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Featured Instructor: Captain Jennifer Wirth

Captain Jennifer Wirth of Blue Water Sailing Florida Captain Jennifer Wirth’s bio reads like an extensive sailing log but one thing that catches our eye is this: “She spent the next six years sailing the Caribbean, living on self-caught seafood and fresh island fruit, enjoying the self-reliance and empowerment of “cruising simple.” It is in that description of who she

Women and Boat Ownership

How the Boating Industry Can Grow The Boating Industry is missing out on a massive piece of the economic pie as we speak. Is it Sexism? There has been a gender bias in boating that implies women are mostly there to do galley work or look pretty on the bow. They fail to see that more women are interested in

7 Tips for Night Sailing

Night sailing is a bit of a different animal so we’ve cobbled together seven tips to keep in mind as you sail off into the wild black yonder.

Product Review: Gill Marine Coastal Jacket

Featured Instructor: Captain Laurel Seaborn

Captain Laurel Seaborn of American Sailing Academy Captain Laurel Seaborn has a sailing resume that spans from growing up on a Herreshoff-design ketch to being co-founder and instructor for the Seafaring Education and Maritime Archeological Heritage Program. She holds a 100 ton USCG license, and she has seemingly done every job on boats from top to bottom. Captain Seaborn owned

Spring Safety

As the days get longer and the weather gets nicer, droves of new boaters are flocking to local chandleries to obtain the “required safety essentials” for boating. Many boat stores have handy visual charts showing the minimum legally required safety equipment based on your vessel’s length. However, the Coast Guard’s legal minimum is just that–a minimum–and should be regarded as

Sailing Gear by and for Women

Introducing Sømand, technical sailing apparel designed for women A new sailing apparel brand has arrived that aims to put women at the forefront in an industry that has historically catered to men. Sømand was founded by Bay Area sailors Noelle Brewin and Laura Levy, who set out to challenge the perception of what a sailor should look like and create

Featured Instructor: Captain DJ McCabe

Captain DJ McCabe of U-Sail Sailing School Captain DJ McCabe is not just a sailing instructor she is a sailing school owner. Captain DJ is the owner and operator of U-Sail of Central Florida and is the quintessential sailor. She lives to be out on the water. She has handled every aspect of the sailing experience from racing to maintenance

Diversity in Sailing

The American Sailing Association is helping college sailing organization TIDE: The Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity task force, deliver a message on their campaign to increase diversity in sailing.

Featured Instructor: Captain Sara Burke

Captain Sara Burke of Manhattan Sailing School Captain Sara Burke is a role model. As a sailing instructor at Manhattan Sailing School, she is a champion of the sailing lifestyle and a model of what sailing is becoming. Her sailing story is about perseverance and adaptability but boils down to her love for the ocean. Read her story below and

Bite Sized Lessons : Hypothermia

In this lesson we take a look at some of the do's and don'ts when it comes to hypothermia and how to prevent a life-threatening situation.

Modern Sailing Success Stories

Modern Sailing School in Sausalito has been in operation since 1983 and has certified hundreds of sailors. Their instructors regularly are showered with praise from new sailors who have learned to sail on San Francisco Bay. Do you need the inspiration to learn to sail or to advance your sailing education? Shuffle through some of these endorsements of the sailing

Captain’s Tip: Have You Checked Your Rigging?

Captain Dan Ryder of Sail Channel Islands shares a story with ASA about the importance of keeping your boat rigging in good shape. Captain Dan Ryder is one of our featured Instructors, you can read all about him here. https://asa.com/news/2019/03/25/dan-ryder-sail-channel-islands/ We had a bit of drama the other day when we picked up a distress call while we were

Sailing and The Responsibility of the Sailor to the Environment

As ASA does its job of being an advocate for the world’s oceans, we asked Marine Conservationist Lauren Coiro about how sailors can make an impact on the environment that they take so much from, the Ocean. Her advice sheds light on the bigger picture of environmental sustainability as well as the simple fact that each and every one of

5 Things to Remember When the Wind Starts Coming Up

After a solid two hours of sailing in perfect conditions, more white caps begin to emerge and the sky seems irritated. You know the mood of the wind is changing and, as a sailor, know you’ll be adjusting along with it.

Central Park Sailboats

Learning To Sail in New York City My boat was on a beam reach when a gust came over the water and nearly capsized my vessel. With that small diversion, the 13-year-old I was racing overtook me and made his way toward the finish line. On this course, sailing one of the most pristine bodies of water on the eastern

Learning to Sail in the Florida Keys

Sailing In The Keys Let’s go straight for the cliches and talk about the Conch Republic and a salty life and toss in flip-flops while you are at it. In a world away from everywhere the Florida Keys stands out as an outpost for the rest of us. The Florida Keys calls to people who would rather disregard responsibility and