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

Hanson Lecture: The Future of Cruising, Katy Stickland
Date: 26/03/2025

What will cruising look like in the next decade or so? Practical Boat Owner editor, Katy Stickland, has spoken to experts and looked at trends to find out how pathways...

National Coastwatch Institution by Nick Barrett White, Felixstowe's NCI Station Manager - Booking Open
Date: 27/03/2025

NCI provide 'The Eyes and Ears Along the Coast', reporting directly to HM Coastguard centres, assisting in the protection and preservation of life at sea and along the UK coastline. Nick will cover...

The Western Isles and the Firth of Clyde, from the Viking age to 1300: Frances Bickerstaff - Webinar
Date: 27/03/2025

The history of the Western Isles is fascinating but complex – rarely taught in schools and often a mystery even to Scots. The Vikings travelled (marauded!) and settled extensively across Celtic...

Wessex Section Fitting Out Lunch
Date: 06/04/2025

We are delighted to offer one more opportunity to get together at the end of this Winter Season. A CA Wessex Fitting-Out Lunch will be held on Sunday 6th April, 12.00 for 12.30pm, at the Royal Motor...

Motorcruising the Dutch Frisian Islands, Machiel Lambooij and Remko Sinck
Date: 09/04/2025

Visitors from abroad to the Netherlands often seem to miss the Dutch Frisian Islands (Waddeneilanden) on their travels through the country. For motorboaters, it really is...

Visit to Solent Coastguard
Date: 15/04/2025

Visit to Solent Coastguard and lunch After a short presentation, we will be given a tour of the building - including the Ops Room (this will be subject to operational caveats) and a Q&A...

East Coast Bank Holiday Rally 2025 - Booking Open
Date: 03/05/2025

A Sociable Weekend with Passage Challenge, Pontoon Party, Outing to Felixstowe for a museum, fort and historic vehicles, an Evening with art exhibition, dinner and talk "The Hanse and East Anglia",...

Brightlingsea Rally
Date: 24/05/2025

We hope to be 'third-time lucky; with the weather for a rally to Brightlingsea. The Harbourmaster will be expecting us. Save the date and watch out for more details in...

Baltic Rally - Denmark 2025
Date: 08/06/2025

Baltic Section's 2025 Rally will be held in Denmark with Paul and Helen Field as Rally Captains. The Rally will start in Bagenkop on Sunday 8th June and end on Sunday 15th June in...

2025 Cross-Channel Rally/Cruise-in-Company
Date: 19/06/2025

2025 Cross-Channel Rally/Cruise-in-Company We are please to announce details of the 2025 Channel Section Cross-Channel Rally/Cruise In Company. • Starting...

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