Home ⁄ Articles

Articles

Trailer sailing can open up new waters for exploration.

Encouraging Landlocked Sailors

Trailer sailing makes sailing portable and helps inland sailors access new waters with confidence, flexibility,...

Two Collisions, One Day

Two Collisions, One Day

Two collisions, one day: Capt. Craig Walker shares hard-won lessons on seamanship, safety, and knowing...

Balanced crew. Woman balancing on boat

Balanced Crew

Balanced Crew: Explore how communication, trust, and inclusion create harmony onboard—and why gender balance strengthens...

Yacht Clubs & the Diminishing Price Tag

Protecting What You Love: A Smarter Choice for Sailors explores sun protection that performs on...

Featured School: Modern Sailing School

Sailing in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Bay is both picturesque and challenging. Modern Sailing School & Club has been teaching in the waters of the Bay for nearly 40 years. Since 1983, Modern Sailing School & Club has been introducing people to sailing from their headquarters in Sausalito, California. Even if you have never

Mid-Summer Sailor’s Buying Guide

With the summer sailing season in full swing, you have probably figured out that you need new gear. If you spend any time on the water you will see equipment and apparel that you need to have to enhance your sailing experience. That is where we come in to help you find a few more pieces to round out your

American Sailing Member Benefits

Oh lordy – the birds are chirpin’, the snow’s melted and that boat is ready to gallop around for another spring and summer (at least). Here’s a list of some presents to get yourself and your lovely to make it a more pleasant sailing season.

Catamaran Sailing – What’s the Difference?

Over the last 25 years, catamarans have seen a massive rise in popularity among charterers, cruisers, and even the casual daysailor. Curious about catamaran sailing? Here’s some basic information you need to know: What is a Catamaran? A traditional sailboat is a monohull–in other words, it has only one hull centered around a heavy keel. A catamaran is balanced on

Five Sailing Superstitions to Retire and One That Should Be Kept

Sailing superstitions go back to the dawn of modern civilization - we take a look at some of them and decide whether or not there is any truth to them!

How A Boat Sails Upwind

A sailor’s life revolves around the wind. Its direction and its strength govern where he can sail, with what degree of difficulty or comfort, and how quickly. Naturally, the language of sailing reflects how sailors orient themselves and everything around them with reference to the wind. Upwind and Downwind The sailor’s world is roughly divided into two hemispheres: upwind and

Safety Equipment Required on a Boat

The USCG requires certain safety equipment on a boat and it is imperative that you make sure that your vessel is properly outfitted with this equipment. These minimum standards require U.S Coast Guard “approved” or “certified” equipment. This equipment includes: Life Jackets All recreational vessels must carry one wearable life jacket for each person on board. Any boat 16 feet

ASA 101, New Sailor Resources

Congratulations, you have earned your ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing certification! It’s time to go sailing and build upon your sailing education. Remember, ASA has you covered with plenty of new sailor resources. You are now part of a large sailing community that is eager to welcome you. While the ASA website can answer most of your questions you should

Visiting Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Cuttyhunk on the ASA Grand Tour of New England

Writer, Editor and Sailor, Bob Curley, is a Rhode Island Expert who contributes to American Sailing on sailing New England and the Caribbean. The ASA Grand Tour of New England aboard the sailing yacht Arabella is highlighted by stops at three of the historic jewels of the Massachusetts coastal waters: Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cuttyhunk Island. The first two are

Your First Sail

The American Sailing Association has put together a short, fun, online sailing course, Your First Sail, designed to familiarize you with the world of sailing. It goes over the basics like what to wear and what to expect.

Beyond Newport; Sailing and Sightseeing in Rhode Island

Writer, Editor and Sailor, Bob Curley, is a Rhode Island Expert who contributes to American Sailing on sailing New England and the Caribbean. Newport is a not just a fantastic home port for your at-sea adventure aboard the sailing yacht Arabella: it’s also perfectly positioned for exploring the rest of the Ocean State. Located on the southern tip of Aquidneck

Planning a Sailing Vacation: Differences between a Bareboat Charter, Captained Charter, and Flotilla

There comes a moment when you are sprawled out on a beautiful beach and you look out at the ocean and see a sailboat and you wish you had opted for some time on the water. That doesn’t happen to you? Ok, we’re actually talking to those of you who see the sailboat and want to go sailing. Why not

What Sailing Course Do You Need?

Once you decide that you want to learn to sail you might be trying to navigate the sailing certifications available to you. This should help clear up the sailing education process. If you have some sailing experience you can always ask your sailing school about “challenging” a course. If they offer the challenge option you can sit for the test

5 Things You Should Know About Sailing Vacations

Considering a sailing vacation is often just a far off fantasy for plenty but once you obtain the confidence through your sailing education it feels like a charter boat is that much closer to becoming a reality. Have you obtained ASA 101, ASA 103, and ASA 104? Are you confident in your ability to head out and bareboat charter?

Should You Wear A PFD?

The question that is asked most often when going on a daysail has to be: Should I wear a lifejacket? The answer is YES, you should wear a life jacket or Personal Flotation Device (PFD) while sailing. Is the answer clear? The data suggest that drowning is the leading cause of death aboard vessels. An overwhelming majority of these victims

Charter Yachts and Bermuda Racers Gather to Race and Mingle in Newport

Writer, Editor and Sailor, Bob Curley, is a Rhode Island Expert who contributes to American Sailing on sailing New England and the Caribbean. The beauty, glory and occasional danger of sailing were all on display the third week of June in Newport, R.I., as the city hosted both the Newport Charter Yacht Show and the Newport Bermuda Race. A total

Planning a Daysail

As you embark on a daysail you might need a checklist of the things that you must have to make the day more enjoyable. First, you have the knowledge that you have already garnered from ASA 101, so you would have decided where to go, how to get there and when the optimal time to sail is. Sailing is about