Captain's Log

It might not be top of mind for all sailors, but when you plan a week-long liveaboard sailing trip, everybody needs to eat! When you take ASA sailing courses with Go Sail VI, we take care of many of the meals on board. If you charter a bareboat and sail on your own, you will want to know how to operate the stove and grill for all your meals.  When sailing with Go Sail VI, all students will meet with a charter checkout attendant and go over any questions that arise. One of the things you’ll go over during your in-person boat briefing is the kitchen equipment. This article and video can help you prepare for the nuances of lighting the stove and grill before you sail out on your own. Here’s a boat safety briefing on how to light…

When you take a live-aboard sailing trip with Go Sail VI, you may spend more time than you think on a dinghy. What’s a dinghy? You’ve probably heard the term, but maybe you’re not all that familiar with the handy little boat stored on or next to a yacht. This small but mighty watercraft is how you can travel from your anchor or mooring site to one of the many beautiful beaches on the Virgin Islands.  There are a few things to learn before you can safely use your dinghy. When you take ASA sailing courses with Go Sail VI, a charter checkout attendant will walk you through safety tips for the dinghy. This article and video are also good resources when preparing for operating a dinghy on your Virgin Islands sailing vacation.  What Kind of Dinghy Will You Use?…

The Basics The boat: Beau Budd, a 2022 Lagoon 46  Crew: Captain Trevon (instructor) and First Mate Stephanie ASA Students: Christi, Rick, and Lane Courses Completed: ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: A Family Affair The students met with Captain Trevon and First Mate Stephanie at Nanny Cay. Christi, Rick, and…

Sailboat maintenance is an essential part of owning a yacht and comes in handy when you charter a bareboat, too. As part of our ASA sailing courses in the Virgin Islands, all students are required to attend a boat briefing with a charter checkout attendant before setting sail. These briefings help you to understand how your sailboat works, how to troubleshoot issues you may face onboard, and they may even give you a few answers to questions you’ll see on your ASA tests!  In this Boat Briefing, we’ll cover what you need to know about the electrical panel aboard your sailboat. Use this article and the corresponding video to refresh your knowledge before a sailing vacation or to help you troubleshoot a sailboat issue while at sea!  Batteries, Generators, and Beyond  First things first, you’re going to need to turn…

Before you set sail, it’s important to understand a sailboat’s mechanics. Students taking ASA sailing courses at Go Sail VI always meet with a charter checkout attendant before sailing to understand how to operate the boat, ask pertinent questions, and get a refresher on the fundamentals of sailing. But it never hurts to plan ahead, which is the purpose of offering this article and video All About Engines. Use these tools to get a better understanding of boat engine basics and troubleshoot problems you may have when out at sea in the Virgin Islands.  Understanding Sailboat Engines Before you set sail, understanding more about the engine can help you solve common boat problems. While many monohull sailboats have a single engine, the catamarans shown in the video have 2 separate engines. Going over the different components of each with a…

Familiarizing yourself with the helm and steering station before your Virgin Islands sailing vacation can help you gain confidence steering a sailboat even before you leave the dock! The sailboat’s charter checkout attendant will walk you through the features of the gauges, steering wheel, and engine controls during your in-person sailboat safety briefing. We also filmed a video and wrote this article to give you a better understanding of some common features around the helm and some tips on how to use them correctly!  Engine Controls You will see two different engine controls on the catamaran in the video. These control the port side and starboard engines, which operate independently. You can see the following buttons on the panel: On/Off: This switch has a universal power symbol and supplies power to the engine connected to the control panel. Start: You…

The Basics The boat: Lagoon 46 Crew: Captain Trevon (instructor) and Stephanie (first mate) ASA Students: Dave, Jake, and Nina Courses Completed:   ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Big Sailing Dreams The crew met up for dinner and drinks at Compass Point Marina and swapped…

The Basics The boat: Calypso, a 2023 Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 Crew: Captain JT (instructor)   ASA Students: Lizzy and Alex Courses Completed: ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran)   Day 1: Staff Trip This trip was a unique one— the crew was all Go Sail VI staff and…

The Basics The boat: Speculation, a 44′ Leopard catamaran  Crew: Captain Jalil (instructor)   ASA Students: Michael, Eric and Crystal  Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: From Powerboats to Sailboats This crew has no shortage of boating knowledge! Captain Jalil spends…

The Basics The boat: Vesper, a 2023 Lagoon 46 catamaran  Crew: Captain JT (instructor)   ASA Students: Rob and Angela Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Settling In Captain JT met Rob and Angela at the Compass Point Marina at 5pm….

The Basics The boat: Good Times & Tan Lines, a 2023 Lagoon 42  Crew: Captain JT (instructor)   ASA Students: Axel, Dina, and Paul Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Touring Good Times & Tan Lines Axel, Dina, and Paul arrived…

The Basics The boat: Speculation, a 44′ Leopard  Crew: Captain Jalil (instructor)   ASA Students: Zander, Hannah, Justin, and Jillian Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: An Adventurous Crew This crew is big into adventure! Zander sails a Laser in his…

The Basics The boat: Peach Paradise, a FP Helia 44  Crew: Captain Jalil (instructor)   ASA Students: Roberto, Robin, Travis & Sandy Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Sailing to Puerto Rico What’s the best time to start sailing? For those…

The Basics The boat: Speculation, a 2012 Leopard 44  Crew: Captain Jalil (instructor)   ASA Students: Sharlee, Michael, Mason, and Madox Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Giving Chartering a Chance Sharlee, Michael and their two sons, Mason and Madox, have…

The Basics The boat: Speculation, a solar-powered 2012 Leopard 44  Crew: Captain Jalil (instructor)  ASA Students: Emily, Mike, Haley Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Sightseeing and Sailing The crew all met at Crown Bay and decided to get to…

The Basics The boat: Speculation, a solar-powered 2012 Leopard 44  Crew: Captain Jalil (instructor)   ASA Students: Bill and Conner Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Father-Son Fun Bill and his son Conner didn’t have much experience sailing before arriving for…

The Basics The boat: Noble Shadow, a 40 foot Bali Catspace Crew: Captain Jalil (instructor)   ASA Students: Steve, Lorinda, Mary, Peter, Jeff, and Dana Courses Completed:  ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Celebrating Friendship There wasn’t much need for the crew to get to know each…

The Basics The boat: Peaceful Sol, a 2018 Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 Crew: Captain JT (instructor) ASA Students: Marcel and Phyllis Courses Completed:  ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) Day 1: Off to the races! This crew wasted no time hitting the open waters! Phyllis and Marcel have…

The Basics The boat: Good Times & Tan Lines, a Lagoon 42 catamaran Crew: Captain JT (instructor)   ASA Students: Bobby and Jon Courses Completed:  ASA 106  (Advanced Coastal Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran), ASA 116 (Dinghy and Outboard Endorsement) Day 1: Up for the challenge Bobby and Jon both have quite a bit of sailing…

The Basics The boat: Good Times & Tan Lines, a 2022 Lagoon 42 Crew: Captain JT (instructor)   ASA Students: Lee, Lisa, and Peter Courses Completed:  ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104  (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran)   Day 1: Sails Goals Captain JT introduced the crew to “Good Times…