Home ⁄ Articles

Articles

Boating Smarter: Why Boating Safety Education Matters

Before you untie the dock lines, make sure you're ready. Here's why boating safety education...

The coast of half moon bay at sunset

The Storm That Rewrote Half Moon Bay

Christmas 1979. A routine holiday sail down the California coast — and a winter storm...

The Future of Sailing

The Next Generation at the Helm explores youth sailing certifications, safety, and inspiring the future...

sailboat racing in a storm

Storm Tactics

Legendary sailor John Neal shares 412,000 miles of hard-won storm wisdom: heavy-weather sailing starts with...

Featured Instructor: Captain Anne Popolizio

Before I get thrown overboard for being a man doing a review of a woman’s sailing jacket it should be known that I am simply being a man who is doing what his wife is asking him to do. The sailing jacket review is really me taking dictation from my wife who is doing the heavy lifting on this review.

How Much Sailboat Do I Need?

Okay, you’ve checked out of 101, 103 & 104 and the sailing fever is still burning strong. You need to either check into a hospital or buy your first boat – you choose the latter. But what kind should you get? The magazines and websites have you drooling over boats that have tempted you with their sex appeal or indestructible capabilities and you are leaning in every direction.

Product Review: Gill Marine Footwear

I don’t look good in boots. It’s a fact that boots on me look ridiculous and that is mainly because I sail in shorts year round. With that said when Gill Marine sent over some of their gear for me to test out I wondered if I would be willing to alter my appearance for a product review. Of course

Where Is Your Dream Destination?

We asked our social media audience about their dream destinations and they responded with enthusiasm. As you work from home, take a look at some of these desktop getaways. Do You Have a Dream Destination? French Polynesia was by far the most stated dream destination. Consider a flotilla in Tahiti with Captain Lucy Newman and South Coast Sailing Adventures or

Featured School: Athens Sailing Academy

Many a bucket list has the country of Greece in its top spot and rightly so with miles of picturesque coastline and a rich cultural heritage. For sailors, the allure of sailing the Mediterranean and exploring the islands of this country make it a must do destination. Athens Sailing Academy takes advantage of its proximity to pristine sailing grounds to

ASA launches new Digital Membership Card

As the world becomes increasingly accessible via our hand held devices, ASA has moved to give its members access to their certification information via a Digital Membership Card.

Meet the SeaKeepers

The American Sailing Association has an exciting new partnership with the International SeaKeepers Society to promote ocean research and conservation. The International SeaKeepers Society promotes oceanographic research, conservation, and education through direct involvement with the yachting community. Who Are The International SeaKeepers Society? Our small but distinguished membership includes entrepreneurs, yachtsmen, corporations, divers, scientists, and concerned citizens building a global

Product Review: Lani Shades

If I am being entirely truthful I will tell you that I don’t wear sunglasses. My prescription glasses transition to sunglasses when I go outside and I am just lazy enough to believe that is all I need. Well, that may have changed. I put on my contact lenses and decided I would take the Lani Shades, Lani Ohe Aina

Ask Lauren: How Do I Know Which Sunscreen is Ocean-Friendly?

Sunscreen is a sailing essential any time of year, but the upcoming summer rays mean it’s time to break out the good stuff. There’s nothing like relaxing on deck with some good music and lathering up with tropical scented potions to get that sun-kissed glow. But what happens once we shower off or go for a dip? Our goos and

This Earth Day, Treat the Planet Like It’s Your Boat

I first learned about the art of sailing when I was nineteen years old. I had signed up for a semester abroad with a program that teaches students marine biology and oceanography courses, as well as sailing and coastal navigation skills. After a year of scraping together money and filling out forms, I spent my sophomore winter on an 88’

Sailors and the Environment

Every time we hoist a sail we utilize a natural resource that needs attention. The water we sail on needs an advocate and that person is you. The American Sailing Association is committed to addressing the issue of plastic pollution and environmental stewardship. Oceans and lakes are our playgrounds and we have an inherent responsibility to protect them. Sailors Can

How Teen Sailors Can Make a Difference

Your teenager can engage with the enviroment while learning to SCUBA dive and sail in the British Virgin Islands with SeaTrek BVI

Plastic Items You Can Stop Bringing Onboard Today

Maybe our last article about plastic in the ocean scared you a bit, but now that you know what’s going on, it’s time to get motivated. The good news is that little changes in our day-to-day lives can have a big collective impact on reducing the plastic flowing into the ocean, and you’d be surprised how easy it is to

Your Boat’s Spring Cleaning

The wait is almost over…it’s just about time to pull off those winter boat covers and set sail into the warmer season! Whether you’re just getting started in the ASA 101 course or you regularly cruise in your own vessel, learning to properly care for a sailboat is an important and necessary skill to have.

Toxic Sunscreen: A Sailboat Captain’s Experience

By Kim Walther, ASA Instructor Working as a boat captain, I see a huge variety of sunscreen brands. It’s always interesting to check out what my sailing school students or charterers bring with them. I like to read what’s on the front, and then look at the back. It’s absolutely incredible that some brands that we perceive as being very

Our Plastic Problem: A Remarkably Brief Overview

I don’t need to waste a sailor’s time by telling you there’s plastic in the ocean. If you’re out on the water, you’ve seen it by now. Some places are cleaner than others, and in some parts of the world it has reached an extreme that is truly surreal: As we’ve mentioned before, this is not an “ocean problem.” This

Product Review: Gill Marine Gloves

How often do you think about your hands while sailing? Do you consistently wear gloves? Can you remember the first time a line raced through the palm of your hand and left you with a burning sensation that ruined your entire sail? Gill Marine sent us a number of their new gloves to try out. What we found out was

5 Spots To Use Your ASA 101 Certification

Not long ago I watched as a pair of newlyweds hired my 12-year-old to teach them how to sail. We were on vacation and my two boys had been zipping across the horizon for over an hour and as they sailed the Hobie Cat back onto the sand the newly married couple negotiated a chartered cruise right on the spot.