Tag Archives: sea pearl

Photos from ASA’s 2011 Exuma Islands Flotilla, Bahamas

American Sailing Association, Flotillas, Members, , , , ,

Enjoy this selection of excellent photos from ASA’s 2011 Exuma Islands flotilla, thanks to member Carole Walsh. This remote series of cays, known locally as the “Out Islands,” are one of our many popular flotilla destinations. It’s a very unique trip–you learn to sail small boats, camp on the beaches at night, and hang out with the local wildlife (see below). The folks on this trip earned their ASA 110 “Basic Small Boat Sailing” certifications, by the way, handling the gorgeous Sea Pearl 21 boats.

Click here to find out more about ASA’s flotillas, including Greece, Croatia, Tahiti, the Gulf of Mexico, Southern California, and more.

chart
Scouting out the Out Islands!

charter checkout
Flotilla leader Dallas Knowles explains the unique Sea Pearl 21 sailboat. This will be the sailors' floating home for the week.

sea pearl sailing
The Sea Pearls in action.

farmers cay po
The festive looking P.O. on Farmers Cay!

iguana
A local.

pigs
Some more island residents. Everyone's so friendly!

sailboat sunset
Carib looking good in the evening.

foot in water
Wouldn't you like to dip your toe in that tropical water?

The whole gang looking tanned and happy at trip's end!

To see how this could be you on a sailing adventure somewhere in the world, visit us at ASA.com!

Bahamas Adventure: The Sea Pearl 21 Sailboat

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This guest post by ASA’s Brenda Wempner is about ASA’s 2011 adventure flotilla in the Exuma Islands (or “Out Islands”) of the Bahamas. Find out more about ASA’s flotillas here.
sea pearl cruising

This was my first boat checkout standing knee deep in water for the briefing.

Most bareboat charter arrangements begin with a chart briefing and boat checkout, but this one was very unique. Dallas, our guide, explained the Sea Pearl 21 to the group.

The front sail is the Main and the back sail is the Mizzen. At the gooseneck there was a locking mechanism. When that mechanism was removed the masts would rotate, allowing the sail to furl around the mast. This is how we would reef and put away the sails.

Most of the boats had leeboards. This was a board on either side of the boat that would be lowered on the downwind side while sailing. The boats were wide open, putting a whole new meaning to the word “bareboating.” Our gear (tents and clothes) were stored in dry sacks aboard the boats.

Beaching the boats on the beautiful white sand beaches and camping at night: This was an amazing adventure.

This video shows the flotilla members gathered around as Dallas explains how this boat’s unusual rigging works!

Bahamas Adventure: The First Leg

American Sailing Association, Flotillas, Sailboats, , , , ,

brenda and johnThis guest post by ASA’s Brenda Wempner is about ASA’s 2011 adventure flotilla in the Exuma Islands (or “Out Islands”) of the Bahamas. Find out more about ASA’s flotillas here.

As the ASA Instructor and Representative on the first week of the ASA Exuma Islands Flotilla, I did not know exactly what to expect. These were new waters for me, new people and boats that I had never sailed before. John Baker took the helm of the boat I was on and easily pointed it out of the small harbor. The water was breathtaking. It changed from emerald green to the bluest blue. It was crystal clear and I could see the bottom despite the depth. The guides for our trip were Dallas and Andrew. They followed the four Sea Pearl sailboats closely on a power cat motorboat. Our small group on small boats adventure had begun.

Stay tuned for more great stories and videos from Brenda!