New Members
We are a diverse collection of people of all ages with a common interest in sailing; no experience is necessary just a willingness for new experiences. Training for tasks will be guided by any experienced crew member, all eager to share knowledge and passion and a full safety briefing will be given at the commencement of each trip.
The club charters yachts from all parts of the British Isles and beyond, no limits! The most popular area for sailing is in the Solent (the Mecca of yachting) where the majority of charters occur but the programme attempts to reflect members’ geographical location and interesting sailing areas, inclusing Ipswich, Plymouth, Falmouth, Isles of Scilly, North Wales, Largs and the west coast of Scotland. Most years we organise a summer cruise — maybe in the Mediterranean for some guaranteed sunshine, Italy, Croatia, Turkey or Greece or perhaps a trip to the Friesan Islands, Holland on a traditional Dutch sailing barge. Easily sailed to from the Solent in a long weekend (weather dependant) are Alderney and Normandy with Guernsey, Jersey and North Brittany achievable on a longer seven-day trip.
The club’s aim is for fun, enjoyable and inexpensive sailing with like minded people. We are mostly cruisers — i.e. nothing too arduous, day sailing and visiting interesting ports — but we also have some keen amateur racers. There will be some night sailing and watch-keeping on a longer trip, including truly magnificent star gazing and phosphorescence in the water — something everyone should experience.
For those who have a competitive streak, the DHSC is part of an Inter Bank racing series (historical links to the financial institutions) which runs a number of weekend races throughout the season in the Solent. Generally, the format is Saturday racing, formal dinner and race results Saturday evening, socialising with the opposition followed by more racing on Sunday. Nothing too serious, or so they say, but racing is racing! The club also participates in the annual Round the Island Race (Isle of Wight) — always a fun event, especially the after-party.
The club is keen for members to improve their RYA qualifications and become a mate or skipper, so a variety of shore-based courses are arranged with group discounts, dependant on demand.
To become a member please email us (see the Contacts page for details) and ask for a membership form.
Have a look at the programme and come sailing: join now! Happy sailing and we look forward to meeting you.
Membership and Sailing Fees
The Committee met in early October 2022 and agreed upon a few changes in the fee structure for the club. These were refined a bit in the following weeks and we are now ready to publish them:
Membership
For 2023, membership fees are being significantly reduced and simplified:
- Automatic renewals: For all existing members (except honorary) where membership is automatically renewed by Direct Debit, the annual membership fee has been reduced to just £20, being a 50% reduction for most members.
- New members and re-joining members: In both these cases the membership fee is £25 with the additional £5 contributing towards the charges we experience for Direct Debit (re-)setup. This fee applies regardless of when the member (re-)joins.
We think this represets significant value and hope the changes both encourage new members to sign up and existing members to remain active.
Sailing Fees
As has been the case for many years, all sailing events continue to be run cost-neutral: the club does not profit from running events.
For 2023 we are reintroducing deposits for sailing events, being £50 for most events; some more expensive events — such as a race or Meditteranean Cruise — may require an additional deposit.
The deposit comprises a fixed £10 fee towards administration costs and £40 (or more for some events) towards the charter fee. The £10 is only refunded should an event not go ahead. The £40 (or more) is refunded if the event does not go ahead or if you cancel your booking and a replacement sailor can be found.
Skipper Benefits
As a small token of appreciation for those who skipper a club event, we will continue to fund their Skipper Third Party Liability Insurance. We use a policy from Pantaenius which covers vessels up to 17m in length with personal injury and property damage cover up to £6 million. More information can be found here.
The policy is valid for a year and can be used by the individual for other events they skipper during that time, including non-club events.
Skippers: Prior to skippering a club event, please make sure your existing policy is valid, or contact me for further information on purchasing a policy.
My First Sailing Experience
by Caroline E.
I’ve always wanted to go sailing so I was really happy to have the opportunity to go on the Kick Start Rally. As I’ve never sailed before, I was a bit apprehensive but very excited at the same time.
I even tried to prepare myself by watching YouTube videos — “a beginner’s guide to sailing” — just to know my starboard side from port and so on. And of course I bought Stugeron!
When we pulled up to the marina and I saw the boats I felt really excited! I met the crew and we had the most delicious chicken stew Friday night. We visited the crew on the other boat as well and I was told if I wanted to take up sailing seriously I’d have to be able to drink more.
The next morning we had our safety briefing and prepared to head out. Everyone was happy to show and explain everything to me. The crew were fantastic and I felt really safe. The good weather was also on our side the whole day. I was even entrusted with steering the boat!
I was so lucky to be able to just sit back and enjoy sailing, watch the other boats and breathe in all the fresh air. Plus, as an added bonus we had custard creams and lots of tea.
I’d definitely love to sail again and want to thank all the crew for their warmth and kindness. It made for a brilliant weekend.
Happy Sailing everyone!
Caroline
FAQ
Any Questions?
If you have a question that isn’t answered on this page, please get in touch.
Do I need any experience?
No previous experience or knowledge is required, just a willingness to participate and learn new skills.
What boats do you charter?
Typically something around 36–42 ft — like a Beneteau Oceanis 37, Grand Soleil 43 or a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 41.
Do I need any special equipment?
No, all safety equipment will be provided together with a full safety instruction briefing. Wet weather gear is available to hire from the yacht charterer at a nominal cost.