Cruising Information
Cruising information is one of our most valuable services with over 6,400 members sharing worldwide cruising knowledge from real experience.
It’s online, at events and in print. Whatever cruising information you need, it’s all there; fitting out, where to cruise, laying-up, staying in touch, local regulations, ports and pilotage around the world, maintenance and much more.
See more below about our online information, CAptain’s Mate app, member forums, local and sea area sections, CA Almanac, reference library, Cruising magazine and book reviews.
CAptain's Mate
The exclusive-to-members app providing an invaluable and intuitive toolbox of knowledge, innovative features and an unrivalled breadth of cruising content in one interface, covering over 6,500 locations in more than 70 countries around the world.
Renowned by members, CAptain’s Mate is a trusted app, with content verified by a team of over forty editors who ensure location information and reports are reliable, factual, accurate and free from commercial influence.
Available on iOS and Android, once downloaded the app works with no internet connection or phone signal. For those who prefer using a keyboard and larger screen, the app is mirrored on the CA website.
Find out more
Online Cruising information
16,000 pages of information, organised by cruising area and country.
Passage planning and pilotage
Lay-up directories
Local regulations
Meteorology
Cruising reports, logs and blogs
Communications
Forums
Our online forums are a great way for members to share information. All posts and replies are made using real names, not pseudonyms, and are visible only to members.
Forums are divided into categories including general cruising topics, weather and technical matters, as well as geographically-specific areas like Biscay, Baltic and Mediterranean. Topics range from where to lay-up to the nearest laundry or best restaurant. There are, inevitably, requests for recommended yacht services – sailmakers, stainless steel fabricators, diesel engineers and more.
Ask a question and answers from fellow members with real experience will flood in. This help is most reassuring when the question is urgent - maybe a breakdown, or local administrative problems.
Sections
Sections are local membership groups. We have two types, cruising sections and local UK sections.
Cruising sections cover popular areas like the English Channel, the Mediterranean or European inland waterways. Local sections service most of the UK, both in and out of the sailing season. There’s also an Antipodean Section for members living in Australia and New Zealand who sail in Europe during northern hemisphere summers and arrange get-togethers Down Under in their summer.
Sections run events like rallies, social get-togethers, seminars and lectures throughout the year as well as inputting information to our cruising database and publications. They’re a great way to meet and make friends with people who live or sail near you, and to pick up boat loads of local knowledge.
Find out moreHonorary Local Representatives
We have hundreds of Honorary Local Representatives (HLRs) around the world. Their local knowledge and willingness to help CA members in whatever way they can makes them an invaluable resource.
They can source emergency repairs, find moorings, help with visas, explain local customs and bureaucracy, as well as helping to find provisions, arranging land transport and organising excursions. And if they can’t help, they’ll know someone who can. They also keep us up-to-date with matters arising in their areas that might concern CA members.
CA Cruising Almanac
The CA Almanac is the single best reference for cruising in NW Europe. It covers all of the coasts and islands of Great Britain and Ireland. For mainland Europe it runs from Bergen to the Baltic approaches and then North Sea, Channel and Atlantic coasts as far as Gibraltar.
Compiled by CA members with first-hand experience of each area, its main aim is to help us to make enjoyable passages and to get us safely in and out of harbours and anchorages. The expertise of Imray is evident in the full colour, detailed chartlets which accompany most entries.
Find out moreLibrary and Information Centre
CA House has a library of more than 10,000 books, charts and pilot guides for cruise planning – perhaps the most comprehensive source of cruising information in printed form in the world.
There are also dedicated PCs for access to electronic charts and the internet. Members have full access to this invaluable resource, but for those who can’t visit CA House, browse our online catalogue to use our library lending service – with free postage for UK residents. There is a myriad of technical books and anyone interested in maritime history will find the library bursting with books on the subject as well as bound copies of all the principal yachting magazines going right back to their first issues.
Discover the library and info centreLatest Edition
March 2024
Cruising Magazine
In our quarterly magazine, you’ll find more than 100 pages of cruising news and features. An inspirational and informative source of cruising information, it is published in full colour and is also available for members to view or download from our website. Although not available to the public, you can view a sample issue here or by clicking on the cover image.
Read moreBook Reviews
We have a team of experienced reviewers who will give their impartial view of books relating to any nautical subject from navigation to yacht building. After reading the review you are often able to borrow the book from the CA library or go directly to a website to buy the book at a discount. Members can also add their own reviews.