Member Programs

ASTA ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY FOR VESSELS:“FEATURED VESSEL MEMBER”

In our continuing effort to help vessels and programs recruit trainees, ASTA is pleased to announce a new category for vessel membership called Featured Vessel Member. This new membership vehicle will  capture the sales power inherent in ASTA’s central position in the sail training marketplace, and put it to work for participating members. 

We enjoy great traffic to our website now, from people inquiring about how to sign aboard sail training ships.  Through Featured Vessel Members (FVM) program, we will increase this traffic dramatically.  FVM’s will benefit by getting the “first look” from these visitors, and having a direct, click-through ability to satisfy the inquiry, close the sale and make bookings.

Here’s how it works:
ASTA provides a highly visible and direct “click through” connection from our website’s home page to a new Featured Vessel Members on-line domain, created, input and maintained by ASTA.

This domain provides a rich, attractive, brochure-like presentation in photos and text, separate for each FVM, containing details of the FVM vessel, programs, content, schedules, costs, availability, etc.

Each FVM presentation can be updated once every quarter, to accommodate seasonal changes and new program developments.

From the FVM domain, visitors can directly click through to the FVM’s own website, OR to their listing in the Endorsed Agency website (if they have one) OR BOTH.  Thus, this system will work well to enhance the new Endorsed Trainee Berth Sales Agency program, or it can stand alone.

Cost for FVM status is $750/year in addition to normal base membership fee. If  an organization operates more than one vessel, additional vessels may be enrolled in FVM for $375/each additional vessel.

Funds collected from this program will be used to buy web advertising strategically designed to drive inquiry traffic to the ASTA website and FVM domain.

For more information, please contact:
Lori Aguiar, Director of Operations, ASTA, lori@sailtraining.org

SAILING SHIP ADVENTURES Endorsed as Trainee Berth Sales Agency for ASTA Members

Next to safe operations, the most important item of ship’s business is recruiting trainees.  Whether it’s teens enrolling in a summer program, retirees embarking on a history cruise, or folks of any age signing the articles for a world voyage, the business of our ships is people.  Ensuring full enrollments can sometimes be the hardest part of sail training. ASTA is pleased to announce that we have just made that task easier, through a new endorsed agency relationship with Sailing Ship Adventures.

Sailing Ship Adventures (SSA) is an established, successful agency that currently represents tall ships from all over the world.  SSA has a great reputation for providing excellent service to the ships they represent and the participants they book.  We are very happy that SSA will provide its booking services to interested ASTA member vessels and programs at a very reasonable cost.

ASTA receives a great volume of traffic to our website from internet search engine click-throughs.  This new functionality available from SSA will allow us to help members convert highly qualified inquiries into trainee berth sales.

Here’s how it works:

ASTA provides a highly visible and direct “click through” connection from our website’s home page to SSA’s online listing. 

SSA maintains an attractive, user friendly website, that lists separately and distinctively the information about participating vessels, program content, program target demographics, sailing dates and schedules, and costs.

SSA is committed to forming a deep understanding of each listed vessel, its strengths and limits, as well as its programmatic goals, content, and desired trainee demographics.  SSA refers and matches inquiries to vessels and programs accordingly.

SSA effects the bookings and sells berths in participating vessels’ listed programs.  They provide initial customer fulfillment communications, and post program participant satisfaction follow up.  

SSA communicates regularly with a large database of current and potential participant prospects.

For its services, SSA retains a commission of 10%.  This rate is below-market for equivalent agency services, and is available as a benefit to ASTA members only through this program.

Business relationship is between SSA and each ASTA member vessel that chooses to participate.  Commissions, transmission of payments from bookings, processing of enrollee information, cancellations, etc.  are all handled between SSA and each participating ASTA member vessel.   ASTA has no involvement in the business process.

ASTA has no financial interest in this relationship.  ASTA’s only interest is to provide a valuable service to our members, and help fill berths with trainees.

Enrolling in this program is, of course, voluntary.  ASTA encourages each member vessel or program to give full consideration to the potential value of this service to their business.

ASTA will monitor the success of the program over time, to ensure maximum value to our participating members.

We expect the full functionality of this service will be available by 1 January 2009.

For more information, please contact:
Dexter Donham, Sailing Ship Adventures, ddonham@sailingshipadventures.com
Lori Aguiar, Director of Operations, ASTA, lori@sailtraining.org

Crew and Individual Health Insurance Now Available to ASTA Members!!

ASTA Mariners require a medical program they can depend on to protect them as they travel throughout the world. Regardless of the type of vessel, they require coverage that provides security, flexibility and benefits unique to today's marine industry demands. Now ASTA members can sail and travel anywhere with the confidence that they are protected with comprehensive, marine-specific coverage providing the safety they deserve.

The Allen Agency and Allen Financial Group of Camden, the ASTA-endorsed insurance company, realizes the importance of benefits and being a member of the association. The companies are pleased to be able to offer a brand new health/medical program, both for crew and individuals. This special health/medical product will better provide important coverages for ASTA mariners and their families.

