Essex Section

A warm welcome awaits you at the Essex Section of the Cruising Association

All Members of the Cruising Association are very welcome in the Essex Section. We hope to provide you with a calendar of social, educational, and sailing activities throughout the year. The Section was started over twelve years ago and we have had excellent support with winter meetings averaging an attendance of more than 80 members. Our aim is to improve facilities for CA Members based on the East Coast and we look forward to meeting many of you during the next year both on and off the water. We use the central CA database for mailings so if you want to be on our mailing list or check that you're still on it please 'phone CA. House (020 7537 2828) and speak to a member of the Secretariat, or simply e-mail the Section Secretary, Judith Grimwade, essex@cruising.org.uk and she will be delighted to add your name to the members of the Section who receive their newsletter electronically.

Marconi Athletic and Social Club

Meetings are held in the Grand Board Room of the Marconi Athletic & Social Club, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford, at 7.00pm for 7.30pm. We begin with a finger buffet and a little time for Members to mix informally. This will normally be followed by the illustrated talk and discussion with a break for refreshments at a convenient point. We hope to conclude the evening before l0.30pm. There's plenty of parking space, and we hope to see all our regulars and quite a few first-timers for what promises to be a very interesting evening. We welcome any of your paying guests and we hope, after they've sampled our hospitality, that they may decide to join the C.A., so please bring them along.

We need to give numbers attending to the caterers ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE and it would be appreciated if you would return the reply slip to Peter Barnard as soon as possible, together with your remittance for the evening of £9.50 per person for members and £11.00 non-members. Cheques should be made payable to: 'Cruising Association Essex Section'. If you are a first-timer, please note that we do not issue tickets.

The Committee would welcome approaches from any member who would like to become involved in the very worthwhile activity of organising events for the benefit of others. The Committee meets as necessary, using email at other times and we do enjoy Committee Dinners from time to time as an additional reward for our endeavours. We would be particularly pleased to hear from anyone who would like to organise a rally during the sailing season. Enhance your social life and contact one of us without delay

Forthcoming Events

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28TH INLAND WATERWAYS OF FRANCE AND BELGIUM  ROGER EDGAR

Roger is the secretary of the newly formed European Inland Waterways and Regional Editor for Inland Waterways in the Cruising Almanac, so is eminently qualified to talk to us on this subject. He has also researched the connection between Georges Simenon, the creator of Maigret and these waterways. Navigation of the Inland Waterways system is not without its challenges, although it does allow for the appreciation of the countryside and the opportunity to apprectiate life at a slower pace. This should be a most interesting evening, giving us the opportunity to experience a different form of Cruising. 

PAST EVENTS

SATURDAY DECEMBER 12TH CRUISING MONTENEGRO AND CROATIA  HUNTER PEACE

Having explored the Eastern Mediterranean, Hunter and Rita Peace, cruised the coasts of Montenegro and Croatia, before bringing their Nicholson, Lazy Life back to Britain by road. The coastline of Montenegro is not long, but it offers a deep fiord that provides a sheltered cruising ground. More marinas are noe being developed in the area. The architecture of the area shows the influence of history, Venetian and Byzantine.

By contrast, the coastline of Croatia is vast, with thousands of off-shore rocks and islands, the latter providing sheltered anchorages. Marina costs here are high, but these may be off-set by spending time at anchor.

Hunter gave detailed information on the legal requirements for Cruising Permits and the importance of fulfilling all legal requirements before attempting to find a berth. He also stressed the advantages of the discounts available in the area to CA members.

From Croatia, he and Rita arranged to have Lazy Life transported to Breskens using a Dutch company. After the yard lifted out the boat, the masts were unstepped and he and Rita prepared both the boat and rigging for transport. To accommodate the height allowance on the trailer, he had to remove the granny bars with a hack-saw to allow the trailer to leave. The convoy of trailer and escort vehicle travelled at night to Breskens.  Here matters were complicated as the yard went into receivership with their masts in store. Fortunately, they were able to extract them, and they were stepped on the following Monday. Lazy Life has now returned to the Solent in preparation for Hunter and Rita to discover the joys of Cruising the Baltic.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15TH CRUISING SLOWLY  JILL TREW

How do you perfect the art of Cruising Slowly? First you must sacrifice the day job- a hard decision, but essential. Once done, this will provide the necessary time to dedicate four or or five months of the year to sailing. There are other refinements. Do not sail in the rain; wait for weather, thereby avoiding strong winds and those that blow from inconvenient directions. Passages should be short wherever possible and time must invested in the thorough exploration of harbours and anchorages.

Approximately ten years ago, Jill and Frank Trew left permanent employment, rented out thier house and became liveaboards. Since then they have made two circumnavigations of Britain, one of them being the CA Millenium Round Britain Rally, explored the Baltic, Ireland, the Scillies and the West Country. More recently, they have moved to Cornwall where they live during the winter. They have spent the last few seasons making more extensive explorations of the Baltic, visiting Denmark, Sweden and the former East Germany.

Jill and Frank are great ambassadors of the Cruising Association showing hwo much can be achieved when cruising slowly, spending several weeks, if necessary in delightful anchorages. Jill shared with us how they remain in contact with friends and family and how they modified their boats to make living aboard comfortable and enjoyable. It was a most enjoyable evening thanks to Jill's lively presentation and wealth of photographs.

Join this Section on line and/or choose to be sent an email notification whenever the pages of this Section are updated.