AMERICAN
SAILING
THE JOURNAL OF THE R ASSOCIA TION
AMERICAN
SAILING
FEATURE STORY: ASA SCHOOL IN PHUKET EXPERIENCE TSUNAMIS
By Rob Williams
B
y the night of December 26th, 2004,
who in the world hadn’t heard about
and seen images from the devastating
tsunamis that struck Thailand, India, Sumatra
and thousands of low-lying islands in the region?
Monday morning, December 26th, a concerned
ASA finally received word about Yachtpro, our
school outpost based in Phuket, Thailand.
Following are highlights from the emails we
received over the next several days from our ASA
affiliate Rob Williams at Yachtpro.
Damage to the village with wrecked boats ashore
Your newspapers and tvs have been full
of the Asian Tsunami disaster. We at did not get through.
Yachtpro, your school in Phuket, lived
through - and with - this tragedy. Since
While the situation here is tragic, fortunately none
December 26th we have been inundated
of our staff, clients or boats suffered damage.
with emails checking on our well-being.
Unfortunately most of us have friends, or know
These have been appreciated
people, who died.
unbelievably. We tried to answer most
We had three yachts out sailing when the tsunami
but it would seem that all of our replies
hit. The two at sea thought it was a boat’s wake. The
continued on page 16
LIVING THE DREAM • CHRIS & JEFF STACK
As my wife Chris and I turned onto I-10 in Los
Angeles, we stared down the long, dark road to
Florida and the would-be birthplace of our boat.
“This is the right thing to do,” I said, trying to assert
determination while I was really asking a question.
That night our Jeep had little in it other than the
road trip essentials: licorice, music, clean clothes
and construction plans to a 45’ schooner we named
Momentum. As we passed by the closed offices of
continued on page 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
>> ASA Member Event >> Featured Sailboat
SunSail • Antigua Mirabella V
>> Sailing Destination >> Nautical Challenge
Sailing Tonga Navigation
>> Safety at Sea >> Facility Profile
Small Craft Advisory Yacht Explorers
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