Join the CA Community - afloat & ashore

Check out the Sections below to find a Cruising Association group near you, check out the events they’re running and find their contact details.

'Cruising Sections’ cover sea areas whilst ‘Local Sections’ are UK-based. There’s also an Antipodean Section for members ‘down under’ and a Motorboat Section for those cruising in motorboats.

When you join consider signing up to at least two Sections, one near home and another where you want to cruise. You can join as many Sections as you like – it’s FREE - and there are opportunities to get involved in events and discussions most relevant to you and your cruising.

Cruising Sections use dedicated online forums to exchange information. As a CA member you can access any forum at any time, whether you’re a Section member or not. You can even set up automatic forwarding of posts from any forum and the ‘cruising mode’ helps you control receipt of emails when airtime might be expensive or bandwidths restricted.

Cruising Sections

Baltic

Covers the Baltic Sea, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Faroes. Holds a popular introductory seminar every spring.

Biscay

Covers Western France, Spain and Portugal as well as crossing Biscay. Holds a popular introductory seminar every spring.

Blue Water

For those sailing outside of European waters. Holds a popular Blue Water seminar in the summer.

Celtic

Covers waters from Land’s End to Cape Wrath. Meets at various west coast venues to share knowledge on all aspects of cruising the region.

Channel

For those cruising the south coast of the UK, Channel Islands, and France from the Belgian border to NW Brittany. Holds an annual seminar and summer rally/cruise-in-company.

European Inland Waterways

Covers over 30,000 km of navigable rivers and canals passing through over 20 countries. Annual seminar and lunch each autumn at CA House.

Mediterranean

Covers the Mediterranean from Spain and Morocco in the west to the Levant in the east, and includes the Black Sea. Meets at CA House in the winter, and afloat in the summer.

Motorboat

The Motorboat Section aims to bring together motorboaters where ever they are and whatever type of motorboating they enjoy.

North Sea

Covers the UK, Belgian and Dutch coasts. Meets at East Coast venues to share knowledge on all aspects of cruising the region.

Local / UK Sections

Antipodean

For members who live in Australia and New Zealand and who sail in the Northern Hemisphere.

CA London

CA London events are held at our Limehouse HQ.

Essex

Meetings held at Blackwater Sailing Club and mid-week lunches arranged.

Kent

Kent Section's 'Winter Warmers', talks by a variety of speakers, will be held via Zoom for the forseeable future.

Solent

Summer rallies with weekend meets. Winter talks with ‘club’ suppers usually at a Hamble yacht club or marina.

South West

For members living in or cruising the areas from Portland Bill to the Isles of Scilly and along the north coast of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset to Bristol.

Suffolk

Joint meetings are arranged with the Royal Harwich Yacht Club at Woolverstone.

Thames Valley

Winter talks are held in partnership with the Gerrards Cross Sailing Association (GXSA) at Colston Hall at The Memorial Centre in Gerrards Cross.

Wessex

Talks are held at Lilliput Sailing Club, Poole.

Forthcoming Section Events

Non-members are welcome to attend

Cruising through Croatia, Charles and Elizabeth Thorp
Date: 26/02/2025

This is a joint event with the Mediterranean Section. Charles and Elizabeth brought their twin-keel Westerly Ocean 33 Aura across France to the Med in 2012 and after...

HM Coastguard: what happens when your EPIRB goes off – Tom Barnett
Date: 26/02/2025

Tom is National Network Commander at the Coastguard Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. He will explain the extensive work of HM Coastguard with a particular emphasis on how...

River Orwell's Historic Houses and Gardens by Keith Pettican - Booking Open
Date: 27/02/2025

Many rich and famous people built large houses overlooking the River Orwell; we sail past their estates without knowing their stories. Keith Pettican now lives in one of these houses and he will tell...

Mission: Out Stack (the full stop at the end of Britain) - Webinar
Date: 27/02/2025

Simon and Fiona Hampton-Matthews recount a tale of a loop around the top of Scotland with the ship's cat, wildlife in unexpected places, an unintended extensive exploration of Stromness and a broken...

European Inland Waterways Section Seminar
Date: 01/03/2025

We have again a diverse programme both for new members and for members with experience in cruising on inland waterways. We’ll start with an introduction into cruising on the Inland Waters, new...

UK & France Entry & Exit Processes in the Channel
Date: 04/03/2025

With the introduction of the EU EES understood to be delayed this web seminar will describe the processes for entry and exit of the UK, France and the Channel Islands along the Channel...

Secrets of the West Coast of Scotland, Bob Bradfield
Date: 05/03/2025

Bob will talk about some of the stand-out places to visit and some of the much less well known. He will also suggest ways of making the very best of the time available to...

The Green Blue – Kate Fortnam (RYA)
Date: 05/03/2025

The Green Blue is the RYA’s environmental outreach programme, promoting a sustainable UK leisure marine sector. This talk will explore all aspects of how the boating...

Waterside lunch Walton and Frinton YC Thursday
Date: 06/03/2025

Walton and Frinton Yacht Club is a beautifully located and historic clubhouse which was first established in 1908, the same year the Cruising Association was formed. It is...

Denmark Information Day
Date: 08/03/2025

Denmark Information Day CA House, 8th March 2025. 1130 to approx. 1600. Over the past few years we have held Information Days featuring the countries for which Baltic Section...

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