by Antony Sluce

17/18 April Rudyard Lake (near Leek). Approach from south and pass through car park of large pub. The reservoir attendant at the cottage near the dam has been warned there is a DCA rally. He will admit you to the car park space near the lake free of charge. Launching down steep concrete ramp into deep water. Chance to test boats etc. in sheltered waters.

21/22 May Heswall, Dee Estuary. Car park near Dee Sailing Club, Banks Road, Heswall. No charge for parking. Launching along tarmac hard finishing in mud. HW 10.50 BST Saturday. Water at end of tarmac about 2 hours before HW. Sheltered anchorage on firm sand in gutter. Sleep aboard or camp at Thurstaston where there is also a hard, with deeper water off it.

26/27 June Coniston. Car park and launching available at Coniston Sailing Club on W side of lake ¼ mile S of Coniston Village. Please contact Antony Sluce if you wish to go on this rally as we have been asked by Coniston SC not to use their moorings. Charge of £1 to sailing club for temporary membership. Sleep aboard or camp.

4/5 Sept Ullswater. Car park and launching at Waterside Farm on E side of lake at northern end. Gravel hard into shallow water if lake is low. Charge for launching if farmer feels like it. Sleep aboard or camp at Waterside Farm.

N-W Coast Group Winter Meeting 1982 by Antony Sluce

As last year, the meeting was held at 24 St. John’s Street, which seems to be a good location for people to get to from the wide area the group covers. Almost all the members who attended the rallies were able to come and it made a very enjoyable social occasion.

The day was divided into sections by films I had managed to order from the RYA Film List. These made short breaks for people to gather their thoughts in between the very interesting slide shows. In the morning I presented a selection of slides showing the evolution of my boat from a fibre glass shell. This led on to discussion of hulls and rigs until lunch. The afternoon was devoted to cruising areas. Harry Hough kicked off with slides of the W Coast of Scotland based on a cruise on Lochs Lorne and Linnhe. Cliff Laycock continue inland with the Caledonian Canal. A number of impromptu collections were then shown. Edwin Dewhirst showed some of the Clyde area, including John Gray’s Mirror under way and under tent. Joan Abrams’ slides covered the N Wales coast to the Solway Firth.

The thanks of all the group must go to Joan for providing the food, and to Rachel and Phyl for helping on the domestic front.

If other groups are interested in the films we obtained free, they were I Saw Three Ships (amusing, about safety); Essex Coast Villages (shots of sailing barges and Tilbury to Harwich); GRP Reliability (a little on GRP moulding and more on single handed trip to Azores).

EAST COAST GROUP 1982 RALLIES by David McClellan — East Coast Secretary

Easter Weekend on the Broads — April 9 - 12

At last a rally on the Broads. [See Bulletin article 094/10 for details]. The idea is to cruise on the Broads for a few days, meeting up in the evening if possible. Ralph Thompson — 151 Canton Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0JG — is organising it for me as he knows the area well. Contact Ralph or myself if you would like to join in.

22/23 May Cruise from Maldon on the Blackwater to the Colne, supper at the fish and chip shop by the hard at Brightlinsea, then either lie in the Pyfleet if you want to stay afloat, or roll up onto Mersea Stone for camping ashore. HW around 24.30 hrs on the Saturday night. Launching from Maldon Marine Parade about 1 hour either side of HW. Plenty of parking, cheap too. Meet at Maldon 12.00 Saturday. Cruise back on the Sunday, taking the tide up the Blackwater. Meet at chip shop if you come a different way around 19.00 hrs.

19/20 June Walton Stone I hope to be there this year, rally as usual at the stone, plenty of clean sand for rolling the boats onto or deep water just off the shore if you wish to stay afloat, plenty of little creeks around for those who like a very quiet night. Barbeque if the weather is kind. HW around 23.00 on the Saturday night so there should be time to explore the backwaters on Sunday morning if you want to before setting off home. Rally at about 18.00 hrs onwards.

28/29 Aug Paglesham Rally Launch at Hullbridge or South Woodham, take the tide down the Crouch. Lunch at Burnham, rally at Paglesham hard in the evening. HW is late in the evening (20.00) so we could do the trip out onto the Maplins and in through Havengore as per the last two years, or do it in reverse on the Sunday. The weather will dictate, I have no doubt. A good rally for those who like to do 30 odd miles to get to the venue. Rally at hard 19.00 hrs onwards.

11/12 Sept River Orwell Rally A nice quiet weekend. Rally above Pin Mill just downstream from the new bridge, on the western bank. You can beach at HW which is about 18.20 hrs on Saturday night. A good opportunity to explore the rivers Stour and Orwell.

Hope to see you at the rallies, but in case I don’t, Happy Sailing in 1982!