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“Bad LA traffic” is a stereotype that holds true even on the water. As a newcomer to Marina del Rey, I’ve been shocked at the throngs of boats that squeeze their way out of the jetties like a dense pack of bicyclists. It’s so crowded they’ve even got a traffic separation scheme inside the breakwall: a large middle lane for

I got out on the water this past weekend for the first time since Velella contracted “the black lung” over a month ago. The diesel doctors had all but given up on her, but we were obviously far from it. Prescott, my mate, dismantled the motor, bolt by line by bolt, and labeled each meticulously, while I was wrapped up

(Note for RSS feed subscribers: The blog’s feedburner has a 24-hour delay, so you may be receiving this post on Saturday; please follow our Twitter stream @__ASA__ for up-to-the-minute information on Abby Sunderland) The world was washed with relief this morning when Australian Qantas flight raised Abby Sunderland on the VHF and snapped a picture of her in one piece

(Note for RSS feed subscribers: The blog’s feedburner has a 24-hour delay, so you may be receiving this post on Friday; please see more current posts and our Twitter stream @__ASA__ for up-to-the-minute information on Abby Sunderland) Much of the media has picked up 16-year-old solo circumnavigator Abby Sunderland’s story since she activated emergency distress signals in the middle of

CONTAIN THE FILTH, SPREAD THE LOVE. Bottlenose dolphins in Velella’s bow wake, Channel Islands, California. Top links to explore for World Oceans Day: NOAA’s State of the Coast Report The Ocean Project, an organized network of thousands of organizations devoted to restoring the health of our oceans The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s live webcast discussion of ocean science and

June 8th marks the annual worldwide celebration of World Oceans Day. This year, it’s also the 50th anniversary of Dr. Suess’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Go figure. As boaters, we have a particular responsibility to care for our oceans. We learned when we were little to clean up after ourselves, put back when we take, and

Continuing “Trekking by Sail: Exuma Islands” Having spent a second (drier) night on Farmer’s Cay, we were well-rested and ready to spend the day sailing. The wind was head-on–not a great direction for the Sea Pearls that prefer to run or reach–but it was fresh and the waves teasing. The days that followed almost roll into one in my memory.

It feels right that National Boating Safety Week falls right before Memorial Day Weekend. We love to spend the long Memorial Day weekend on our boats (with the three essentials: beer, barbecue, and buddies), but many people often overlook the real essentials: PFDs, a charged VHF radio, updated charts, etc. The confluence of National Boating Safety Week and Memorial Day

Continuing “Trekking by Sail, Exuma Islands” I had never tasted fresh tamarind before. We cracked open the furry skins and picked out stringy strands of sweet-and-sour fruit, Mother Nature’s “Sour Patch” candy. Washed down with a Kalik Gold beer, the tamarind was our special treat for making it through the night. We had arrived at Farmer’s Cay the previous evening,