The Cruising Club of America is a group of accomplished recreational offshore sailors bound together by friendship and the desire to foster the responsibilities, expertise, and skills needed for the adventurous use of the sea.
Members volunteer to achieve the CCA’s goals by sharing experiences, organizing events on and off the water, promoting seamanship and best practices, and recognizing outstanding accomplishments by fellow members and the amateur sailing community. The Club’s initiatives put particular emphasis on safety at sea education and training, exemplary offshore yacht design and construction, and environmental stewardship.
The CCA does not have a physical headquarters. The Club exists anywhere its members come together on land and sea. In popular sailing regions, members organize into stations which host local gatherings for members and guests.
The Club is known - since shortly after its founding in 1922 - for running the biennial Newport Bermuda Race and awarding the Blue Water Medal. More recently, the CCA has added the Young Voyager Award, Roderick Stephens Seamanship Trophy, and Diana Russell Award for Innovation to honor those who represent the best of the Club’s priorities. The Club has published enduring books like Nowhere Is Too Far, Far Horizons, Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts, Safety for Cruising Couples, and Adventurous Use of the Sea, cruising guides to the coasts of Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and Labrador, and the annual publication of members’ articles, Voyages.
Learn more about the CCA at crusingclub.org
About CCA Cruising Guides
A BRIEF HISTORY OF 70-PLUS YEARS OF QUIET SUCCESS
The Cruising Guide to the Nova Scotia Coast was first created in 1950 by Charles W. Bartlett, a Rear Commodore of the Cruising Club of America and a resident of Boston. Charlie was a gunkholer at heart with a strong work ethic and desire to share his hard-won cruising experience with fellow CCA members and later with the cruising community.
His early books were printed on a hand-operated mimeograph machine, placed in 9-ring binders, and mailed throughout the East Coast. There was enough demand and a desire to explore new areas that five years later (1955), Charlie produced The Cruising Guide to Newfoundland and subsequently followed with The Cruising Guide to The Labrador. A fourth, the Cruising Guide to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, was added several years later.
Since its first editions, these guides have accumulated a loyal collection of readers, correspondents, and a dedicated crew of CCA cruisers who continue to write, publish and improve these four guides. Today, the next generation of hearty adventurers and writers update the books every two to three years and still get great satisfaction in sharing their cruising acumen.
Current books are professionally designed, printed, and distributed throughout the eastern U.S. States and Canadian Provinces.
In 2020 the CCA observed that the usage of digital cruising guides was expanding, and to serve this growing market, the club decided to meet the needs of cruisers with a unique online guide. Maine was chosen first since the club has many members who live in Maine because they love cruising here – plus a few others "from away" who also enjoy sailing in Maine.
We selected about 30 members from these hundreds of cruisers – those with the deepest experience on the Maine Coast and a strong desire to share their intimate knowledge.
This first electronic edition represents nearly two years of planning, writing, and professional website expertise. We believe it will enhance and simplify your cruise planning needs by:
- Pre-selecting the best 65 Harbors (places with marine and other essential services) and Anchorages (more secluded places of iconic rugged Maine beauty).
- Providing constantly updated information -- annually and as often as possible in the summer to ensure you have the most current facts.
- Using the deep experience of CCA members to give you the most reliable and relevant information – both place-specific and general advice in a series of blogs or articles.
We invite you to explore our innovative guide and share your opinions via the Feedback tab.