It's called Reside Blue: Marine Medical Coverage.

ASTA membership is required to participate, through ASTA's new Crew Membership Program or as an individual ASTA member. ASTA's Crew Membership program allows a vessel/employer to buy blocks of 10 membership vouchers at a reduced rate, for distribution to their crew.   The coverage is to protect ASTA members with full coverage, 24/7. This means the program offers coverage both onboard the vessel and when signed off or on personal leisure time. For the vessel/employer, the coverage acts primary to a vessel's Protection and Indemnity insurance. Protection & Indemnity or P & I insurance policy is neither designed nor intended to offer comprehensive medical protection. The coverage is not only a benefit to the employee but as a necessary risk management tool for the Vessel/Employer. 

Program Advantages for Employers and Employees

• Low Deductible -- $500 or $250 -- for treatment within the United States and received directly from an approved PPO Service Provider.
• Coinsurance: After the deductable, the policy pays 80% of the next $5,000 of eligible expenses, then 100% up to policy maximum ($5,000,000 per Insured Person.)
• Coinsurance is waived inside the United States if treatment is received directly from an approved PPO Service Provider and always waived outside the United States.
• Preventive care: Women and men, up to $500 policy period maximum for checkups, routine physical exams, inoculations and vaccinations, female preventative exams and mammograms after 12-month waiting period. Not subject to deductible or coinsurance
• Decreased crew exposure for vessel owners.
• A positive impact on vessel's P & I insurance.
• Meet the marine industry's increasing international legislation in the form of employee qualification compliance standards.
• Marine crew of all nationalities eligible. Valid worldwide protection. Continuous coverage, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 24-hour worldwide travel assistance including emergency medical evacuation coverage.
• Each insured person receives a personal insurance ID card including dependants.
• Coverage for amateur sailboat racing, SCUBA Standard, with professional racing coverage available.
• $10,000 accidental death & dismemberment included with optional increased amounts.
• Low monthly premiums averaging at or below $175 for an individual crew plan.

Who is eligible for this coverage? ASTA vessels and crew members who expect to sail outside of the United States for a significant period of time each year are eligible. In some cases this will require participating organizations to seek coverage that is not available or provided through domestic U.S. insurance companies. 

To receive a quote or more information for your crew or yourself, please contact Rick Bagnall at the Allen Financial Group 207-236-8376 X 540 or email you're a request to rbagnall@allenfg.com

ALL BENEFITS ARE SUBJECT TO THE DEFINITIONS, CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS, EXCLUSIONS, AND PROVISIONS OF THIS POLICY. CONSULT THE MASTER POLICY FOR SPECIFICS.

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New ASTA Crew Membership Launched!  

ASTA has launched a new category of membership!  Crew Memberships are now available to crew members working on ASTA Member Vessels.

Crew memberships must be purchased by the member Sail Training Organization and are sold in lots of 10 for $250.  Membership application forms are sent to the member STO who then distributes them to crew members.  The memberships are valid for one year from the time ASTA receives the completed application form and carry all the same benefits as an individual membership ($50) plus some added benefits.

Member organizations, such as LYNX shown above, whose entire crew become ASTA members, will receive a certificate showing that they have "Full Vessel MemberSHIP" in ASTA.  

ASTA "Crew Members" are eligible for a 40% discount off the registration fee for the 2009 Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships

  For more information, or to order memberships for your crew, please contact Jennifer@sailtraining.org

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Allen Agency Insurance

We are pleased to introduce the Allen Agency of Camden, Maine as an ASTA officially-endorsed insurance agency. Established in 1866, the Allen Agency is an independent, employee-owned Camden, Maine company with 55 employees. 

The Allen Agency has insured tall ships for decades. In fact, 20 percent of ASTA members insure through the Allen Agency. The company's tradition of exemplary service and competitive rates is now available to both new customers and returning ones.

The Allen Agency specializes in providing vessel owners from around the world with choices in coverage from a variety of the industry’s best insurance companies. Gene McKeever and Rebecca Robinson, your Allen Agency marine insurance experts, back up these offerings with the utmost attention to detail and an emphasis on customer service.

Rebecca has more than 20 years experience in the insurance field. Gene has more than 25 years of experience in marine insurance and is one of the East Coast’s best known marine insurance agents.

The Allen Agency offers these products to ASTA members as an ASTA officially-endorsed insurance agency:

• Hull, P&I and related vessel insurance for U.S.-flagged member vessels, for members who qualify.
• Hull, P&I and related vessel insurance for foreign-flagged member vessels, for members who qualify.
• Non-profit directors and officers liability insurance to members who qualify.
• “Events cancellation insurance and Events Liability insurance”
• General business insurance for land-based operations of ASTA members.

To use our simplified application process Click Here.  In the meantime, if you have questions, call Gene McKeever at 1-800-439-4311.