RYA or Cruising Association or Neither

Farmer Piles

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As it says on the can. How many bother joining either and the benefits thereof, and any advantages of one over the other. Not least the CA is around £140 annually for a member and the RYA is £74 for up to a family of four - £37 for an individual.
 

PlanB

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Depends what use you want to make of their offerings.
I went the RYA route for the reduced fee for qualifications and a discount on my boat insurance.
Others will get more value from the cruising information offered by CA (and possibly the club house in Docklands).
 

tross

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I was a long term RYA member until a large RIB with flashing blue lights tried to tell me where and where I couldn't sail in the Solent. If they had taken the time to work out my course and speed, they would have realised I would pass well behind the tanker in exclusion zone and not in front! Who gave them that authority?

If you are into racing and want to support UK Sailing - join the RYA.
If you lean more towards cruising, and want to join a self-help community that provides local volunteer help in most destinations around the world. Seek advice and help from over 6,000 members with vast experience in many subjects for the cruising person. The CA is run for the members, by the members.

I normally offset the cost of my membership with the discounts they have negotiated with Marina and suppliers in the UK and around the world. One year I offset my whole membership with the discount I got on replacing some of my running rigging. The is also a number of dedicated members the run a committee (RATS) that works with governments here and in other countries on a wide range of issues for sailors.

I volunteered last year on the stand at SBS and the number of new members we picked up was amazing when we showed them the benefits of joining. Talking to many of the existing members they have a great infinity for the association. The funniest moment was when a visiting member took over from my pitch and convinced a prospect to join.

But in the end, look at both and see which one fits your sailing activity.
 

dunedin

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I was a long term RYA member until a large RIB with flashing blue lights tried to tell me where and where I couldn't sail in the Solent. If they had taken the time to work out my course and speed, they would have realised I would pass well behind the tanker in exclusion zone and not in front! Who gave them that authority?
What the heck has your brush with the moving restricted area for commercial vessels got to do with the RYA?
This must take the biscuit for bizarre things to complain about.

And you might find it was the relevant Solent harbour legislation that “gave them the authority” to direct your navigation around the commercial vessel.
 

dunedin

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As it says on the can. How many bother joining either and the benefits thereof, and any advantages of one over the other. Not least the CA is around £140 annually for a member and the RYA is £74 for up to a family of four - £37 for an individual.
To be honest I suspect you get most of the RYA benefits through the skipper being an individual member, which might save a few bob.
 

Plum

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I was a long term RYA member until a large RIB with flashing blue lights tried to tell me where and where I couldn't sail in the Solent. If they had taken the time to work out my course and speed, they would have realised I would pass well behind the tanker in exclusion zone and not in front! Who gave them that authority?
That is a very unfair and unjustified slur on the RYA who were not responsible and hope you remove that paragraph.
 

Greg2

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RYA for me only because of qualifications, which I am not sure is a good reason now that I have them. Aside from that the only tangible benefit has been putting our feet up with a brew in their lounge at boatshows and their general advocacy for boating.

Met someone who used to work for the CA this year and am thinking of joining for the reasons cited by tross.
 

BruceK

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I'm done with clubs and associations. The amount of self righteous, pompous diktats that are attracted to these organisations quite sours my beer. This is only superseded by qualified acolytes who are so blinkered by their indoctrination they make some of the most hopeless of seamen. Time and again I have been tempted to join only to realise it's a safety net of imbeciles. Of course your mileage may vary and your opinions differ but the next pompous git quoting false deity is going to have his balls gently squeezed and told to move on.
 

Seastoke

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I'm done with clubs and associations. The amount of self righteous, pompous diktats that are attracted to these organisations quite sours my beer. This is only superseded by qualified acolytes who are so blinkered by their indoctrination they make some of the most hopeless of seamen. Time and again I have been tempted to join only to realise it's a safety net of imbeciles. Of course your mileage may vary and your opinions differ but the next pompous git quoting false deity is going to have his balls gently squeezed and told to move on.
You should stick to the speed limits.
 

Hurricane

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If you are into racing and want to support UK Sailing - join the RYA.
Really!!
I have exactly the opposite experience with the RYA.
For my sins, I used to run a long distance race for sailing catamarans in the UK.
It was one of the most respected races of the year.
I needed help.
Sponsorship was difficult and in some years non existant.
No, the RYA didn't help - and I didn't really expect it.
But what REALLY ?issed me off was that they went out of their way to make it difficult to run the race.
After getting the press into the loop, they finally agreed but the only solution was to be charged in order to use the racing rules of sailing!!
And, as I say, funding was very tight - the RYA fee was difficult to find.
This is a body of people who are supposed to encourage and support not discourage.
At the time, I was Commodore of a large UK Sailing Club so I knew my stuff.
Not helping is one thing - hindering the organisation of such a race is unforgivable.

My experience of the CA though is totally different.
It seems to me that the CA need our support - the RYA doesn't deserve it.
 

dunedin

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I will not remove this paragraph - it was a RYA boat. I explained to the RYA why I was resigning and they didn't even both to reply.
So you are saying that
1) The RYA have boats with blue flashing lights (which I doubt is even legal); and
2) The RYA have boats policing the moving prohibited zone around commercial vessels in the Solent (as opposed to the harbour master vessels).
This I find rather “surprising” (if that is the correct word) - please explain further as seems somewhat unusual to say the least.
 

Greg2

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So you are saying that
1) The RYA have boats with blue flashing lights (which I doubt is even legal); and
2) The RYA have boats policing the moving prohibited zone around commercial vessels in the Solent (as opposed to the harbour master vessels).
This I find rather “surprising” (if that is the correct word) - please explain further as seems somewhat unusual to say the least.

I wonder what is meant by ‘the RYA’ - lots of boats bear the RYA logo due to some sort of affiliation such as a training school or safety boat but as far as I am aware ‘the RYA’ as an organisation don’t operate boats in any kind of enforcement role but I stand to be corrected. That aside, damming an entire organisation on the basis of dissatisfaction with one encounter seems a little harsh but each to their own I guess ?
 

Bristolfashion

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I like the CA - good magazine & talks, friendly people. On our cruise last summer we got good advice, some sociable evenings on board, lovely hot showers & roast dinner and a loan of an essential guide from other CA members. We also visited the club house for a very reasonable beer and pizza with a view over Limehouse Basin.
 

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