Kent

CA member Roger's story starts from Barry in South Wales, around Lands Ends, to Ribadesella in northern Spain, for a CA meeting. They were behind schedule, in a 29’ bilge-keeled yacht and needed to cross Biscay.

Roger visited both large and small harbours along the scenic north coast of Spain, but sailing back home posed a problem which we will find out about in the talk.

Thursday 9th November 2023 at 20:00

Venue The Dog and Bear Hotel Lenham ME17 2PG

Challenge is the last surviving example of a Thames Steam Tug and is now berthed on the Medway. She was built in 1931 at Aberdeen and has a fascinating history, being one of the Dunkirk Little Ships and is best known for having towed the Maunsell Forts into the Thames Estuary during WWII. In 1971 she was laid up in Gravesend and after a period of restoration and various ownerships she spent twenty years in Southampton before her current owners moved her to the Medway in 2022.

We have arranged a visit to the Royal Engineers Museum Gillingham on Thursday 7 September. This is Kent’s largest military museum and one of the most important military collections in the UK. The museum has developed over two hundred years and was established at its present site in Brompton Barracks in 1912.

As the final Master of the QE2, Ian will tell the story of this the last British built Trans-Atlantic liner, a true ocean greyhound, a ship loved by her crew and cherished by her passengers. 

Venue: The Dog and Bear Hotel Lenham ME17 2PG. A charge of £3.00 per person is payable on booking.

Date: Thursday 9 March 2023

Time: 19.45

Attendees wishing to eat at the hotel beforehand are requested to reserve a table in advance, please call directly on 01622 858219 and say that you are attending the Cruising Association meeting.

A must for all sailors. Experienced yachtswoman, sailmaker and CA member Cindy will guide us through sail care and valeting and emergency get you home repairs.

Venue: The Dog and Bear Hotel Lenham ME17 2PG. A charge of £3.00 per person is payable on booking.

Date: Thursday 9 February 2023

Time; 20:00

Attendees wishing to eat at the hotel beforehand are requested to reserve a table in advance, please call directly on 01622 858219 and state that you are attending the Cruising Association meeting.

This event is open to non-members.

Roger owns a Westerly Fulmar "Concerto" which was the Westerly Owners Association boat at the Southampton Boat Show in 2021. Roger will talk about preparing for the Boat Show and some of the things that go on behind the scenes.

Venue: The Dog and Bear Hotel Lenham ME17 2PG. A charge of £3.00 per person is payable on booking.

Date: Thursday 12 January 2023

Time: 20:00

Attendees wishing to eat at the hotel beforehand are requested to reserve a table in advance, please call directly on 01622 858219.

This event is open to non-members.

Thursday 8th December 2022 at 20:00. Venue- The Dog and Bear Hotel, Lenham.

The Foundation is working to reconnect communities with estuaries. The estuaries are improving despite their characteristic brown colour in the south east of England, but the colour makes it difficult to perceive the important animals that live in them. The Foundation runs programmes to allow people to explore aspects of the Medway estuary, tackling litter, eliminating single- use items, sampling microplastics and giving talks.

This event is open to non-members

Thursday 10th November 2022 at 20:00. Venue- The Dog and Bear Hotel, Lenham.

Adam will take us on a journey through time as we discover the known and the lesser-known defences of the Swale channel from the 1500s to the 1950s.

This event is now open to non-members.

Pre-registration is required, to book please click the link below:

 [BOOK VENUE]

Thursday 13th October 2022 at 20:00. Venue - The Dog and Bear Hotel, Lenham, Kent

Thursday 8th September 2022 meeting at Gillingham Pier at 14:00

An opportunity to visit the historic paddle steamer Medway Queen at Gillingham Pier. The Medway Queen was launched in 1924 and was involved in mine sweeping in the Second World War and was also a Dunkerque Little Ship. She has a fascinating history and volunteers work hard to preserve her.

The entrance fee is £5.00 which is payable on the day which is inclusive of tea and coffee and allows entrance for a year. A cream tea on the ship is available at an additional cost of £5.00 per person.