GETTING STARTED
Congratulations
on your interest in learning to sail, or in improving your sailing
skills.
The American
Sailing
Association is the world's foremost organization dedicated to
training, teaching and certifying schools, instructors and sailing
enthusiasts. When you join the American Sailing Association, or work
with an ASA certified school, you know you're getting the most
rigorous, safety-first education and the best sailing instruction
available.
ASA certification facilities give sailors of all experience levels an opportunity to become more competent and confident in their abilities. If you choose to venture beyond the basics, we'll expand your horizons by teaching you to navigate with electronics and with the stars. Become certified at advanced or offshore levels and the world's oceans will become your highways and by-ways. You can learn it all or select the things that interest you the most. Selecting an ASA school assures you of professional training and the best value for your sail education dollar.
ASA affiliated schools now graduate and certify thousands of new sailors annually - sailors who learn faster, learn more and have more fun sailing in more new places. They choose ASA schools because they want to follow a proven curriculum in a professional, supportive learning environment under the direction of certified instructors.
Summary of ASA Standards
ASA Curriculum:
Basic Keelboat
(101)
Prerequisites: None
General Description: Able to
sail a boat of about 20 feet in length in light to moderate winds
and sea conditions in familiar waters without supervision. A
preparatory Standard with no auxiliary power or navigation skills
required.
Basic Coastal Cruising
(103)
Prerequisites: Basic
Keelboat Sailing Certificate
General Description: Able to
cruise safely in local and regional waters as both skipper and crew
on an auxiliary powered sailboat of about 20 to 30 feet in length,
in moderate winds and sea conditions.
Bareboat Chartering
(104)
(Intermediate Coastal
Cruising)
Prerequisites: Basic
Keelboat Sailing and Basic Coastal Cruising Certification
General Description: An
advanced cruising Standard for individuals with cruising experience.
The individual can act as skipper or crew of a 30 - 50 foot boat
sailing by day in coastal waters. The Standard includes knowledge of
boat systems and maintenance procedures.
Cruising Catamaran (114)
Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat (101) and Basic Coastal Cruising (103). The Bareboat
Charter Standard (104) is also a prerequisite and can be attained
either by itself prior to BBC Multihull (114) or in conjunction with
BBC Multihull (114). In either case, ALL MATERIAL IN BOTH STANDARDS
(104 & 114) MUST BE TAUGHT AND TESTED BEFORE 114 CAN BE AWARDED.
General Description: An advanced
cruising standard for individuals with cruising experience. The individual
can act as skipper and crew of a 30-50 foot multihull sailboat by
day in coastal waters. The standard includes those skills unique to
a 30-50 foot multihull.