Articles

Continuing the “Voyaging with Velella” series by ASA writer-at-large Meghan Cleary. Meghan, Prescott and their kitten Nessie are on a planned 9-month cruise in the tropics. Yesterday, I chiseled off the last of dozens of teak plugs that I replaced on Velella’s decks. I spent days sanding, routing out old caulking, and smoothing in new shiny black lines. Months, actually.

This is the first installment in the “Voyaging with Velella” series by ASA writer-at-large Meghan Cleary. Meghan, Prescott and their kitten Nessie are on a planned 9-month cruise from Los Angeles to New York via the Panama Canal. Our to-do list is dwindling. It’s hard for me not to find other things to do to fill the holes . .

Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, Meghan Cleary and her fiance´ Prescott are about to embark on a 9-month cruise aboard SV Velella. Oh, and the kitten is going too. Yesterday we, the ASA staff, ducked out a little early to go down to their slip nearby in beautiful Marina del Rey, CA, and wish them well. Here, captured on

This past week our Facebook page has been hosting the November Photo of the Month contest, and this being the first such contest I’ve presided over as ASA Social Media Coordinator, I wasn’t sure what I was in for. Photography is a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. There are the inevitable black & white shots of spiderwebs, the wings

Six months ago today the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded while extracting oil from the Gulf of Mexico’s Macondo prospect, principally owned by BP. We’re all very acutely aware of what happened next: a catastrophic oil spill that within 10 days covered an estimated 3,850 square miles. This event is traumatic in itself, and especially so when you consider the

Many of you have been lucky enough to learn to sail, cruise or charter in the British Virgin Islands. Here is an update from Pat Nolan who owns and operates Sistership Sailing School on Tortola after recently weathering hurricane Earl: Location, location, location. That real estate mantra also applies to hurricane survival (followed closely by preparation, preparation, preparation). Having just

Greetings, this is Ben Miller–your new ASA Social Media Coordinator. As you may know, Meghan Cleary is moving on, so I’ll be taking over all of ASA’s online platforms. I’m excited to get to know everyone and to bring you the latest news on ASA events, flotillas, and other sailing opportunities, as well as the goings-on in the sailing world.

It’s officially autumn, my friends, which makes this a perfectly natural migration time. The birds do it, the “snowbirds” do it, and now I’m going to do it too. With a knot of excitement in my stomach, it’s time to announce know that I’m moving on from the ASA Social Media office, but in a way I hope you all

Continuing “Croatian Tapestry” The builders of Korcula were excellent urban planners. Inside the walled city the narrow alleyways feel mazelike, but in fact they are laid out in parallel lines with only a couple cross streets running the entire length. The ancient builders positioned the streets this way to take advantage of the seasonal winds: Warm Sirocco breezes are the