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Plastic pollution

What One Sailing School Is Doing for the Environment

7 Simple Ways to Be a More Earth Friendly Boater starts with small habits that...

Vermin & Bugs & Wildlife Aboard, Oh My!

From mosquito swarms and stowaway rodents to curious wildlife, learn how experienced cruisers handle nature’s...

Ten Days in the Northern Leewards

Ten Days in the Northern Leewards: A Relaxed and Realistic Island Hopping Route through St....

A smiling teen girl standing on a beach in a life jacket

It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Lifestyle

A teen survived 1+ hour alone in open water after a capsizing—because she wore her...

Join Us In Celebrating Coastal Cleanup Day

In the 1980s, a small group of volunteers in Texas rallied their community together to take a day to clean up their coastal area. They organized a team and trekked a couple miles of beach to remove a few bags of trash from the shoreline. Thirty years later, over 100 countries will be participating in an effort now known as

Quiz on Lights

We all know we need nav lights for when the sun goes down but it’s important to understand what we are looking at when we see the lights on other boats.

What Flag Are You Flying?

Do you know your code flags? International Nautical flags are used for communication at sea.

Book Review: The Ocean: The Ultimate Handbook of Nautical Knowledge

I have two boys. They have always been inquisitive. Being on a boat makes kids curious about the world around them. I had a lot of answers, but they had far more questions. The Ocean: The Ultimate Handbook of Nautical Knowledge by Chris Dixon and Jeremy Spencer is chock full of answers. If there is a book that every sailor

Flotillas: Advanced Concentrated Learning and Fun!

Being part of a flotilla is the perfect way to test your new sailing skills with the safety net of having someone more experienced on hand if you need it!

Sailing Bahamas with Cruise Abaco

Explore Abaco, Bahamas with Cruise Abaco and get your ASA certifications while you are it.

ASA Member Event: Arabella Grand Tour 2021

The first Grand Tour of New England aboard Arabella is almost complete. What started out as a trip that Hurricane Henri was threatening to cancel has turned out to be a pleasant sailing adventure around the islands of Massachusetts. These ASA member events always start with 30 strangers who have sailing in common and end with lifelong friends laughing late

Charter Sailboat Resources

You might be daydreaming about a sailing vacation so we have put together a resource to help you plan your next great sailing adventure. Whether you have just begun to sail and have recently earned your ASA 101 certification or if you have already mastered ASA 114 and are a veteran of bareboat charters this resource should help you. There

Your First Charter Sailing Vacation

Planning your first Sailing charter vacation can be as easy as asking; Where do you want to sail? Who is going to sail with you? How much do you want to pay? However, once you get past the obvious planning logistics the not so obvious questions arise.

Product Review: The Boat Medic First Aid Kit by My Medic

We don’t aim to get injured while sailing but when you have the MyMedic first aid kit handy it’s as if you think, “long falls and sharp objects seem like a good challenge.” While we are joking about that. The My Medic first aid kit should give you some peace of mind. Go ahead. Use that dull knife to cut

Bite Size Lessons : MOB First Response

In this lesson we take a look at what happens when there is a "man overboard" and learn the important Y.T.P.S.C. acronym that reminds us what the first 5 steps should always be.

The Charter Quiz

Do you have the urge to put your sailing education to use on a bareboat charter? Are you considering a crewed charter? Test your knowledge with this quick and fun charter quiz to give you some of ideas during the planning process of your sailing vacation.

Ready to Bareboat Charter in the BVI?

Getting aboard your bareboat charter is the goal when you get your ASA sailing certifications. Where do you begin? For many, it is a sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands so we decided to share a couple of itineraries with you to help in your planning process. If you are ready to charter a bareboat excursion, this is a

ASA Remembers Laser Designer Bruce Kirby

Following in the wake of the death of Frank Butler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Catalina Yachts, in Nov 2020 at age 92, boat designer and three-time Olympian Bruce Kirby, best known globally as the designer of the Laser 14 Olympic sailing dinghy, passed away at his home in Connecticut on 19 Jul 2021, also at age 92. In

When it Comes to Your Sailing Education, You’re the Boss!

One of the most important parts of beginning your sailing education is finding the right sailing school. Every individual has different strengths, weaknesses, needs, and ideal learning methods. Likewise, every sailing school has different instructors, courses, boats, and teaching methods. Even a school’s location can affect your sailing education. For example, learning to sail in San Francisco Bay’s heavy winds

Essential Sailing Gear

There are many ways to go sailing, from relaxing day sails and low-stakes racing to long-term cruising and adventurous offshore passages, but some things never change. The wind and seas are just as they were thousands of years ago, and still present the same opportunities and challenges. The only difference is that these days we have much better sailing gear

Is An ASA Flotilla Right For You?

You have earned your ASA Sailing certifications, you daysail regularly and now you want to reach the next level in your sailing experience. The flotilla may be the next logical step. ASA is organizing flotillas with its ASA affiliates to encourage ASA members to participate in flotillas that give them more chances to get out on the water with other