Essex
Welcome to the Essex Section
The Essex Section provides an opportunity for CA members to meet each other and share our love of cruising. We have several hundred members and hold a fascinating winter programme of talks and enjoy monthly mid-week waterside lunches. Guests and potential members are welcome to all our events. Many of our members spend the summer cruising in other sailing grounds and we encourage them to come and share their experiences. We would love to encourage more families and younger people into sailing.
Where We Meet
The Blackwater Sailing Club provides a tranquil and pleasant backdrop for our varied and informative winter social & talks. Members and guests come along to share a tasty homemade supper, catch up on cruising news and hear talks from knowledgeable speakers on a variety of topics. The evening starts at 7pm with dinner followed by a talk and we usually finish about 10pm. There is plenty of parking and a cash bar is open. This year’s talks include several events intended to give less experienced sailors the confidence to cruise further afield.
Our meetings are held in the main function room of the Club which is on the first floor and has superb views over the river.
We also intend to hold summer events on the water. Previously we have cruised in company with our east coast neighbours the Suffolk and Kent Sections to Zeeland, travelled up the River Thames to CA House at Limehouse and sailed across the estuary to the Medway.

Forthcoming Events
Interested in Finding out More?
Please contact the Section Secretary at essex@theca.org.uk or CA staff at office@theca.org.uk or +44 (0) 207 537 2828.
Cruising Sections
Baltic
Covers the Baltic Sea, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Faroes. Holds a popular introductory seminar every spring.
Biscay
Covers Western France, Spain and Portugal as well as crossing Biscay. Holds a popular introductory seminar every spring.
Blue Water
For those sailing outside of European waters. Holds a popular Blue Water seminar in the summer.
Celtic
Covers waters from Land’s End to Cape Wrath. Meets at various west coast venues to share knowledge on all aspects of cruising the region.
Channel
For those cruising the south coast of the UK, Channel Islands, and France from the Belgian border to NW Brittany. Holds an annual seminar and summer rally/cruise-in-company.
European Inland Waterways
Covers over 30,000 km of navigable rivers and canals passing through over 20 countries. Annual seminar and lunch each autumn at CA House.
Mediterranean
Covers the Mediterranean from Spain and Morocco in the west to the Levant in the east, and includes the Black Sea. Meets at CA House in the winter, and afloat in the summer.
North Sea
Covers the UK, Belgian and Dutch coasts. Meets at East Coast venues to share knowledge on all aspects of cruising the region.
Local / UK Sections
Antipodean
For members who live in Australia and New Zealand and who sail in the Northern Hemisphere.
CA London
CA London events are held at our Limehouse HQ.
East Midlands
Talks are held in various venues in the East Midlands.
Essex
Meetings held at Blackwater Sailing Club and mid-week lunches arranged.
Kent
Kent Section's 'Winter Warmers', talks by a variety of speakers, will be held via Zoom for the forseeable future.
Solent
Summer rallies with weekend meets. Winter talks with ‘club’ suppers usually at a Hamble yacht club or marina.
South West
For members living in or cruising the areas from Portland Bill to the Isles of Scilly and along the north coast of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset to Bristol.
Suffolk
Joint meetings are arranged with the Royal Harwich Yacht Club at Woolverstone.
Thames Valley
Winter talks are held at the Upper Thames Sailing Club in Bourne End near Marlow.
Wessex
Talks are held at Lilliput Sailing Club, Poole.
West Midlands
Year round events held at Severn Motor Yacht Club, also winter meetings held at Ashwood Social Club Kingswinford.