ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising is a comprehensive cruising standard for sailors with previous cruising experience. The course prepares you to act as skipper or crew aboard a 30- to 45-foot sailboat during a multi-day cruise in inland or coastal waters.

In addition to cruise planning, navigation, boat systems, and advanced seamanship, you’ll learn how to respond to the “what ifs” that can arise when you are away from immediate assistance and become the first responder for your boat and crew.

Most charter companies require a sailing resume from the skipper and look for an internationally recognized certification such as ASA 104 when evaluating qualifications to charter a bareboat. This course also prepares you to continue your sailing education with ASA 105 Coastal Navigation and ASA 106 Advanced Coastal Cruising.

The course is offered over two consecutive days with one optional overnight stay aboard Calypso, our 41-foot Jeanneau Sun Odyssey. Students who successfully complete the required written examination and practical skills assessment will earn the ASA 104 certification.

What You’ll Learn

ASA 104 develops the knowledge, practical skills, and decision-making abilities needed to plan and safely complete a multi-day cruise, including:

• Cruise planning, itineraries, and passage preparation
• Provisioning, galley operations, and water management
• Crew organization, communication, and responsibilities
• Preparing the boat and crew for departure
• Electrical, fuel, plumbing, steering, and auxiliary engine systems
• Routine maintenance and troubleshooting
• Advanced sail trim, reefing, and heavy-weather preparation
• Docking and maneuvering under sail and power
• Basic coastal navigation, chart plotting, and GPS operation
• Weather interpretation and voyage planning
• Advanced anchoring and multiple-anchor techniques
• Mooring procedures
• Dinghy and tender operation
• Health, safety, and emergency procedures
• Responding to grounding, fire, flooding, equipment failure, and medical emergencies
• International sailing and bareboat charter considerations
• Skipper responsibilities and decision-making when assistance is not immediately available

Prerequisites

ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1 and ASA 103 Coastal Cruising certifications are required. Students should also be able to demonstrate the knowledge and practical skills covered in both certification standards.

American Sailing recommends completing at least 80 hours of on-the-water sailing experience before beginning ASA 104. Students should arrive comfortable handling a cruising sailboat and prepared to take an active role as both skipper and crew.

What’s Included

Course tuition includes:

• Two days of sailing instruction
• ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising instruction
• ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising Made Easy textbook and course materials mailed to the student upon sign-up, ahead of class
• ASA 104 written examination and practical skills assessment
• ASA 104 certification upon successful completion
• Instruction from professional USCG-licensed captains
• All of your sailing time aboard our training sailboat, including use of the boat and all required sailing equipment.
• A no-cost make-up session if severe or unsafe weather prevents the class from completing the required on-the-water skills

Sailing is naturally weather dependent. Whenever possible, we adjust the course activities around changing conditions. If severe weather makes sailing unsafe, we’ll work with the class to schedule any necessary make-up time at no additional cost.

Course Tuition

$1097.00 per person

This is an overnight liveaboard course, get prepared for a multi-day cruise, build your qualifications for future charter adventures, and take the next step in your sailing education. Reserve your place aboard!