Dinghy Cruising Companion 2nd edition

[Graham W]

A second edition of this marvellous book by DCA President Roger Barnes is due out at the end of this month.  According to publisher Bloomsbury, it has been updated and expanded - it would be interesting to know what the main differences are.  If you like dingy cruising and don't already own the first edition, it's worth buying the updated one when it comes out.

[Graham W]

Barnes has just posted another of his dinghy cruising videos, featuring a drizzly and lonely sail across the Rade de Brest and then up an estuary to Daoulas.  It also features one of the least tasty-looking suppers that I have ever seen but which he enjoyed.  See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcEu1IwbrV0

[Graham W]

Out of curiosity, I've compared my first (2014) edition of Roger Barnes's 'Dinghy Cruising Companion' with the second edition, revised in 2021 and published in 2022.  I borrowed the latter from the excellent DCA members' library, which operates by post, free of charge.

The newer edition's format is slightly larger, making it easier to read but by far the greatest part of the content is entirely unchanged.  There are a few small updates to cover 4-stroke outboards (but no mention of ethanol in petrol) and electric motors; navigation by electronic tablet or smartphone; the section on dinghy tents has been expanded; there are excellent additional illustrations of the domestic layout of Barnes's 'Avel Dro'; and the appendices (boat data and recommended equipment) have been overhauled. 

He appears to have taken a shine to the Deben Lugger, which is featured for the first time but he hasn't updated his one-pager on the BR20 or its close relatives.  And he's added some extra sailing yarns about successes and failures on cruises in the West Country, which have also featured in his YouTube series.

My overall conclusion is that it isn't worth buying the second edition if you already have the first as the changes are too few to warrant shelling out around £15.  However, if you don't already have it and are interested in spending the odd night aboard, it's worth getting.

[Chris Forrest]

Thanks Graham, and BTW I see you published this on March 9th. What's it like in the future? Are things getting better?