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ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising – What You’ll Learn

You have taken ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing, and you are confident to skipper a sloop-rigged keelboat of approximately 20 to 27 feet in length by day in light to moderate winds (up to 15 knots) and sea conditions. Now what? ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising, is your next step in advancing your sailing education. Soon you will be on

Featured Instructor: Captain Margaret Pommert

Captain Margaret Pommert of Seattle has been named the recipient of the 2020 BoatUS/National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award. The award annually recognizes an individual with a record of achievement in inspiring, educating, and enriching the lives of women through sailing. Margaret is an ASA instructor, Instructor Evaluator, and holds a 100-ton USCG Captain’s License. “Margaret

ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising – What You’ll Learn

We dropped the anchor in about 15 feet of crystal clear water. From the dolphin striker, I could see the anchor chain all the way to the hook in the white sand. Fish darted below the boat as if they were accustomed to getting fed by the new arrivals. The four of us, my family, stood on the trampoline of

Sail Baja California with Go Baja Sailing

It is possible that your vision of Baja California has an imprint of salt shakers, limes, and tequila shots. After all, the tourism board of the region has done a great job of crafting a message of fun in the sun down in Cabo San Lucas and the beer companies have tempted us with portraits of white sand beaches and

What is a PFD (lifejacket)

In the official language of the USCG, a wearable device that will keep you afloat should you fall in the water is a “personal flotation device” or “PFD.” Lifejacket and PFD are interchangeable terms. PFDs are officially classed as Types I, II, III, IV, and V, according to their design, construction, and intended use. The specific type required aboard depends

Discover an American Sailing School Near You!

American sailing schools are literally around every corner so find one and get out there and work on your sailing skills. Discover an ASA Sailing School Near You! Go as far south as possible at Southern Most Sailing School in Key West Have you ever considered Sailing in Portland? Take a look at Island Sailing School View this post on

Handling Emergencies: Man Overboard

Every man or woman overboard situation should be treated as a very serious matter, even in seemingly balmy conditions. In cold waters or cold weather, in restricted visibility or at nighttime, or in rough seas, the chances for a positive outcome diminish. Any delay in recovering the person in the water stacks the odds against his chances of survival. the

Do I Really Need Sailing Lessons?

Learning to sail with ASA opens the doors to the world of sailing and the vast experiences that come with it from bareboat charters to owning your own boat.

Five Essential Bareboat Charter Skills

Here are 5 essential skills to master before you leave the dock for your first bareboat charter sailing vacation.

The Sailing Season – Oahu, Circumnavigating The Island

ASA Outstanding Instructor Greg Martin of Sail Hawaii is very familiar with the waters around the Hawaiian Islands and he regularly sails and teaches out of Oahu. Greg has contributed to a three-part story on sailing in Hawaii. Venturing further than Waikiki, a sailing adventure from Oahu might start with a short cruise to Keehi Lagoon. Downwind from Ala Wai,

Sailing the US Virgin Islands

By Bob Curley Writer, Editor and Sailor, Bob Curley, is a Rhode Island Expert who contributes to American Sailing on sailing New England and the Caribbean. The British Virgin Islands may get more attention from boaters, but the U.S. Virgin Islands are an excellent sailing destination themselves — even if you never cross over to the BVI side. The proximity

What is a keelboat?

There is a pretty good chance that the sailboat you have in your mind is a keelboat. Your imagination most likely recalls a schooner, and that most likely is a keelboat. So, What is a Keelboat? A keelboat has a keel, a fixed appendage on the bottom of the hull that provides the sideways resistance needed to counter the force

Replacement Logbooks Are Now Easily Available

It has always been possible to obtain a replacement ASA Logbook, but it is now much easier. Have you lost your Logbook? Or is it old, tattered, and stained with sea spray? Maybe it’s still in good shape but have you used up all the Sailing Log pages in the back, filled in with all of your day sails, coastal

Stuff Your Stocking With A Sailing Vacation

I am wearing a sweater indoors, and I have wool socks on. I live in California and I cannot imagine what anyone in the northeast does during the winter. I can still sail if I choose to, and even with my options open, I need a sailing vacation! So, this year I will treat my family to a stocking full

Where Are We Going: Understanding Points of Sail

The direction of the wind dictates the direction a sailboat can sail. Understanding the points of sail is vital to understanding how sailors orient themselves relative to the wind. The Points of Sail describe the range of courses a sailboat can and cannot travel.

Go Sailing in Hawaii

The first time you move across the channel between Maui and Molokai you are introduced to the tradewinds that blow over the West Maui Mountains. The sailboat heels over and you move across the channel with purpose. It’s a wet ride. Most visitors to Hawaii experience a taste of sailing on these waters via a sunset cruise with plenty of

5 Tips For Planning A Sail From Let’s Go Sailing

The small boat sailing book “Let’s Go Sailing” is available from the American Sailing Association. SAILING Magazine says “The book is a sailing primer in all ways, covering all of the basics needed to get sailors of almost any age on the water. Every concept is illustrated in crystal clear detail through extraordinary computer-generated graphics that bring life to the

Towing A Dinghy?

I am going to get it out of the way immediately. I once fouled a prop with a towline. It took about an hour in Gustavia harbor to get the mess of braided nylon out from under one of two props on a 48-foot catamaran. It was a rooking mistake. However, it is a common issue that could have been