
  5. Ireland - including Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
  6. France
  7. Netherlands
  8. Scandinavia
  9. North America:  Northeast; Pacific Northwest; Chesapeake SWS
  10. South and East Baltic
​​Most groups have a volunteer Regional Secretary to coordinate discussions.

Pop up Rallies

If any member of the DCA is planning to go sailing and thinks it would be good to have company, they are welcome to make a post   on the Forum giving details of when and where they plan to launch, possible destinations and duration and how they can be contacted by anyone interested in joining them.  This can be accompanied by a post on the Facebook page with a note saying, for example, 'Pop up rally this weekend in the North West region' - for further information please login to the DCA Forum.

Non DCA raids and festivals that may be of interest: