New 2012 ASA Flotillas!

By: American Sailing Association, Flotillas

Every year ASA organizes flotilla cruises around the world. In 2011 alone we’ve been to the Bahamas, Greece, Croatia, and the Pacific Northwest, among other wonderful destinations. Still to come this year are cruises in Southern California, Florida’s Pine Island Sound, and Tahiti. We’re hitting the ground running in 2012, too. Here are the flotillas scheduled so far: St. Martin and the Leeward Antilles, April 20-28, 2012. With visits to French St. Martin, Dutch Sint Maarten, British Anguilla, and other stops along the way, this cruise will be a mix of European sophistication, with fine shopping and eating, and relaxed …

Voyaging with Velella: How to Sail Across a Bar

By: American Sailing Association, Safety, Sailboats, Weather

Continuing the Voyaging with Velella series by ASA writer-at-large Meghan Harvey. Meghan and her husband Prescott have been cruising aboard their boat Velella for the past 8 months, first in Mexico and now in the Pacific Northwest. Rites of Passage, Part 2 Anyone who has decided to sail South from the Pacific Northwest faces the dangerous prospect of having to “cross a bar.” The Northwest coast of the United States is considered a “hostile coast,” in that there are very few shelters to pull into over hundreds of miles–and those harbors that do exist are 90% of the time protected …

Voyaging with Velella: First Class Tickets

By: American Sailing Association

Continuing the Voyaging with Velella series by ASA writer-at-large Meghan Cleary. Meghan, Prescott, and their kitten Nessie have just concluded a 6-month sailing adventure in Mexico and are returning to explore the Pacific Northwest by sail. I was extremely tired from traveling as I walked into a Wal-Mart to pick up some cat food yesterday. I barely noticed the huge display of familiar Mexican food items in front of me: masa harina, pan tostadas, cane sugar bottled Cokes, Penginos, and other typical corner store stock. It slowly dawned on me that literally everyone around me was speaking Spanish too—and I …