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The Cruising Association

By some strange quirk a Southerly owner, me, has become
President of the Cruising Association and I thought I would
take the opportunity to inform you about the CA. We
currently have over 6,000 members who cruise worldwide
although the large majority sail within the EU. The CA
started with a letter to Yachting Weekly in August 1908. An
extract says:
“I allude to the ridiculous overcharging among the longshoremen of the
land-shark variety. What Corinthian yachtsman has not experienced the
keenness of the teeth of these vultures? “ by Howard Meek. I like the
hyperbole of the period.

Only four months later the first AGM was held on December 14, 1908 at the
Bay tree Tavern and membership was now 125. In 1909 the committee met
for four or five nights a week in a pub, perhaps not too great a hardship, but
they produced a yearbook in which the following principles were laid down.
I will elaborate on whether we have achieved those aims.

To have a central office in London with an information centre. Definitely
yes, the CA now owns a building in Limehouse which houses a library with a
wonderful collection of historic and modern books and cruising guides.
There is a unique collection of charts from all over the world and also a
Raymarine chart plotter. The original library in Bayswater was lined by
books partly to keep out the noise of the Metropolitan line.

The Limehouse building houses the office staff, there is a large lecture
theatre plus a bar and galley. There are also five ensuite cabins where
members can stay at a very reasonable cost, ideal for visiting London as
Limehouse is only two stops on the DLR from Bank tube station.
To arrange for the appointment of honorary local representatives at all
ports, who will assist in carrying out the objects of the Association in their
respective districts. Yes again, the CA now has over two hundred locations
for which there are HLRs worldwide, from the north of Denmark to the
Falklands and New Zealand. They are all voluntary posts but the HLRs bend
over backwards to help members with problems wherever they are. For
example a member reported from home that his boat batteries had

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