Nautical Trivia Archives - American Sailing

Sailing Trivia

Zeke Quezada, ASA — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 14:14:07 +0000

So you are at a dinner party, and it comes time for some trivia. Are you prepared with some sailing facts that would stump the competition? Are you intrigued by tidbits of information that might spark a conversation? Take a look at some sailing facts that might get you the win on trivia night.

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40 Sailing Phrases to Know

American Sailing — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 20:50:03 +0000

Sailors have a way of speaking, and the sport has its own language. Some sailing phrases are common in everyday language, while others are only really used on a sailboat. The ones common in our everyday language have a nautical origin that will make you a more enlightened sailor, as well. The ones used only on a sailboat? Well, the sailing lifestyle lends itself to a specific language to describe situations and offer comedic relief when we are at the mercy of the conditions, and those will make you smarter and more adaptable in real life as well. Check out 40 sailing phrases you should know.

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Nautical Flags: Origins, Meanings, and Resources

Zeke Quezada, ASA — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 22:35:15 +0000

If you've ever wondered about the curious world of nautical flags, their origins, uses, and all of their various meanings, here's the primer to get you started and further resources to expand your horizons.

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40 Sailing Terms: How to Talk Like a Sailor

Zeke Quezada, ASA — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:11:00 +0000

In 1983, the American Sailing Association was founded by Lenny Shabes. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of sailors have become certified in the ASA sailing curriculum. This year, we celebrate 40 years as the leading sailing education entity in the United States. So when you get out on the water, you can be sure that ASA-certified sailors are sailing safely and confidently. Sailing has its own language, and when you go through the ASA curriculum, you’ll find yourself using terms like port and starboard if talking about directions, or referring to a zephyr or a squall when discussing the ...

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Can Overboard! 🔉

American Sailing — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 14:27:00 +0000

Scenario: You crack open a cold one after a long day of sailing. Your buddy Jim finishes his first beer (rather quickly) and tosses the can overboard. When prodded about the environment, he confidently responds, “It’s just metal- it will break down naturally.” A debate starts, and you want it to stop so you can enjoy the sunset and your beverage in peace. Does Jim have a point? A Brief Beer History Lesson Back in the 1930s when designers were tinkering with how to can beer, they kept encountering a problem: the beer reacted quickly with metal, causing an unpleasant ...

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Let’s Talk About Sextants!

American Sailing — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 16:47:58 +0000

Ah, the sextant… that odd magical contraption that sleeps in an aged wooden box and stored in a seldom-used locker. Every once in a while you break it out and it’s glorious to behold – there’s poetry in its very existence. You look at the curves and the shiny mirrors, then you spin the dials – they feel substantial and real. You gaze at the increment markers and numbers and hold it in your hand just as Captain Cook’s navigator did with something oh so similar. As you feel the weight of this incredible innovative invention you mutter, “I wish ...

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Could Algae Save the World?

Lauren Coiro — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 14:45:37 +0000

Traditionally the boating community associates algae with one word: nuisance. It covers hulls, jams propellers, slimes up fishing poles, and can even make the water unswimmable. Algae is a gigantically diverse group of marine organisms, ranging from tiny single-celled plankton, to kelp that stretches hundreds of feet toward the surface, to the wrapper of your favorite sushi roll. While our frustrations with algae are fair, I think its bad rap isn’t entirely deserved. Consider all the animals we love that are housed and fed by algae, for example. And in times of pollution and climate change, algae has potential for ...

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