Dinghy Cruising is a growing section of the sailing club. In the past we have had cruises for boats of all shapes and sizes to the following destinations:
- The Rocks
- Felixstowe Ferry
- Ramsholt
- Woodbridge
In 2027, we plan to take to the water on the following dates – destinations to be confirmed closer to the date.
- Sat 22nd May
- Sat 26th June
- Sat 10th July
- Sat 7th August
- Sat 11th Sept
Small Boat Cruising
The 2026 season was very successful seeing the cruising section of the club gaining in strength.
Not strictly sailing, but the cruising section entered the WSC Quiz and managed to come away with first place. We also put in an official team for the three-legged race in the Regatta shore events and came a respectable second place.
The season saw five official events that were on the calendar with others taking place that were organised with the help of the WhatsApp group.
The 2026 cruising dates were slotted into the sailing calendar carefully after the GoSailing was sorted. This avoided any overlap as many of the GoSailing members were also keen to sail on the small boat cruises.
On pretty much every WSC organised outing in 2026 we saw 10 boats ranging from Cornish Shrimpers to a Drascombe Dabber and Dragonflys ( Not sure of the plural of Dragonfly Dinghies) to Yachts. It was also encouraging to see members using some of the club boats as well.
The cruises were planned to make best use of the tide. On the occasions where there was a midday low we headed downriver. The Rocks being the favoured spot for lunch twice. One ocasion saw us picking up moorings at Ramsholt for late morning refreshments aboard.
On the late afternoon high – 15:00 – the boats headed up to Woodbridge where we had permission to come alongside the Woodbridge Boatyard Pontoon. The Tea Hut very kindly extended their opening hours by 15 mins to feed and water the 19 sailors who descended en masse.
The last cruise of the season saw the fleet making the trip to Felixstowe Ferry for lunch. We were accompanied by a WSC Support Boat and on this occasion one of the Windsong dinghies who were on a tour of east coast sailing clubs were welcomed along.
On four other occasions to note the cruising section took to the water. Three times on a Wednesday evening and once on a Friday evening. Sails up the river with coffee and tea aboard and down river for refreshments and eclipse watching at Ramsholt. The Friday evening before the last official sail of the season was followed by the beginnings of a Friday Friendly. Hopefully the Friday Friendly will be added to the calendar next year.
All the feedback from the days afloat has been positive with members commenting that they have had the opportunity to sail with and meet others who they wouldn’t otherwise have come across with differing levels of experience and in boats they would never normally get the chance to use. Members commented that they benefitted from learning new skills like anchoring , rafting up etc, and visiting bits of the river they’ve never had the courage to go to alone.
Photos:
Who are they aimed at?
- Anyone who wants to sail their own boat or a club boat on a cruise, and
- People who have sailed with Go Sailing and become reasonably proficient, and want to go a step further with some support.
Skills required
- Able to rig your boat and launch
- Set off from the shore
- Come into the shore and land safely
- Moor the boat so it does not drift away, or (in the case of Wayfarers, Dragonflies, Luggers etc.) dry out. (Usually the cruise will be downriver on the ebb, landing towards low water and returning on the flood.)
Equipment needed (in addition to normal sailing gear)
- Picnic (essential for the Rocks) or money for lunch at the Ferry, Ramsholt or Woodbridge
- Painter, or anchor line and anchor
- Fender or something to improvise as a fender (e.g. buoyancy aid) – useful when mooring at Woodbridge or the Ferry
- Basic spares (shackle, block, spare line) and tools (pliers, screwdriver, knife)
- Swimming gear (for the Rocks)
Safety
Safety boat support is not provided for dinghy cruises, so we have to be self-reliant and look out for each other. Participants should sail within their own experience level.
Organisation
- The date and time to meet up at the club is announced, aiming to set off half an hour after meet up. Likely destination is indicated.
- Participants to use WhatsApp group to indicate if they are turning out.
- Monitor weather and indicate on the WhatsApp the day before if it looks suitable or not.
- There may be a briefing chat when we meet up to assist less experienced sailors.
Getting in touch
To find out more about Dinghy Cruising at WSC then please get in touch with Jim Jenner –
