A keen sailing friend recently asked me for details of the DCA. He had just bought a small sailing cruiser with a ‘lid’, for coastal pottering. The association seemed to be the ideal organisation for him, but for three concerns: 1) would he be automatically excluded from membership because his boat had a small cabin? 2) might he be expected to socialise regularly with earnest North Sea-crossing folk? 3) what were the actual benefits of membership?

These questions led to a little research. The results certainly pleased my colleague — who I believed has now joined — but in the process highlighted some interesting facts which seem worthy of comment.

Dictionary definitions of the word ‘dinghy’ suggest any small boat propelled by sail, oars or motor. No mention is made of cabins, so one’s interpretation must be based solely on the word ‘small’. Dinghy Cruising Association, therefore implies a body catering for the owners of non-displacement sailing craft of under, say 15 ft LOA without a cabin.

Westerly Nimrods, Tiki 26’s and 4-tonners etc (at least 16 members own such vessels) are propelled by sail, but are certainly not ‘small’. Canoes (6+ members) are small and propelled by paddles, but are not really dinghies, and so on. Indeed, an analysis of members’ craft shows that 84, some 23%, could not possibly be described as dinghies, and a good many more are of questionable pedigree. Only a very small percentage of members ever attend DCA rallies or winter meetings.

In short, there may be a hard core of enthusiasts who own and sail (sailing) dinghies in the accepted sense of the term, and the probability is that these self same folk are the very ones who attend meetings on a regular basis and become committee members. (One resigned immediately on purchasing a craft with a small cabin!).

The majority of members, however, simply subscribe to the Bulletin in order to read of others’ advice and exploits. A few take advantage of the library facilities and perhaps purchase a burgee. How many members actually cruise a ‘proper’ dinghy with sails is debatable.

My purpose here is not to find fault, simply to suggest that the title DCA has become something of a misnomer. The Association is, in effect, for most members, a mail order club that best satisfies their requirements as owners of various craft, ranging from an 8ft sailing canoe, through a motorised plastic tender, to a 26ft ocean-going cruiser, that are used for the common purpose of low cost, adventurous pleasure at one with the elements.

The DCA is really Everyman’s Yacht Club.