BVI Trip Report: Sailing Arabella

By: Charter, Destinations

UPDATE: A year ago we sailed the British Virgin Islands with ASA members aboard Sailing Yacht Arabella. ASA has a charter partnership agreement with the Manhattan Yacht Club that allows our members and guests to experience sailing aboard this majestic vessel. For obvious reasons, we can’ be on her today but soon we will all be back on her deck, smiling and sailing! We are announcing a 2021 date for a Grand Tour of New England aboard Arabella. Join ASA members as we visit Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Cuttyhunk during Labor Day weekend. See highlights from the 2019 Grand Tour …

Do I Need An IPC?

By: Cruising Tips, Destinations, Sailing Tips

The International Proficiency Certificate FAQ’s Chartering your own sailboat in a new destination is a rite of passage for most sailors. The freedom to sail your own plan and set your itinerary is a dream come true for anyone who has ever tossed the lines and held onto the mainsheet.  A bareboat charter is the definition of freedom on the water.  Are you qualified to Bareboat Charter? That is a question that charter companies will ask when deciding whether or not to put you in charge of your own vessel.  In the Caribbean, charter companies will often use your ASA …

Sailing New England – Arabella Grand Tour

By: Charter, Destinations

UPDATE: A year ago we sailed the British Virgin Islands with ASA members aboard Sailing Yacht Arabella. ASA has a charter partnership agreement with the Manhattan Yacht Club that allows our members and guests to experience sailing aboard this majestic vessel. For obvious reasons, we can’t be on her today but soon we will all be back on her deck, smiling and sailing! In late August 2021, ASA and the Manhattan Yacht Club will once again partner to deliver guests a luxury sailing yacht experience aboard the Sailing Yacht Arabella. Sailors will depart Newport, Rhode Island for the offshore destinations …

Are You A Cat Person

By: Charter, Cruising Tips, Destinations, Sailing Tips

Why Sail a Catamaran? The wind was blowing well over 20 and the swells were coming across the beam both in rapid succession and with great fury.  This was not a typical sail day. If I was sailing a monohull I would most likely be tied to the dock having a drink. Instead, the 48-foot catamaran eased across the space between Oyster Pond, St. Martin and Gustavia, St. Barth. A couple of reefs and attention to the details was all it took as the catamaran that we had chartered handled the conditions with ease.  Some would say that is the …

Learn To Sail Vacations with Nautilus Sailing & Dream Yacht Charter

By: Charter, Destinations

A sailing vacation can be looked upon as a bucket list adventure or a once in a lifetime experience.  ASA is the world’s largest sailing education association and was in part conceived to educate and prepare sailors to skipper a bareboat safely and confidently.  Since its inception in 1983, ASA has taught almost 550,000 people how to sail and has issued over one million certifications for various higher levels of sailing proficiency.  ASA’s goal has always been to get more people out on the water.  The American Sailing Association is very proud that Dream Yacht Charters, the world’s largest charter …

Sailing In San Diego

5 Reasons To Sail In San Diego

By: Cruising Tips, Destinations, Learn To Sail, Schools

You want to learn to sail so why not pick a convenient destination to take your sailing courses? San Diego is the ideal location to visit because you can mix in your ocean adventures with some sightseeing and some cultural sites. Throw in a visit to a wild animal park and sample some craft beers and you can easily see why a sailing vacation in Southern California’s other beach city is the spot to choose to work on your sailing education.

Operating a Dinghy Safely and Responsibly

By: Charter, Cruising Tips, Safety

Dinghies are an integral part of sailing for the charter customer or for the cruiser who hopes to step onto shore once they reach their desired destination. However, do you know the rules and the etiquette that are the best practices with regards to dinghy use? Those sailors who have earned ASA 103 and ASA 104 certifications have learned about best practices when utilizing dinghies but it is always a good idea to brush up on what you should and should not do when operating a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RIB) or a dinghy.  Before Your Charter Begins: Inspect your dinghy. …

Where To Sail in 2021

By: Charter, Destinations

Once It’s Safe To Travel, Where You Should Go I’m going big.  I am going to compile my bucket list of sailing destinations and start checking them off. If we have learned anything during this pandemic it is to stop putting things off. The time is now to make plans for the immediate future. What have we been waiting for? By the end of the COVID-19 crisis we will all have been sailing in circles for a year so naturally, we will be in dire need of an escape. We will need a destination to look forward to.   When the …