Hostellers Sailing Club
Links to other web sites
I have refrained from attempting to make the following list of links comprehensive - no point trying to beat the search engines!
Youth Hostels Association - The national organisation and registered charity which provides budget accommodation for outdoor activities and to which the Hostellers Sailing Club is affiliated.
Dinghy Cruising Association - A central association for dinghy cruising.
East Coast Rivers - This website is the place to look if you want up to date pilotage information for the HSC sailing area. It is produced by the same people that still produce the book format pilot guide that has the same title as the website. The book version has for decades been the bible for pilotage information for this area and is now in its 19th edition, I wonder if it is the intention that the website will eventually replace the book.
Roach Sailing Association (RSA)
The RSA was set up as an association to represent the interests of people using the River Roach for sailing, but it is now also an active sailing club with a program of races, cruises and social events, mainly for cabin boats rather than dinghies. We wave to them as we sail by and occasionally we have joined in with their activities. Their website now includes a page about boatbuilding by the Shuttlewoods at Paglesham and a useful guide to the sailing route into the Roach via Havengore bridge.
Pagelsham Village Website - The small village where our boats have been based for a number of years.
Charles Stock - Several decades of Charles Stock's East Coast cruising with the miniature gaff cutter 'Shoal Waters'
Tony Smith's website - Tony Smith writes about the wonders of the Essex coastline and has recently published a book about the Blackwater estuary. Charles Stock (see above) has had to end his sailing for health reasons and has passed on his boat 'Shoal Waters' to Tony Smith who continues to sail it in Charles Stock's favourite sailing area.
Paul Constantine's book - Paul has sailed a variety of craft and has designed and built at least one large cruising multihull, but he now seems to have realised that dinghies are the best! He has written a delightfull little book covering many of the same subjects as the HSC website, although with more detail in some areas. The book is available as an 'ebook' or as hardcopy from this link.
Wayfarer Class Association website. - The Wayfarer dinghy association, with technical details about the boats and lots of events, both racing and cruising.
Roach Area Fairways Conservation Committee - The name is self-explanatory.
Peter Marsh - Writer, Sailor, Mountaineer - And he first learnt to sail with the HSC
Bradwell Chapel - Very old (approx 650 AD) chapel in a quiet lonely place - you can sail there from Paglesham
Foulness Island Heritage Centre- This link to the Foulness Island Heritage Centre was functional when I tested it on 24 Nov 2011, but I am not completely certain that the centre is still open to the public, you would be advised to make enquires before making a journey. I have visited Foulness Island a number of times and I think it has a certain fascination. If anyone can advise me on the current public access to Foulness Island, either from the landing steps on the R. Roach, or via the MOD gatehouse, that would be appreciated. There used to be a much more detailed web page about the fascinating history of the island but unfortunately that seems to have disappeared from the internet, at the time of writing anyway.
Burnham to Wallasea Ferry - This foot ferry crosses the Crouch to/from Burnham and Wallasea.
Youth Hostel Local Groups - A newly started web site about YHA Local Groups of which the Hostellers Sailing Club is one.
Web ring of YHA Local Groups- A number of YHA local groups have websites - surf them with this ring.