The Ocean Cruising Club
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Welcome to the OCC
Breaking news: As a Club, we have received some amazing discounts to pass on to our members. Catch up with these at by logging on and looking at what is on offer About the OCC.
At the November Committee meeting, the Strategy Team presented their extremely well thought out A Vision for the Future: this attempts to define who we are and what we stand for. Well done to the Team!
Founded in 1954 by the late Humphrey Barton, the Ocean Cruising Club exists to promote long-distance cruising, in all its forms.
The people in the Ocean Cruising Club represent the distilled essence of the cruising community, a potent combination of accomplishment, experience, idealism, eccentricity, generosity and humility. The sole qualification for full membership, the only ticket to entry, entails stepping aboard your boat, casting off the docklines and making a continuous ocean passage of at least 1000 nautical miles, measured along the rhumb line, in a vessel under 70 feet.
It is open to anyone aboard, either as skipper or certified as competent by the skipper.
There are two additional classes of membership; associate for those aspiring to cross oceans, and senior for those who have set their anchors ashore at a venerable age. Membership is about achievement, and the OCC welcomes those who qualify without restrictions; to this end, it has always enjoyed a high proportion of female sailors amongst its ranks.
Med Radio Net up and running
Susie Baggaley May 2013
The OCC Med net is now up and running. We transmit on 8104 on Wednesdays and Fridays at 06.00Z.
Right now the net controllers are Susie and David Baggaley on Kookaburra cruising in the north Aegean, but once David and Julia Blackburn (Daq Attack), are on the water in mid May, they will be net controllers in the Western Med for members and other ocean cruisers from Spain to Italy.
We look forward to making contact with you all through the summer months. Fair winds, Bionic Bags and her skipper!
Upcoming Rallies and Events
AZORES CRUISE JULY 2013
Initially conceived by the Commodore as a mid-Atlantic dinner meet at Café Sport for OCC members passing through the Azores this summer, this event has been expanded into an Azores mini-cruise visiting the islands of Faial, Pico (by ferry), São Jorge, Terceira and São Miguel, commencING 1 July in Horta and ending on 17 July in Ponta Delgada.
WEST COAST of SCOTLAND CRUISE JULY 2013
All OCC boats are welcome to join Simon & Sally Currin for a gentle cruise in company around of the Isle of Jura during the summer of 2013. For those that don't know the area this is a
Where are our Port Officers?
Have you ever wondered where all our Port Officers are based?
Here's a quick easy look at a Port Officers' map to show you - just click on this link and it will show you the current status. No details, as for that you need to login to the website and select the Port Officers pages from the Menu of the left hand side of this page.
The OCC Port Officers are an incredible resource for you to use: don't pass their port without the common courtesy of giving them a call, even if it's just to drop in for a cuppa or invite them over for cocktails in the cockpit! And if you've enjoyed the time spent with them, or received exceptional help and assistance, let us know. It's always good to recognise their dedicated service.
Biggest flood since 1839, Clarence River, NSW
David Plumley, Port Officer Noumea
Ex-tropical cyclone OSWALD came down the coastal regions of both Queensland and New South Wales, flooding Bundaberg (where we cleared into Australia) with over 9m and washing away a marina in the town, boats and all... Hospital patients were evacuated and residents had to be airlifted to safety by RAAF Blackhawk helicopters using night vision equipment...See also Tenaya's video clip of Coffs Harbour waves...
Here in NSW, we were revisiting the Clarence River – and a couple of days before Australia Day 2013, we anchored behind Munroe Island. This island lies of the left bank across from the
Meet our Members
The next biography features Tony & Coryn Gooch, adventurers who like the idea of going to places where people aren't, where flora and fauna are relatively untouched, and where a sailor's preparedness and resourcefulness may be tested daily.
Founder Members, Allen; Loomis; Nicolson; Mudie - Hum's Boys
Derrick Allen (joined as Associate 1954)
Initially I fitted out a 52’ ketch (Fedoa) to sail to Antigua in order to start a charter business. In Lymington, before I left, Humphrey Barton made contact and made me the Club’s first Associate Member and a full member only when I had completed the crossing! Mrs Jessie Barton was a great help with victualling my vessel: Crosse & Blackwell were having
Read more: Founder Members, Allen; Loomis; Nicolson; Mudie - Hum's Boys
OCC Communications
Join our vibrant, enthusiastic, helpful and entertaining OCC facebook page! Did you know we also have an OCC Kids fb Page, for anyone under the age of 14 aboard out there who'd like to stay in touch with their own age group.
What do the various OCC publications contain? To whom should you send your articles, news or small ads, and when are the deadlines? What, Who, Where & When; Contributor's Guidelines to Flying Fish. Save yourself (and us!) time and trouble by getting it right first time -- we look forward to hearing from you! And if you want to download to your Kindle, go direct to Flying Fish in the Publications menu
OCC Mentoring
John Whyte
Full membership of the OCC is obtained after a 1000+ mile ocean voyage but the OCC Mentoring programme is open to any Associate Member. In order to fulfil the original raison d’etre of the Club “to foster and encourage ocean cruising in small craft, including all aspects of seamanship and navigation”, a one on one mentoring programme has been put in place to assist those about to embark upon their first ocean passage and long distance cruising.
We have many vastly experienced members, members who have done the ARC, the Carib 1500 and other rallies, who have circumnavigated by means of the Capes and the “Coconut Milk Run”, sailed the oceans singlehanded or as a
The Person behind the Name
Being a Club without a fixed abode, it's difficult for us to meet all our members. But being a virtual Club has other advantages - we can meet virtually! There are some 1880 odd members - some very odd, as they say, but all extremely interesting!
Here are Frances Rennie and Daria Blackwell - watch this space for more, and if you'd like to contribute a short story of yourself, please do!
Blue Planet Odyssey - Jimmy Cornell
Jan 1, 2013
BLUE PLANET ODYSSEY - Jimmy Cornell
The Blue Planet Odyssey, a round the world sailing event aiming to raise awareness of the global effects of climate change, is spearheaded by Jimmy Cornell, founder of the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers). A recent webinar can be viewed at: http://thecruisinglife.adobeconnect.com/p52y6qswwjm/