A Love Letter to Sailing

By: Sailing Story

It is that time of the year when we feel like expressing our love for the special people and things in our lives. This year I am professing my love for sailing. This is my public love letter to sailing. Share your love letters to sailing and we will publish some of them on the American Sailing website and on our social media channels. Send them to Zeke Quezada: Zeke@asa.com Sailing I love You Sailing, I love you. I am never quite sure if you know how much I care about you but the truth is you mean the world …

Three Essential Sailing Knots

How to Tie 3 Important Sailing Knots

By: Equipment

There are as many sailing knots as there are stars in the night sky — or so it seems. But the reality is that most sailors can get along with only knowing a few, as long as they’re the right ones. In this blog I’ll single out three very important sailing knots, explaining what they’re used for and how to tie them. Don’t forget, it’s necessary to practice these in order to get them down. Your fingers need the tactile learning experience in order to develop muscle memory that will allow you to tie them quickly when you need to! …

Why Sailing School Makes Sense

By: Schools

I didn’t grow up on a boat.  I had been to the ocean and watched sailboats from the beach and I was intrigued.  It wasn’t until I had a job and a few responsibilities that I was able to take the plunge and buy a Catalina 27. I didn’t know how to sail, but I owned a boat.  My children, their sailing story is different. They grew up with the Pacific Ocean as their playground. Everybody has a different sailing story but it all starts with a passion for the water and good sailing instruction.  The American Sailing Association aims …

How Much Sailboat Do I Need?

How Much Sailboat Do I Need?

By: Sailboats

Okay, you’ve checked out of 101, 103 & 104 and the sailing fever is still burning strong. You need to either check into a hospital or buy your first boat – you choose the latter. But what kind should you get? The magazines and websites have you drooling over boats that have tempted you with their sex appeal or indestructible capabilities and you are leaning in every direction.

5 Spots To Use Your ASA 101 Certification

By: daysail, Destinations, Sailing Tips

Not long ago I watched as a pair of newlyweds hired my 12-year-old to teach them how to sail. We were on vacation and my two boys had been zipping across the horizon for over an hour and as they sailed the Hobie Cat back onto the sand the newly married couple negotiated a chartered cruise right on the spot. My son, ever the opportunist, jumped aboard, handed them life vests and explained where the couple would sit. He then had his younger brother give them a gentle push off the shore. Just like that, the couple was on a …

Sailing Destination: Italy’s Amalfi Coast

By: American Sailing Association, Charter

It’s a hard job, but somebody’s got to do it. I’ve just returned from a week of cruising on the Amalfi Coast, a region of southern Italy known for its stunning views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, delicious seafood and the local speciality liquer–Limoncello. Though my trip was in late March, the tourist (and sailing) season doesn’t really get cranked up until mid-April. However, from my base in the cliffside town of Positano (pictured at left) I got to experience first-hand the rich maritime history of this region, and scout out the must-see destinations for a cruiser or charterer. Positano’s relationship …