Wednesday
30.01.08

New members evening  An opportunity for new members to come and chat to existing members, meet staff and officers and have a guided tour of the facilities in CA House.

Thursday
07.02.08

Limehouse, King Alfred and the Olympics by Jeremy Batch. Limehouse Basin, where we have our HQ, opened in 1820 as the Regent’s Canal Dock, 50 years after the Limehouse Cut brought the River Lea to London. The huge steel barges which were built for the Lee Navigation in the 1920’s will soon be finding a new lease of life, transporting materials to and from the 2012 Olympic site on the Bow Back Rivers.  These curious channels owe their existence to King Alfred’s outwitting of the Danes.  Come and find out more fascinating facts, including the connection between the Regent’s Canal, Queen Boudicca and ice cream!

Wednesday
13.02.08

Sailing in the Northern Baltic by Douglas Addison Douglas’s new Nauticat 351 was launched at Turku, Finland in May 2007. Over the summer, he sailed through the islands to Helsinki, Tallin, along the Estonian coast and down the Gulf of Riga to Latvia, then via the Latvian coast across to the Estonian Island of Saaremasala before crossing to Gotland and Faro. He then explored the islands south of Stockholm before visiting Stockholm and returning to Turku solo via the Swedish Archipelago and the Aaland Islands. Visiting the old Hanseatic ports and following the track of Arthur Ransome’s adventures made for a fascinating passage.

Thursday
21.02.08

By Sail to Syria by Jeremy Waters. In spring 2006, Jeremy and Gabby Waters took their elderly sloop Watershed east from their base in Kemer, Southern Turkey, along 300 miles of coastline rarely visited by cruising yachtsmen, and then south into Lattakia, Syria. Here they hired a car and driver, and for 10 days explored some of the county’s Crusader castles, souqs, mosques and Roman ruins. Everywhere they were made welcome. They returned to Kemer via Northern Cyprus, having not seen another yacht in a month’s cruising.

Wednesday
27.02.08

Across the roof of the world by Richard Wood, On 18 July 2003, father and son team, Richard & Andrew Wood with Zoe Birchenough sailed Norwegian Blue into the Bering Strait which marks the entrance to the North West Passage. Two months later, in what proved to be a very difficult ice year - and without ice breaker assistance - she sailed into the Davis Strait to become the first British yacht to transit the passage from west to east. She also became the only British vessel to have completed the passage in one season.

Thursday
06.03.08

Sailing the Libyan coast by Mike Yendel Three weeks in Libya turned out to be one of the highlights of the two years Mike spent in the Mediterranean on Cooya: making new friends, visiting areas of outstanding natural beauty and well preserved sites of ancient civilisations, cities and harbours. And an 1,800 year-old beachside villa which would need few alterations to become a comfortable family home in the 21st century. One of those new friends is now the CA's HLR for Benghazi.

Mediterranean section forum Come and meet some of the skippers and crew of our very active Med Section.

Baltic section forum Providing information for all Baltic sailors and with special emphasis on the Copenhagen rally

Thursday
20.03.08

A talk in two parts by Commodore Mike Moulin, yachtsman and retired Ship’s Master. Part 1, A View from the Bridge: Communication or Collisionis a thought provoking talk covering communication techniques, yacht equipment, Collision Regulations and the lessons learned from the Ouzo tragedy and from a 40 year worldwide career. Part 2 gives us A Mariner’s Perspective of Cape Horn, the “bleak and dismal headland” that has tested the ability of seamen, but captured their imagination, for nearly four centuries. Mike examines some of the notorious difficulties of rounding the Horn with a brief look at the legends and some thoughts for the ambitious cruising sailor.

Thursday
27.03.08

The Best and Worst of the Cruising life, by Bill and Laurel Cooper Over three decades, the Coopers have cruised 100,000 miles, visited 45 countries and written six books. As East coasters, they do not feel part of the yachting establishment. Unconcerned with salty tales of storm force 10 and deadly danger (though they have a few) they prefer to talk of extraordinary incidents and characters they have encountered in 32 years of nautical pain and pleasure. Rather than give a lecture, they prefer to share experience with fellow cruising yachties. And what better place to do so than the Cruising Association.

Wednesday

Wednesday

Hanson Lecture by Tim Severin Explorer, author and film maker Tim Severin has famously recreated legendary journeys of past ages. Amongst other feats, he has sailed a leather boat across the Atlantic in the wake of St Brendan the Navigator, and steered a replica of a Bronze Age galley to seek the landfalls of Jason and the Argonauts. Tonight he will tell us about the most exotic of his traveller's tales: the Sindbad Voyage from Muscat to Canton under sail in an Arab dhow. Put your discomforts and boat problems in perspective!

The Log Competition Awards will be awarded afterwards

Tickets in advance from the Secretariat are £15 and include a buffet supper.

Saturday

Following a very successful lecture at CA House in November, Jimmy Cornell has offered to put on a masterclass for CA members thinking of undertaking an offshore voyage. In the last three decades Jimmy has sailed close to 200,000 miles in all oceans of the world, including three circumnavigations and two voyages to Antarctica. He has a wealth of practical advice to offer anyone contemplating a trip whether to the Mediterranean or right around the world. His seminars have sold out in the US. The class is in three parts, and should take around six hours with a break for lunch. All sections are well illustrated and Jimmy is happy to take questions.

Planning your dream voyage: weather, seasons, prevailing winds, tropical storms areas and seasons, routing suggestions.
Practical aspects of long distance offshore cruising: safety, finances, formalities and documents, leaving the boat between seasons in the tropics, cruising in stages, crew and crew changes, communications.
Offshore routines: life on board, daily routine including maintenance, meals and entertainment; provisions, equipment, power; watch systems; fishing, diving and photography; dealing with heavy weather, emergency preparations and essential spares.

Wednesday