Thames Valley

Welcome to the Thames valley Section

Formed in the Spring of 2010 to meet the needs of CA members living in the Thames Valley area. Despite the name, the Thames Valley section is not just about river cruising but, with a partnership with the Gerrards Cross Sailing Association (GXSA), we have a series of talks on Wednesday evenings (October to Dec and January to March).

Where We Meet

We meet in Colston Hall at The Memorial Centre in Gerrards Cross. All CA members and their guests are very welcome and you don't have to be a member of the Thames Valley section to attend.

Forthcoming Events

Cruising with Jason – Nick Cook
Date: 08/01/2025

Join Jason and the Argonauts on the first and greatest sea cruise in history. You will harass Harpies, slay Spartoi, generally live the heroic life and navigate the...

Boat Recycling and Re-Homing, Suffolk – Ignat Fialkovskiy
Date: 15/01/2025

Selling or scrapping an old boat can be difficult and non-recyclable components make breaking boats an unprofitable and ecologically damaging choice. So, what can be...

Northwards to the Faroe Islands – Bob Hendicott
Date: 22/01/2025

Bob has sailed Rosinis, his Rustler 36, from its Solent base as far as the Azores in the mid-Atlantic and Svalbard in the high Arctic. Island destinations always seem to...

Sailing and Racing; Solitaire du Figaro 2024 – Timothy Long
Date: 29/01/2025

Timothy is a remarkable young British sailing talent. In 2020, aged 15, he sailed single handed round Britain. After his A levels in 2023, he started solo offshore racing...

Canal History and Amusing Tales – Roger Butler
Date: 05/02/2025

Roger is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society; he will tell us about some of the history of canals in Britain and their impressive engineering. Many entertaining...

Sailing Round Britain, the Easy Way – Kim Sturgess
Date: 12/02/2025

Kim had enjoyed club racing and some brief sailing holidays before he decided to sail around Britain. Sailing mostly single-handed, he broke the voyage into a series of...

Empowering Young People out on the Ocean – Alastair Floyd
Date: 19/02/2025

The Tall Ships Youth Trust supports youth development, taking over 1200 young people on their fleet of Challenger 72 boats each year. CEO Alastair Floyd will share...

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...

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...

To see all seminars and lectures see here, or the calendar of all events see here.

Interested in Finding out More?

Please contact the Section Secretaries at thamesvalley@theca.org.uk or
CA staff at office@theca.org.uk or +44 (0) 207 537 2828..

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.

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