The Summer sailing season is not over!
Just because summer has ended does not automatically mean that the sailing season has ended. In fact, an argument can be made that you have been sailing all summer just to be able to do some serious sailing in the dead of winter.
Take a look at these five locations where it is always summer and the sailing season is year-round.
Meet Jenni from the dock! She used to sail a little, now she sails a lot!
Jenni is the perfect example of anyone who ever had a dream and worked hard to make it come true. She hails from land-locked Wisconsin but now sails on the Caribbean waters of Grenada & the Grenadines with LTD Sailing – “Living The Dream” Sailing School and beyond! She has her USCG Captains License as well as her RYA Yachtmaster certification. She teaches ASA 101 – ASA 114.
Captain Jenni Hellpap is this month’s featured instructor.
As you consider expanding your sailing education, you might think about coastal cruising and taking ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising. With this course, you will be able to skipper a sloop-rigged auxiliary powered (inboard or outboard engine) keelboat of approximately 25 to 35 feet length by day in moderate winds (up to 20 knots) and sea conditions.
Your knowledge of cruising sailboat terminology, basic boat systems, auxiliary engine operation, docking procedures, intermediate sail trim, navigation rules, basic coastal navigation, anchoring, weather interpretation, safety, and seamanship will be tested. With an ASA 103 certification, you will be well on your way to bareboat cruising and ASA 104.
Here is a taste of what your new vocabulary will be after earning your ASA 103 certification.
10 New Words That Will Be in Your Vocabulary After Earning Your Basic Coastal Cruising Certification
Turnbuckle – A screw used for tightening wire rigging.
Binnacle – The stand on which the boat’s main compass is mounted.
Stemhead Fitting – A fitting on the bow of a boat to which the forestay and jib tack are attached.
Clevis Pin – A pin with a formed head used to connect rigging.
Ground Tackle – Collective term for a boat’s anchors and their rodes.
Chainplate – Metal fabrication attached to the hull and to which a stay or shroud is connected.
Cardinal Point – Any of the four principal points of the compass, N,E,S or W.
Gunwale – The top edge of the deck where it joins the hull.
Companionway – The entrance from the cockpit or deck to the cabin.
Transom – The more or less flat surface that closes the hull at the stern.
Zephyr – A gentle breeze, perfect for a quiet evening sail.
There are eight sails on Arabella, and when she is fully outfitted to move in the wind, she is majestic. When you see her from shore, you ponder what it would be like to feel the movement on her decks. When you are on board, you sit in awe. She is elegant and poised as she adapts under full sail. While Arabella acts like a sailboat, she advances across the ocean like Audrey Hepburn would move across a crowded room in her little black dress.
Arabella moves with grace, sailing like the ocean is hers. When you watch from the bow, all you can see is the sails leaning away from the wind. You can almost see Bernoulli’s math being worked out and you can hear the wind being utilized to bring forth the experience.
Sailing on Arabella is still sailing, but it should not be confused with a dinghy on the lake or your first ride on a Catalina 27.
As an ASA member, you get to experience Arabella firsthand. If you are up to it, you can even take the helm or raise a sail.
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As if you need another reason to drop anchor in St. Barth we suggest these five reasons to sail your bareboat charter boat to this gem of an island that is the South of France in the heart of the Caribbean. Close your eyes and you’ll hear France all around you, lift a fork and you’ll taste the cuisine and walk through the luxury shopping boutiques and you’ll swear you are on the Champs Elysee. Caribbean vibe meets French culture all with a hint of island style and you get luxurious St. Barth.
You don’t need a megayacht to have a good time in St. Barth, but it doesn’t hurt.
Boyan Slat, Founder of The Ocean Cleanup, updated the status of his ocean clean up project with encouraging news about the progress that the organization has made to make a dent in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
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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.
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 conducting refresher training. The vessel calling told Coast Guard sector LA that they’d been dismasted and needed assistance. They reported that they were just south of Arch Rock at Anacapa Island.
