Cruising Articles

TWO 19TH CENTURY MARITIME TRADITIONS COME TOGETHER FOR ONE AFTERNOON Literarily speaking, aquatic travel for recreation began in 1857 with Henry David Thoreau’s Canoeing in Wilderness. Common sense dictates that he was hardly the first to cast off with no grander purpose in mind, but the pastime was undoubtedly new—a primitive luxury afforded by the vast, sparsely populated American landscape. Read More >

In the month of March, we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary by gathering great sailing photos from our members and fans! If you’ve got a great sailing photo from the last 30 years, we want to see it. Submissions are open through March 30th, and shortly thereafter we’ll begin selecting winners! Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: -Best Action Read More >

This post is about ASA’s 2012 Croatia sailing flotilla. You can also read about the Top 5 Things to See on the Dalmatian Coast here, and a story of Croatia’s special cuisine here. The Adriatic Sea was, for me, one of those places that always sounded incredibly far-off and wonderful, not quite real, a magnificent realm that I would probably Read More >

This blog is about ASA’s 2012 Croatia Flotilla. Dubrovnik to Split, September 2012. “Every fish should swim three times,” goes a Croatian saying. “First in the sea, then in olive oil, and finally in wine.” The residents of the Dalmatian Coast live by this creed, and their cuisine, a divine fusion of Italian and Greek styles, demonstrates why. Of all Read More >

This is a story about ASA’s 2012 Croatia Flotilla. For more info on upcoming ASA sailing flotillas, click here. Sailors (and tourists of all kinds) have beaten a well-worn path through the Mediterranean, particularly in places like Greece, Italy, and Spain. These are the world’s most ancient sailing grounds, and they richly deserve their reputations for beauty and splendor. But Read More >

A review of ASA’s Coastal Cruising Made Easy from the July/August 2012 issue of Sailing Magazine. Many sports, like swimming or soccer, are relatively easy to learn because there are a few basic moves assembled in the right order. Sailing is like that, too. Learn to trim, steer, tack and jibe, and a fair-weather daysail is pure pleasure. Sailing may Read More >

The catamaran is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most popular types of cruising sailboats. For the uninitiated, a catamaran is a boat balanced on two hulls, as opposed to the traditional monohull, and its sleek design Why the rise in popularity of catamaran sailing? There are a number of reasons. They can feel more spacious, and they don’t heel Read More >

Continuing the story of the ASA St. Martin Flotilla 2012. PART THREE: BARBEQUE FOR EVERY MEAL As a finale, we spent two days in Grand Case, on the French side of St. Martin. Grand Case is a narrow village of colonial facades facing a wide bay packed with sailboats, and bills itself as the dining capital of the Caribbean. Here Read More >

Continuing the story of ASA’s 2012 St. Martin flotilla. PART TWO: THE ROOSTER CROWS FOR DAY After two nights in Gustavia, St. Barths, it was time to up-anchor and head for the British island of Anguilla. It was a marathon sail, 26 miles with several tacks and gybes onto different points of sail. Great practice for all of us, especially Read More >