Keeping abreast of American racing dinghy activities is not a difficult task for sailing enthusiasts as a subscription to “Yachting”, “Yachting World” or any one of the multitude of similar periodicals will bring news on the latest results, designs and developments. Yet what of the pottering man — the man who cruises or day sails his dinghy purely for enjoyment? Information is nearly impossible to find on this aspect of sailing. Though not claiming to be the average U.S. small boat owner I feel that my experiences as a non-racing dinghy sailor on Long Island Sound may be of some interest as a comment on the current American yachting scene.

Having been born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, a deep water port on the Sound, and with a nautical family background I have been interested in the matters of the sea from early childhood. However, it was not till I accepted a position as Librarian and Master with a Florida Gold Coast preparatory school that I began to sail with anything resembling regularity. The school provided a trained and capable sailing master as well as fifteen boats for students’ use. The boats ranged from the International Snipe and Lightning classes to the Moth and Optimist pram. In two years of daily practice I progressed from a near rank novice to a fairly proficient amateur, and upon my return to Connecticut was convinced that ownership of a dinghy was a most important part of life, if not a necessity. At once I began shopping for a boat, cruising grounds and a club.

Together with thousands of others I visited the annual Motor Boat Show in New York City and most fortunately was able to locate a suitable dinghy — a twelve and one half foot Dutch built training sloop. It has an eight inch draft with the board up, a moderate seventy eight foot sail area, is three quarter decked and may easily be sailed solo. These features together with an ample storage area and a capacity of three makes the craft an ideal pottering dinghy.

After the selection of a boat came the choice of a club. This proved the most difficult aspect of ownership! The local Connecticut clubs run from the plush dining-bar-tennis-golf arrangements to the small outboard or runabout types. I chose a middle of the road organization, the Branford Yacht Club. Located but a twenty minute drive from my home the BYC provides two permanent piers, three floating docks and several stake moorings. The over one hundred members own and moor craft from thirty five foot power and/or sail cruisers to eight foot rowing prams. There is an active junior sail training program, a fleet of Lightnings for adult competition and a handful of pottering dinghy sailors. The non-racing dinghies include several Uffa Fox Day Sailers as well as every imaginable type boat — open and decked, cat and sloop rigged, wood and fibreglass, and of European or American design. Once settled in a club providing all the niceties — i.e. a warm club house, an electric hoist, friendly companions and the rest — the next move was to explore the chosen sailing grounds.

The BYC is located at the mouth of the Branford River which opens into an inner harbour, an outer harbour and eventually the Sound. Both harbours are well protected and are suitable for sailing in all seasons. If the wind is too great for cruising on Long Island Sound proper, the harbours are available for practice in the fine points: gybing, coming about and rescue manoeuvres need constant attention. The summer months are usually fair, though, with May till August having good morning and late afternoon winds.

Several miles to the north-east of Branford, off Stony Creek, lie the Thimble Islands — a dozen or so rocky masses with sandy beaches and many inviting picnic spots. The fact that Captain Kidd reportedly buried treasure there also adds to the lure. To the south is New Haven Harbour with its deep water foreign ships making an interesting sight at the end of a cruise. Both spots are easily reached with the beat back from New Haven a challenge. If one has the temperament and the inclination there is the twelve mile run across to Long Island, New York. The sudden squalls make this a somewhat risky proposition and one does require a sturdy boat.

For occasional sharpening of skills the dinghy cruiser may, if accepted, attend the Internation Sailboat Training Facility held twice a year in the New York area of the Sound. Here through the generosity of an ex-Olympic champion eight Internation One Design boats are used to train skippers and crew in the finer points of racing and small boat handling. Leaders in sailing, the Ratseys for example, donate their time and skill to the instruction and the benefit of all small boat sailors. The Marine Historical Association located in Mystic, Connecticut has also organized a training facility for novice and advanced sailors, utilising their Dyer Dinks as training craft. Both the above are available at modest cost.

As you have gathered dinghy pottering in the U.S. is much the same anywhere. The boats are similar, if not identical with the British, the clubs as friendly and the service excellent. The only varying items are the ports to be visited and the waters to be sailed — and after all are they so different? Sailing is sailing.