The ASA was started by a group of volunteers in 2003 under the Friendly Societies Act of Anguilla, for the purpose of promoting sailing and seamanship throughout Anguilla

Setting your hook will be the easiest part. However, you can’t just roar into an anchorage and throw your hook over the side as soon as you are close to the bar.

Swimmers, divers, and snorkelers are often overheard cursing the abominable long-spined sea urchin; particularly as they attempt to extract the barbed spines from a foot or hand. More times than I care to remember, I’ve painfully removed a dive skin that was pierced through and held fast by one of those long spines. Hapless waders, [...]

Anguilla The 3rd Mix Up Regatta, organized by the Anguilla Sailing Association takes place next month, May 6 to 8. A strong field of entrants from Anguilla and neighbouring islands is expected, as well as the local heroes on the famous Anguillan wooden sloops. Antigua One or two things going on in Antigua this month. [...]

The focus leading up to the 25th annual St Maarten Heineken Regatta might have been on the people and boats who’ve passed into local folklore, but come the start, it was Mother Nature who’d stolen the spotlight. Not even one of Robbie Ferron’s rousing speeches or a last-minute call from Mirian Leffers-Ebbers’ could coax a [...]

Light and shifty winds blowing across San Juan’s harbor set challenging conditions for junior sailors competing in the 4th annual Club Nautico de San Juan International Regatta. Yet, this February 4 to 6 event saw close competition and tiebreakers in both the Optimist and Laser classes. In the Optimist class, St. John’s Mayumi Roller and [...]

By the beginning of February, most of our friends were asking us the same question: “Why aren’t you going to St. Maarten for the regatta?” We began to wonder … Why weren’t we going to the regatta? After some discussion and a mad scramble to make last-minute travel arrangements, we were in! We would stay [...]

Experience life at the Independent Boat Yard on St. Thomas through the eyes of Cap’n Fatty Goodlander. Fictional writing is not needed with these real life characters.

The 3rd Electec Lagoon Regatta showcased the quality of sailing on the island at all levels, age groups and genders. In both the Gold and Silver fleets results were mixed with winning positions spread over a wide number of participants. The event was sailed in Jeanneau 20 boats which were rotated in every race to [...]

Practice makes perfect. This was the secret to success for St. Thomas’ John Foster, who aboard his J/27, Magnificent 7, won the 12th annual St. Croix International Regatta, February 19-21, and his crew’s weight in Cruzan Rum. “We checked every screw, all the rigging in detail before the season,” said Foster, “but I think the [...]

Ok ! Although I have lived in Antigua since 1957, I have to admit there is still a little bit of being born a Brit left in me. But not for one moment did I think I would find myself discussing, the weather of all things. This is of course an Englishmans favourite subject, but [...]

Concentration, and the ability to hold down the boat in heavy winds, spelled the key to success for Puerto Rico’s David Alfonso. Alfonso placed first overall at the 2nd annual Valentine’s Optimist Regatta, hosted out of the St. Croix Yacht Club February 19-20. “I prefer light winds. That’s what I’m used to,” said 14-year-old Alfonso, [...]

On December 28, 2004, six yachts left St. Lucia for the inaugural OECS Rally. The brainchild of Dr. Len Ishmael, the goal of the OECS Rally was to “provide participants of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) with an opportunity to be given a guided tour of the OECS islands.” Participants left St. Lucia for [...]

The rumor? Jimmy Buffett was going to play at the Westin on St. John and he was bringing country western stars Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney! Maybe Monday; maybe Tuesday but definitely coming!

On Friday, February 11th, twenty-four teams competed in the second annual BYOB Competition at The Catamaran Marina. Sponsored by The Wobbly Club (so named for the wobbly table the group sat around), the Build Your Own Boat contest is quickly becoming a favorite with everyone! For a $100 EC entry fee, each team is given [...]

I have known Julian Putley for over a decade and greatly admire his strong sense of camaraderie and humor. The second edition of his Drinking Man’s Guide to the BVI is even better than the first. As a charter captain for more years than he would like to admit, Julian knows, firsthand, every watering hole, [...]

