Basic Coastal Cruising – ASA 103

Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat Sailing Certificate
General Description: The sailor completing this course will be 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. Check out our schedule of Upcoming ASA 103 classes in San Diego, or contact us to book according to your own schedule (get three friends together and it’s VERY easy).

This class will be held for 2 days from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Schedule to take the ASA 103 test during normal office hours. All students will have read “Sailing Fundamentals” prior to start of class.

Consider taking ASA 103 as part of a 101/103 Combo.

By the end of your training, you will be able to define, execute and perform ALL of the below skills.

DAY 1

Classroom 0900-1130

• Terms and definitions
• Running lights
• Duties of Skipper and Crew
• Rules of the road under power
• Essential safety equipment
• Review: Safety Harness & Deck Safety
• Hypothermia
• Refueling
• Rules of the road under sail
• Approaching Divers & Dive Flags
• Review questions

Lunch 1130-1200

Dockside 1200-1230

• Check out vessel’s gear
• Engine check
• Winch techniques – proper use and overrides
• Knots: use of bowline, reef knot, figure eight, clove hitch, round turn & half hitch

Underway 1230-1630

• Maneuvering under power
• Departing exercise
• Stopping under power
• Parallel docking
• Figure eight, half & full power
• Sailing
• Function as Helmsman & Crew
• Giving commands & proper responses
• Tacking & jibing
• Sail all points of sail
• Reduce heel on all points of sail
• Lower sails
• Prepare boat for docking
• Return to dock under power

End of Day One

DAY 2

Classroom 0900-1100

• Sail selection
• Weather
• Heavy-weather Sailing
• Reefing systems
• Magnetic compass
• Preparing for coastal cruising
• Review: Anchors & their uses
• Anchorages
• Chart symbols
• Aids to navigations
• Running aground & other nuisances
• VHF protocol
• Review questions

Lunch 1100-1130

Underway 1130-1630

• Maneuvering under power
• Leaving the dock
• Anchoring
• Man overboard exercise
• Sailing
• Sailing a compass course
• Reefing the mainsail
• Heaving to & getting underway
• Person overboard exercise
• Lowering the sails
• Preparing boat for docking
• Return to dock under power

WRITTEN EXAM AND SURVEY

End of Day Two