Seven Seas Cruising Association
Seven Seas Cruising Association, or SSCA is a non commercial organization for cruisers based in the US and founded in 1952. Their stated purpose being to publish a monthly informational bulletin and promote environmentally conscious yachting among their 10,000 members.
Beyond their bulletin they hold many meetings and seminars for cruisers.
Contents
Bulletin
The monthly Commodores' Bulletin published by the SSCA focuses on sharing information among cruisers regarding a wide variety of topics, from navigation to customs procedures in various countries. Members submit "letters" to the Bulletin about where they are cruising. The result is month after month of mini-cruising guides full of great information on where to anchor (include.waypoints), shop, sightsee, provision and more.
Website
SSCA’s newly updated site will include a new Interactive Map with: Hot spot links to info by country/area Member Tracking - find other members and Cruising Families Over 80 Worldwide Cruising Stations Port Guides Wiki - including SSB/Ham Radio downloads of all information/Letters by area (indexed), including articles, security notices, etc. Other new services include: Self-updating membership roster including basic information like boat name, crew names and hailing port. Online GAM/Event Registration, A totally revamped online Equipment Survey in association with Practical Sailor. Pets OnBoard and the Kid’s Corner, and best of all, a new Discounts and Coupon Specials Page featuring Marine products and services specials expressly for SSCA Members. As always, members can renew and update their email addresses as well as purchase through the online store. Other web features include a two years of the Commodores’ Bulletin in searchable pdfs. Eventually, cruising members will be able to enter their current location on the interactive map on the new Website and view “hot boxes” showing information on the area they are cruising.
History
The SSCA was founded in 1952 in Coronado, California and was based on a single idea—that cruising sailors, both local and abroad, enjoy hearing from and about each other and that their experiences and discoveries can benefit all. From the start, the focus of SSCA was for members to share cruising information by sending letters about their experiences to the Commodores’ Bulletin, to recommend others of for membership, and to “leave a clean wake” so that others who follow will be warmly welcomed. Thus the Clean Wake Policy has been an integral part of SSCA from the beginning. The intention to go cruising, whether locally or worldwide, was extremely important to the membership. For nearly 54 years, SSCA had been a major influence in the cruising community.
Towards the end of 1975, after moving permanently to south Florida, SSCA was incorporated as a Florida ‘Not for Profit’ Corporation. Although the SSCA still depends on volunteers for all of its events and activities, there is a small and dedicated staff of three at “Home Base” in Fort Lauderdale.
Now with almost 10,000 members (a large percentage of whom are currently cruising the world), SSCA continues to grow and find new ways to support cruising sailors. By then end of 2006, the new SSCA Foundation will make its debut. The Foundation is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, and will include a fund to help cruisers in need after an emergency at sea; Educational seminars and workshops to promote safety, self-sufficiency, and other subjects important to persons who go to sea in small craft and to disseminate information to members of SSCA and other cruising sailors, through our website, library and workshops.
Camaraderie has also been an important feature of SSCA from the early days. SSCA Members gather all around the world. On an annual basis, members meet in Trinidad, on Florida’s West Coast, in Maine, Annapolis and at the Annual Convention and Meeting in Melbourne, Florida.
Visit www.ssca.org to join or learn more about the Seven Seas Cruising Association, Inc.
