There comes a time in every dinghy sailor’s life when he has the urge to get up and go somewhere away from his usual sailing grounds. If one gives way to this urge, and more people do every year, then the question arises, where shall we sleep? The first three or four times the boat is probably left moored somewhere overnight and the occupants return home, coming back the following day.

This gets rather tedious for a cruise of any length and limits the scope. Too much time is spent travelling, and so, eventually, one decides not to return home. Hotels etc., are out of the question for the average dinghy enthusiast, Youth Hostels are normally miles from the coast and few and far between. The answer is either to camp ashore or in the boat. The size and type of the boat may not be suitable for sleeping aboard. Some dinghies are known to leak, in spite of their loving owners’ strong denials, and sea water makes makes a poor bed companion. If the boat lacks an awning then the expense will not warrant the beginner or very occasional dinghy cruiser buying one.

Anyone can beg borrow or “appropriate” a small tent, and it is mainly for this reason that camping ashore is so popular. If a crowd are cruising together, or a fixed base is required, then tents win every time, but for serious passage making, where it is important to catch the tides, and not waste time de-camping and transporting equipment, then sleeping aboard is the only answer.

The actual camping technique once ashore is standard and details may be obtained from any book on camping. It is advisable to carry enough fresh water for a couple of days. Being independent of a water supply greatly increases the choice of camp sites. One or more “Primus”, or similar, stoves is a necessity. Fuel for fires is seldom plentiful and camp fires are never welcomed by land-owners. Permission to camp on private land should always be obtained first from the owner. Most owners appreciate thanks on leaving and will normally extend their welcome again. Great care should be taken to leave the site in as good as, or better condition than it was found.

If permission to camp is refused, it is normally possible to find a piece of waste ground along the shore. I have actually pitched tents a few inches below HWS on a neap tide. The biggest snag with camping ashore is getting there complete with gear. At low water this may entail ploughing through a couple of hundred yards of mud. The best way of overcoming this is to arrive while the tide is high. If only occasional weekend camping is contemplated then choose the weekends which have high water in the evening.

Even with the most careful planning there will eventually come a time when the tide is missed. When this is the case, concentrate on getting ashore first and look for a camp site afterwards. It is far more pleasant to land on a beach and carry the gear half a mile than wade with it through fifty yards of mud. Look for quays, jetties or shingle bars. Of the three, the shingle is probably the best. Anyone who has attempted to climb up twelve feet of slimy vertical wall will verify this.

Care should be taken to allow enough warp for rise and fall of tides if mooring along a quay. It is also wise to make sure the boat won’t foul up anything in rising and falling. I had a nasty turn when returning to my boat one closing time; I found it suspended by its bowsprit.

If there is no obvious way ashore then it is wise to try some of the lesser creeks which may have dried out. Being scoured by the tide these usually have a firm bed and may lead ashore. It is possible to walk on most saltings without sinking, but these tend to sratch the legs and may even cause a rash. What of facing the mud itself? This can be done, and one may be lucky in the choice of route. The mud in the Solent area seldom comes above the knees – but have you tried traversing some while laden with equipment?

Nothing delights the local populace more than a “humanopottamus” wallowing in the local mire. If, after entertaining the crowd, the heap of mud finally makes terra firma, it is quite likely that the local will be barred on account of his condition, and so the thirst tortured soul is forced to return from whence he came for a drink of water. Every area has its own particular brand of mud. They vary both in colour and texture, and some of an odour all theor own.

Local advice regarding the depth of mud should be viewed with suspicion. A member in the Bristol Channel, wishing to make the local beauty spot before it closed sought advice from a waterman regarding the possibility of walking ashore. On receiving an affirmative nod he buckled on his rucksack and hurried over the side, straight up to his thighs – and the mud in that area has to be seen to be believed. He did finally make the shore I’m glad to say. And the waterman? No, he’d never really seen anyone walk on it before, although seagulls………….

Having reached the shore (nil desperandum) there is the question of mooring the boat. Some people are quite content to heave the anchor over and hope for the best, ignoring the fact that they may not be able to reach the boat afterwards – would anyone like a swim?

If the wind is off-shore than the boat may be anchored and a stern line led slackly to the shore. If the wind is onshore or likely to change however, it is useful to employ an old fishermens’ dodge. This entails fastening a length of cod line to the crown of the anchor and resting it precariously on the foredeck. The boat is then given a hard push away from the shore. When far enough out the line is used to jerk the anchor overboard. It is used again to pull the anchor in when requiring the boat.

Well, what are you waiting for? Throw your tent, fleabag and tins of bully beef into the bilge and get under way. I’m right behind you. Now where did I put my awning?