Dinghy Cruising

Publisher: Adlard Coles

Publication Date: 2006

Margaret Dye mentions almost in passing that her original Wayfarer dinghy now resides in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich and thus we are reminded that here one is in the presence of a true pioneer. Some years ago I had read of her washing under a cold farmyard tap, then changing into evening clothes to attend a nearby musical soiree, so it was a pleasure to anticipate this review. In this third edition - itself an achievment - the writer prepares the reader for the rigours of passage making and living in small dinghies together with and updated emphasis on her single-handed experiences. Although excerpts from her husband's and her own logs lighten the tone, this is essentially a textbook, and quite a solemn one at that. The title page suggested that a narrative account of the writer's voyaging was included, and perhaps greater insight into the philosophy that has inspired the Dyes over the years. I was disappointed, therefore, that this work, though more comprehensive, was little different in many ways from another of their titles published in 1982. So saying, this book is wide-ranging in its instruction and the tyro dinghy cruising crew will learn much from the hard-won skills described here. The volume itself is well produced in soft-back form with many clear line drawings and some evocative monochrome photographs all in a handy-for-the-pocket size that one could imagine being consulted at a "what-should-I-have done-then?" moment while the camping kettle boils. EC