Articles

Sailors in every corner of the world are taking the ocean’s plastic problem into their own hands, or rather, into their own nets. Balloons, bags, bottles, ghost nets, and all kinds of plastic trash are being pulled out of the water by boaters everywhere, but what if we could do something more with all that trash? This is where 5 Read More >

Traditionally the boating community associates algae with one word: nuisance. It covers hulls, jams propellers, slimes up fishing poles, and can even make the water unswimmable. Algae is a gigantically diverse group of marine organisms, ranging from tiny single-celled plankton, to kelp that stretches hundreds of feet toward the surface, to the wrapper of your favorite sushi roll. Read More >

It is always exciting to encounter marine animals in their natural habitat- the vast diversity of creatures in the ocean both pull at our heartstrings and inspires a sense of wonder. We’ve all seen heartwarming videos of sailors, divers, and surfers having amicable run-ins with favorite marine animals like dolphins, turtles, seals… even sharks! The new trend in viral animal Read More >

Join Lauren as she continues on her journey to learn to sail. Follow her as she gets her feet wet as a beginner, gains experience, and earns her ASA certifications. The ultimate goal is to complete ASA 104 and go bareboat chartering somewhere exotic. ASA 103, Part 1 – Shopping for a Sailing School I passed the ASA 101 course Read More >

ASA has brought on marine conservationist Lauren Coiro to help with advocacy and education when it comes to how sailors interact with the environment that they call home. “Ask Lauren” will be a regular feature where our questions on the environment will be asked and answered. Do you have a question? Ask Lauren! Read More >

You’ve been challenged! Sailors are motivated to contribute less to the ocean’s plastic problem, but when plastic is incorporated into almost everything we do, where do we begin? The average American generates over 4 pounds of trash every day, and when we send it to landfill, it becomes out of sight, out of mind. Whether we live on the coast Read More >

January is a fresh start, and after a year-long rollercoaster of environmental news, I am feeling hopeful about what’s to come. 2018 was a year of awareness, and while it was painful to learn about the state of our oceans, we now have the power to fix it. 2019 is not only about becoming better sailors; it’s also about becoming Read More >

The holiday season is here! Although I am enchanted by the pretty lights decorating the ships in the harbor, this time of year is notorious for its waste. Household waste increases between 25-30% between Thanksgiving and New Years, and a large portion of it is plastic. Whatever happened to “Peace on Earth and good will toward manatees?” Read More >

The Ocean Cleanup project, headed by 24-year-old Dutch inventor Boyan Slat, has spent the last 5 years designing a U-shaped floating trawl to scour the sea for floating bits of plastic. The 600-meter long floater and attached skirt are designed to work passively with natural elements like currents and wind to follow the plastic’s path and trap it. The skirt Read More >