It was February 12, the first day of the Jolly Harbor Yacht Club Valentine’s Regatta, and there were boats as far as the eye could see. Due to the thick rain, however, this meant 11 boats and about half a mile visibility. The Valentine’s Regatta was headed for a wonderful start, with excited chaos and [...]

OUR ISLAND SLOOPS VISIT ST. JOHN The BVI sloops, Moonbeam and Youth Instructor, were the center of attraction recently at the 14th Annual Folk Life Celebration in St. John, USVI. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Traditional Boat Making and Commerce in our Beloved Community”. My friend Geoff Brooks, Supervisor of the Center for [...]

Fatty Goodlander expresses his views on the Marine Trends that affect the lives of the cruisers and sea gypsies throughout the world. Do you see yourself in these thoughts?

Born April 23, 1963. New Jersey On my 4th birthday, my mother informed me that she was moving to Tortola but my father was not coming with us. We lived down in the West End for a year and my mother then met my stepfather-to-be, Albie Stewart (Tortola Yacht Services). At the age of five, [...]

Who said cruising was a dangerous way of life?Braving the savage oceans of the worldleft no scars on my body but boat building – that’s another story. That’s the truly dangerous part of boating.I can prove it with scars, missing digits and pieces of metal imbedded like shrapnel in my limbs. These grim experiences happened [...]

What happens when you team together cream-of-the-crop sports fishermen in some of the best fishing locales in the world? Hopefully a series that will bring the sport of big game fishing close up and personal to millions of television viewers. This is the dream of St. Thomas-based pioneering sports fisherman, Jimmy Loveland. The Bermuda Triangle [...]

What a great weekend! With four windy races and with Mt Gay and RTW as sponsors (giving all entries the coveted MT Gay Red Racing Hat) The West End Yacht Club successfully held their 27th Sweethearts of the Caribbean (Schooners) and 23rd Classics of the Caribbean (designs over 30 years) at Sopers Hole, West End, [...]

Herb Hilgenberg is the cruiser’s savior. He is the voice on the airwaves that heralds good news and bad on the ocean waves. He gives a heads upfor every sailor’s worst nightmare. He does his best to keep you out of the path of ‘The Perfect Storm’ and helps you by weaving a slalom course [...]

St. Croix realtor and recreational sports fisherman, Chris Hanley, offers sage advice for catching fish. “He who finds the birds will find the fish. Fishing is really a bird hunt,” says Hanley, whose 28-foot Cape Dory, Dollagon, earned best boat at the 6th annual Golden Hook Dolphin Tournament, held February 20. Hanley describes his fish [...]

Overnight moorings versus anchoring? Here in the British Virgin Islands it’s quite a dilemma for many boaters.Why is this decision a topic for a VISAR column? The reason is that VISAR’s crews are frequently called out either to help people who have dragged anchor in the middle of the night and are in danger of [...]

The Grenada Sailing Association held its first meeting for the New Year last week Tuesday. There was a great turnout of members who meet at de Big Fish in True Blue.On the agenda members discussed junior sailors, international events, work boat competitions and a local Grenadian as candidate for Olympic Sportsman of the Year! Reports [...]

Rough seas didn’t stop the fishing fun. 22 couples aboard nine boats braved less-than-romantic sea conditions to compete in the 2005 Quick Pics Couples Fishing Tournament, hosted by the Virgin Islands Gamefishing Club on February 13. “It was pretty rough out there, but we caught fish all morning,” said Marcia Griswold, who – with Capt. [...]

In conjunction with the BVI Department of Youth Affairs & Sports, The Princess Royal, Anne, the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, was in the BVI on February 24th to open the RYA BVI Watersports Centre at Manuel Reef, Sea Cows Bay, Tortola. Beautifully organized by owners [...]

“Worse things happen at sea,” my mom used to say. She was right. My dad would say, “The damn fool who designed this should be hanged” and he’d have been right too, especially if he’d said that about my fuel tank. Whoever designed it arranged things with evil cunning. First, the builders built the hull, [...]