The Ocean Cruising Club
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Welcome to the OCC: the Home Port for Ocean-Going Cruisers
To be a part of the OCC is to be a part of a group of people who have said ‘yes’ to adventure and who will welcome you if you choose to do the same.
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 not more than 70 feet overall length. This is open to anyone aboard, either as skipper or certified as competent by the skipper. There is one additional class of membership; an Associate, for those aspiring to cross oceans. Membership is about achievement, and the OCC welcomes those who qualify, without restrictions.
And to this end, congratulations to all the winners of the 2014 OCC Awards!
To review the benefits of membership, please view this pdf.
MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN TO VIEW MEMBERS' ONLY SECTIONS!
OCC Caribbean SSB Net
New The Ocean Cruising Club Caribbean Long Range (SSB) Radio Net
At 0730 (1130 GMT) on 6227khz USB every weekday from December until May/June many OCC members cruising in the Caribbean tune their radios to the OCC Caribbean Net.
The OCC Supports YJA Stand on Rio Pollution
The OCC supports the Yachting Journalists' Association call for action regarding pollution at the 2016 Olympic sailing venue on Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janiero. The full text of the Press Release on this issue follows and additional information is presented on the YJA website. They have called on the Olympic Committee to move the venue to unpolluted waters in Búzios just 75 miles away. Watch a BBC report on the extent of pollution here.
PRESS RELEASE ...
News Briefs
New The Caribbean Island of Dominica needs our help
On August 27, 2015, the Commonwealth of Dominica, a small island of only 289 square miles, was hit by Tropical Storm Erika, resulting in widespread catastrophic damage and death. Many of us have visited Dominica and have fond memories of this tropical island paradise and its warm and welcoming people. Please click here to learn more about what you can do to help. Our condolences to all who have lost loved ones in this devastating storm.
Sailors are reporting sightings of rare birds
Discounts document updated with information on new marina development in Instanbul
Updates on Vanuatu
OCC's Best Practices in Blue Water Cruising
Join in on the discussions on the OCC Forum and help the OCC generate valuable references for cruising sailors.
New threads open on Communications at Sea and MOB Retrieval. Share your expertise and experience.
Now live...
- Best Practices in Watchkeeping - the first paper in the developing series (May 2015)
- Heavy Weather Sailing by Tony Gooch is the second paper added to the collection. (Aug 2015)
Calling all Junkies! A discussion of Best Practices in Junk Rig Sailing has been started here by David Tyler!
New article Strategy for a Flooding Vessel has been posted by Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy...thoughts welcome!
New thread open on Seasickness Management. Please add your thoughts.
Please weigh in on a new thread for Man Overboard Recovery on the Forum.
Reminder: Please FLY YOUR BURGEE!
New Burgees and many more regalia items are available from the Regalia store right here on the website.
The OCC Mentoring Programme - update!
We are seeking mentors for the OCC’s Mentoring Programme to help Associates prepare for their first 1000 miles ocean passage, enabling them to become full members. If you have recent experience of cruising (anywhere in the world) with either monohulls or multihulls, of transocean rallies, electronic navigation or sailing with children, please email Priscilla Travis (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) describing your areas of expertise and giving your boat details, plus the URL of your website, if you have one.
"When contemplating our forthcoming circumnavigation we were very kindly introduced to the OCC by a senior member to the club and its marvelous mentoring scheme. It has been a huge benefit. We were very fortunate in having previous circumnavigators appointed as our mentors. They were brilliant and fielded our unremitting questions for a whole day. Their immense knowledge has proved to be invaluable."
– Jonathan Lloyd
[Mr Lloyd gave permission for his words to be used in OCC publicity]
The OCC Youth Sponsorship Programme
Are you planning a passage? Can you offer a young person a berth?
The aim of the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) Youth Sponsorship Programme is to foster the development of ocean cruising by enabling young people to gain experience as a crew member on a long distance sailing passage. The programme enables the introduction of individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 to experienced ocean sailors, and the sponsorship award contributes towards the costs of the voyage.
Learn how to apply for the programme here.
Great Fun Had by All at the Awards Dinner...
Dodo's Delight video is now posted on the website.
Watch the hilarious video accessed from the OCC videos page.
Members and guests numbering 117 filled the HQS Wellington almost to capacity. MC Paul Heiney was highly entertaining throughout the evening, but it was the Reverend Bob Shepton's Wild Bunch video that brought the house down. View Photos from the 2014 Annual Awards Dinner.
The OCC wishes to thank Topsail Insurance for their continued sponsorship of the AGM and Annual Awards Dinner.
Honorary Members Elected at the 2015 AGM
Two legendary sailors, JON SANDERS and LES POWLES, were elected Honorary Members of the Ocean Cruising Club in London on the 28th March 2015. Jon, a 9-times circumnavigator, was honoured at a gathering in Australia. Les Powles, author of two books and now aged 90, has been a member of OCC since 1997. Read more about their extraordinary stories here.
Meet our Members
This 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.
The OCC 60th Anniversary Events Diary
More than 1000 members and friends attended OCC events in 2014!
OCC members celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the OCC with the types of events only OCC members can share - get togethers wherever in the world they happen to be at any given point in time. Some managed to work their way through multiple events as they cruised with the seasonal flow of currents, others came by land to join up with those who came by sea. Some crossed oceans to get there, while others crossed the road. No matter how far, OCC members share a common bond that creates instant friendships in any harbour of the world. Here, we are collecting photos and short stories from all corners of the globe in which our adventurous members caught up with each other.
Did you host an event? Send us your photos and story to post here. Come back often to see whose story is up next.