The questions I asked in the Editorial of Bulletin 117 have, as readers will see, drawn forth at least one very useful reply. They also produced a strong complaint from an ex-member who has 'washed his hands' of the DCA, apparently because of some arrogant remarks made (by me and others) at an Ullswater Rally some years ago. Without commenting on that, now only indistinctly remembered incident, I feel it is fair to accept the warning. We do not have "Rules" - I should not have used the word - only "Recommendations" about boat safety. We offer the sharing of lessons learnt by experience, but I hope we are all ready to learn in our turn.

Len Wingfield suggests that two important points should be considered - the boat should be able to continue sailing after a swamping and, for him not quite as important, the boat should pass the stringent "uncapsizability test". I don't think you can really argue about which is the more important; if a boat is really uncapsizable, it is less likely to be so completely swamped while sailing that it cannot be bailed out. But if by some unexpected sea condition it was to be swamped, it would, indeed, be important to be able to keep going.

This brings me back to my original point, that a boat should be capable of looking after itself and its crew in the chosen water and conditions.

Dinghy cruising does not consist of marathons in which boats are bashed through races and sailed over huge distances of open water - though some enjoy that. Far more typical are those who potter down the creek on a fine day and explore the intricate channels among the mud flats or marshes where few can go. This is not just sailing for "softies"- as those who try it without understanding tides and watching the weather will quickly discover - but it can be done in all sorts of boats. The fun lies, to a large extent, in adapting and fitting-out a boat so that this cruising life can be enjoyable as well as safe.

Accounts of this sort of cruise, as well as long distance efforts, have been in short supply lately. Perhaps a good year will produce more of this material for the Bulletin. We could also do with accounts of how particular designs of dinghy behave, and we have had few descriptions of sailing waters recently. All these are eagerly awaited in time for the Summer and Autumn Bulletins of 1988. J. A.