One of the great advantages of owning a well-known traditional cruising dinghy – like a Tideway dinghy – is belonging to an owners’ association.

These associations provide a network for advice to owners and arrange events around the country with good launching facilities and helping hands to launch and recover heavy cruising dinghies.

They also arrange dinners, socials and events where you can make new friends, help and get involved with arrangements and meetings. One such association is the Tideway Owners’ Association that I have belonged to for some years now and in June 2024 I went to one of their get-togethers at the wonderful village of Bosham, a little gem lying in Chichester Harbour.

The meet was arranged in conjunction with the Bosham Sailing Club which also has a fleet of Tideways and helped to organise a race for those interested – not my bag but many enjoyed it.

The sailing club provided dinner that would match the best of hotels in delightful surroundings with great company.

As you would expect, our sailors come from all walks of life so the conversation is always interesting.

All ages appreciate classic dinghies and as well as the young, fit sailors many older folk also camped in a nearby field.

Tideway dinghy: Clive’s little white 10 at East Head, Chichester

My wife and I joined them for barbecues in the evening but cheated a little by staying at the Millstream Hotel in Bosham, one of my favourites.

Enough about the association, what about the boats? Well, they are everything that a classic dinghy should be.

The Tideway dinghy comes in three sizes; 10ft, 12ft and 14ft, which cater for a range of family and crew sizes.

I have owned both a 10 and a 12 and we’ll start with my current boat: The Tideway 10.

The attractive GRP hull is constructed as a clinker-built boat and the inside of the hull is finished with flow coat – a special gel coat to give great appearance and durability.

She has a bow buoyancy tank constructed as an integral part of the hull as is the glassfibre centreboard case giving maximum security and strength.

With the stern locker fitted out as a lockable stowage space, two buoyancy bags are fitted under the side benches.

The wood finish is in solid mahogany and the floorboards are in Douglas fir.

The hull has wooden runners on the keel and bilge stringers to protect the hull on beaching. Fittings and oar crutches are bronze.

The standing gunter rig allows all the spars to fit inside the boat when the mast is lowered.

The shorter mast is lighter than a tall Bermudan mast which makes raising and lowering easier. The mast boom and yard are in Douglas fir.

My older daggerboard Tideway is a tad lighter but the Tideway dinghy is built for strength and stability more than speed.

Most people use a combination trailer/trolley, but I just use a lightweight road trailer and avoid getting the road bearings immersed.

If they do get wet, it’s easy to change the bearings if you have the tapered variety. I like to keep everything lightweight and simple.

I’ve never bothered with an outboard motor on the little boat which is easy to row and a delight to sail.

The Tideway 10 also comes in a single lugsail version with a simple unstayed mast, the lugsail laced onto the gaff and loose-footed on the boom.

There is no standing rigging and just a single halyard, a downhaul, a mainsheet and topping lift.

It only takes a few minutes to rig, similar to my Emsworth Lugger.

Clive sailing his Tideway 12 at Rye. Credit: Maurice Burgess

Most Tideways are 12ft. My first Tideway was a 12 and I can’t speak too highly of her. So why did I change to a 10?

Because I wanted a light boat that I could easily launch unaided. I have heavier boats for taking passengers.

As you can see from the specification, the 12 is a lot heavier than the 10 and this makes all the difference when hauling up a slipway with my now modest weight. Horses for courses and all that.

At Chichester Harbour there are plenty of easy launch places, one site even has the luxury of an electric winch so a 12 or a 14 should not be a problem for most.

The 12, known by the association as simply The Tideway is flagship of the fleet.

She is the original 12ft Tideway with a history dating from the original Walker 12 of the 1950s.

A perfectly proportioned boat she comes in two versions, the open boat model and the deluxe model with a foredeck and other extras.

She has a galvanised steel centreplate which is raised by a tackle and secured with a jamming cleat. The steel plate aids stability.

The 12 is noticeably more stable than the 10 as you’d expect. Most other things on the 12 are similar to the 10 but just scaled up.

I sailed my 12 mainly out of Rye and she currently sails with her new owner on the East Coast rivers and estuaries.

Definitely one of the best boats I have owned.

The Tideway 14 is the big sister Tideway. She looks very similar from a distance but close up you’ll notice the considerable extra volume that she provides.

The picture of Gem (below) shows her on a more substantial trailer rather than the combination trailer/trolley used by most 12s.

The biggest Tideway dinghy: Gem, a Tideway 14

This heavy trailer will further increase the weight and launching with the car may be necessary.

However, Gem had a crew of three young men who could manhandle her down the slipway.

Not a practical proposition for me alone but, of course, fine if you have an able-bodied crew.

She is getting close to the weight of my Drascombe Dabber, another fine boat but one that I keep close to her launch site and tractor.

If I were heavier and had a regular strong crew, I’d like a 14 as a trailer sailer.

There are two versions of the 14, the open boat extra model with an aft locker but no foredeck and the deluxe model with a foredeck and additional locker.

Tideways are simply great boats that always attract admiring glances, and I hope to always have one.

Tideway 10 gunter

Length: 10ft 2in (3.1m)
Beam: 4ft 10in (1.48m)
Sail Area: 58ft2 (5.39m2) main and jib
Draught: 5in (13cm) plate up, 2ft 3in (69cm) plate down
Weight: 198lb (90kg)

Tideway 12
Length: 12ft 0in (3.66m)
Beam: 5ft 0in (1.52m)
Sail area: 81ft2 (7.5m2) main and jib
Draught: 6in (15cm) plate up, 3ft 0in (92cm)plate down
Weight: 275lb (125kg)

Tideway 14
Length: 14ft 0in (4.27m)
Beam: 5ft 10in (1.77m)
Sail Area: 106ft2 (9.85m2)main and jib
Draught: 8in (20cm) plate up, 3ft 6in (1.07m) plate down
Weight: 475lb (215kg)

Tideway 12: seaworthy and stable

Prolific boat owner Clive Marsh extols the virtues of the Tideway 12, which can be launched by hand from a

Tideway 10: Gunter or Lugger?

The trailerable Tideway 10 has the benefits of her sister vessel, the Tideway 12, but is lighter and easier to…

Why you should consider the weight of boat tools

Minimise the need for weighty tools on board by swapping metal parts with wood and rope, and muffling those you…

Why I have 5 boats in the garden

A variety of trailer-sailer options ensure maximum time on the water, says Clive Marsh

Want to read more boat articles?

A subscription to Practical Boat Owner magazine costs around 40% less than the cover price.

Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest deals.

PBO is packed with information to help you get the most from boat ownership – whether sail or power.

• • • • Take your DIY skills to the next level with trusted advice on boat maintenance and repairs
      • Impartial in-depth gear reviews
      • Practical cruising tips for making the most of your time afloat

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter