I have now completed ten DCA rallies and the two week Cobner camp.

I don’t post reports of my adventures with this group to respect the other members privacy, it is rare that any images from the rallies appear on social media so I respect that. I do rarely post pictures of my boat and other DCA boats my be seen in the distance.

I’m going to state at the start of my thoughts that the DCA is up there in the top 3 organisations I have ever been involved in. The people are wonderful and many truly inspiring.

Each rally has a host and is written up in forum and usually repeated in the magazine so my need to further report it is redundant.

So what are the rallies like?

I think that is best summed up in part of the heading on the safety requirements:

‘sailors can take what action is appropriate to their boats and themselves. Safety is ultimately the responsibility of each individual’

There isn’t a safety boat, no one is watching out for you you are totally responsible for yourself. You must know that you and your boat is capable of doing the cruise including returning if the weather changes.

There is a big however, based on my experience of the South Region. The program is very well thought out by people with many years sailing these waters. There is a cruise about every two weeks and they are carefully arranged to make the most of the tide and maximum chance of success. There is a host and the week before the rally the host posts on the forum about the up and coming rally. Practical stuff such as tides, where to launch from etc. The information doesn’t cover everything there isn’t a formal launch time or even launch site. I assume this is all is part of you taking responsibility for yourself, it was a little strange at the start but now makes total sense. People have different boats and capabilities so there simply isn’t a one size fits all plan. Through the week people do post their plans, and old rally reports help you understand the upcoming trip. At the launch slip if someone else is there don’t expect them to wait for you, the sea waits for no man, they have their passage plans and waiting an hour for you is not part of it. Again it’s strange when someone else just sails off without you but it’s totally logical and I have, feeling guilty the first time, done the same myself.

That all said they are a very friendly group and happy to give advice and chat, I’m respectful and don’t however natter if someone is busy.

I did my first rally in January, part on the winter program, and feel as the year progressed they rallies became more challenging. I would say the frog in boiling water analogy fits well. My first cruise was to East Head, it felt like an epic journey across the ocean. Months later it East Head was a snack stop on the way to the Isle of White.

On the day sails you meet and have lunch together for about an hour and that’s about the limit of social scene. The overnighters can be slightly different, on some I we have had ten minutes chat on the shore before setting up our boats for sleeping. Everyone is set up for sleeping before dusk. There have been a few occasions when we have gone to the pub, sometimes just for a pint, occasionally to eat. Things are slightly more relaxed when you are alongside a jetty.

Mornings are equally independent, people have made their plans and you should have your own. At one rally the night before there was an informal decision to leave at 11.00. You will generally be up with the sun and people had looked at the forecast and said they would be going at 9.00. At 8.00 I was all alone and everyone had sailed. This again isn’t being rude it’s just that independent ethos.

On a few occasions I ended up changing my plans and felt guilty for not being able to tell anyone. One occasion the wind had died and tide had turned so I couldn’t make the overnight stop and retreated to a different spot. I was stressed the host would be worried so I put a message on the forum but didn’t get a reply for three days. Self reliance again.

I hope that doesn’t come across negative it is intended as the total opposite, the strength of the DCA is it fosters that total self reliance which moving forward will enable me to go on adventures outside the DCA umbrella. Some people add their own cruises before or after the rally doing some inspiring journeys.

All the members I have met are really very friendly and many have a wealth of experience you can draw on and they are very open to share. Many racing sailors talk about the importance of the social scene, the DCA is front and centre about the sailing. If you are after friendship get a crew.

So it has been a fantastic year so far, I have done some of my most enjoyable sailing and met a whole host of interesting and inspiring people. I look forward to many more years with the DCA.