The CA

[mocruising]

This post was prompted by "Blue Ensigns" I have been a boat owner for many years but recently started cruising further a field. We purchased a larger boat and have been working our way to the Med (Presently in Portugal) with a view to moving onboard permanently in a couple of years when the education bills stop rolling in. I work for six months of the year and cruise the other six at the moment, but look forward to sailing further a field when we move on board. I was thinking of joining the CA can anyone advise me of the benefits, apart from being able to hang a bit of blue bunting that is.

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[pandroid]

IMHO the CAs principal asset is the Library at CA House (in London). If you are planning a cruise, they have all the books, charts and logs you would ever want in order to find out where to go, and what to look for. The only risk with the library is that as all of the books are donated, many of the pilot books are ageing, and modern equivalents are considerably better.

They do publish a range of almanacs and 'cruising' guides (and a lay up guide) but you can get these without being a member. They also have good Med and Baltic sections online, where you can get up to date marina and navigation info and swap with others.

The other asset is a local rep in most countries. We've never used them, but people who have swear by them.

There is the usual range of stuff you expect (a better than average Mag, local sections rallies etc)

It depends what you want from a club. We're members, and have found the guides useful and the library invaluable, but if you dont need the social side, do you want to pay £100 a year? Mind you, compared to the waste of space which is the RYA....

Oh, and we dont fly the Blue Duster....

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[Anonymous]

Since you are cruising outside the UK I think you'll only need to pay the Overseas rate which is less than the full sub.

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[MedMan]

I have been a CA member for coming on for 20 years and I value it very highly. Like most things in life, you tend to get out of it as much as you put in.

As others have mentioned, there is a very strong Med Section with its own website and email network. One of the sections' most useful publications is a full set of Updates for all Med Pilots which are published electronically.

Just to correct one comment made elswhere: there is a copy of every new edition of pretty well every pilot ever published in the CA Library, sometimes before they hit the bookshelves. Imrays, Adlard Coles and many others send review copies automatically.

P.S. I don't fly the blue ensign - it tends to cause confusion out here in the Med.

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