Classes
Recognized as ASA’s School of the Year
Sail With Confidence!
Signing up for sailing lessons has never been this easy! Now is the time to sign up, get out on the water and earn your ASA Sailing Certification with America's favorite sailing school! Our course line up covers everything from Basic Sailing to Cruising to Advanced Navigation, Flotillas, Group Events and more.
All of our courses are summarized below so take a cruise through our course calendar to check availability and dates, enroll in your next class!
Events
ASA 105 COASTAL NAVIGATION | JANUARY 2027 | MADISON, WI: $597.00
Navigate with confidence, even when you cannot rely solely on electronic navigation. ASA 105 Coastal Navigation is an in-depth, classroom-based course that teaches you how to interpret nautical charts, plot courses and positions, use maritime publications and account for tides, currents, wind and leeway when planning a passage.
Through instructor-led lessons and hands-on chart work, you’ll develop practical navigation skills that strengthen your understanding of how your vessel interacts with the world around it. No previous ASA certification is required, and the course is especially valuable for sailors preparing for ASA 106 Advanced Coastal Cruising.
Format: 25.5 hours of live, in-person instruction in Madison, Wisconsin, on January 18, 19, 21, 22 and 23, 2027.
Click the REGISTER button to view the complete schedule, see everything included with tuition and reserve your place.
![ASA 105, Coastal Navigation In-person, online, Virtual Instructor Lead]( "ASA 105, Coastal Navigation In-person, online, Virtual Instructor Lead")
ASA 107 – Celestial Navigation Workshop | April 10th, April 11th, April 17th, April 18th, 2027 | Milwaukee, WI: $1,397.00
Learn to find your position by reading the sky.
ASA 107 Celestial Navigation is an advanced course for sailors who want to move beyond electronic navigation and understand one of the oldest and most rewarding skills in seamanship. Using the sun, moon, stars and planets, you’ll learn how mariners have crossed oceans for centuries and why these traditional skills still matter today.
This course combines practical sextant work with the core concepts of offshore navigation. You’ll learn how to take celestial observations, reduce sights, use time accurately, work with the Nautical Almanac, and plot lines of position to determine where you are. Along the way, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of direction, latitude, longitude, apparent motion, and the relationship between your vessel and the world around it.
Celestial navigation is not just a backup to GPS. It is a discipline that sharpens your awareness, builds confidence, and connects you to the art of ocean sailing in a way no screen ever can.
This course is an excellent next step for sailors preparing for offshore passages, bareboat cruisers looking to expand their knowledge, or anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered, “Could I navigate by that?”
Format: This four-day ASA 107 Celestial Navigation course is held over two weekends. See the scheduled course dates and times for details.
Click the REGISTER button to view complete course information and reserve your place.
![]( "ocean-3605547_1920.2e16d0ba.fill-560×315.width-560")
ASA 101 Keelboat 1 | May 29th & May 30th, 2027 | South Shore Yacht Club, Milwaukee, WI: $647.00
South Shore Yacht ClubPrerequisites: NoneReady to become a sailor? ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1 is the perfect place to begin. No previous sailing experience is required.
Over one hands-on weekend, you’ll learn the fundamentals of sailing aboard a tiller-steered Hunter 216. With no more than four students per class, everyone receives plenty of time at the helm, trimming sails, practicing maneuvers, and rotating through the different crew positions.
You’ll build a strong foundation in boat handling, sail trim, safety, sailing terminology, crew-overboard recovery, knots, and more, all while gaining the skills and confidence to continue your sailing journey.
Your course includes two full days of hands-on sailing instruction aboard one of our training sailboats, use of all sailing equipment, the official ASA textbook and course materials, plus the ASA 101 examination and certification.
Click the REGISTER button below to view the complete course details, available dates, and tuition, or reserve your place in an upcoming class.
![ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing]( "ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing")
ASA 101 Keelboat 1 | June 19th & June 20th, 2027 | South Shore Yacht Club, Milwaukee, WI: $647.00
South Shore Yacht ClubPrerequisites: NoneReady to become a sailor? ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1 is the perfect place to begin. No previous sailing experience is required.
Over one hands-on weekend, you’ll learn the fundamentals of sailing aboard a tiller-steered Hunter 216. With no more than four students per class, everyone receives plenty of time at the helm, trimming sails, practicing maneuvers, and rotating through the different crew positions.
You’ll build a strong foundation in boat handling, sail trim, safety, sailing terminology, crew-overboard recovery, knots, and more, all while gaining the skills and confidence to continue your sailing journey.
Your course includes two full days of hands-on sailing instruction aboard one of our training sailboats, use of all sailing equipment, the official ASA textbook and course materials, plus the ASA 101 examination and certification.
Click the REGISTER button below to view the complete course details, available dates, and tuition, or reserve your place in an upcoming class.
![ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing]( "ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing")
ASA 118 Docking Endorsement | June 25th | South Shore Yacht Club, Milwaukee, WI: $697.00
Take the stress and uncertainty out of docking with ASA 118 Docking Endorsement.
This hands-on course combines docking theory with repeated practice to help you confidently maneuver, dock, and cast off an auxiliary-powered sailboat. You’ll learn how wind, current, prop walk, pivot point, and boat configuration affect your approach, then practice using dock lines, spring lines, fenders, and crew communication in a variety of situations.
Training also includes harbor maneuvering, controlled stops, backing, turning within narrow fairways, and handling the boat in confined or busy areas. The techniques apply to everything from 30-foot weekend cruisers to 50-foot, single-screw sailing yachts.
Both newly certified and experienced sailors can benefit from focused docking practice. Skippers, spouses, partners, and crew members will leave better prepared to contribute during docking and more confident aboard the boat.
Prerequisites: ASA 103 Coastal Cruising or equivalent experience handling an auxiliary-powered sailboat.
Format: This is a hands-on, on-the-water, one-day course from 9:00am – 4:00pm
Click the REGISTER button to explore the complete course details, and to reserve your place aboard.
![ASA118 – Docking Endorsement (118)]( "ASA118 – Docking Endorsement (118)")
ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising | June 26th & 27th, 2027 | Port Washington, WI: $897.00
PORT WASHINGTON, WIPrerequisites: ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1Ready to move beyond the basics? ASA 103 Coastal Cruising builds on the foundation developed in ASA 101 and introduces you to the skills needed to safely operate a larger, auxiliary-powered cruising sailboat.
During this intensive two-day course, you’ll gain hands-on experience with boat handling under sail and power, docking, sail trim, anchoring, navigation, weather, safety procedures, boat systems, and cruise preparation.
By the end of the course, you’ll have greater confidence handling a cruising sailboat and a solid foundation for planning and enjoying daytime coastal cruises. You’ll also be prepared to continue building your skills with ASA 104: Bareboat Cruising.
Format: This course is offered as an intensive two-day course.
Click the REGISTER button to explore the complete course details, available dates, and tuition, or to reserve your place.
![ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising]( "ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising")
ASA 111: Sailing 101 Review | July 2nd, 2027 | South Shore Yacht Club, Milwaukee, WI: $647.00
South Shore Yacht ClubPrerequisites: ASA 101, Keelboat Sailing 1Has it been a while since your ASA 101 course? Get back aboard, refresh your sailing skills and rebuild your confidence during this hands-on review designed for sailors who have already earned their ASA 101 certification.
You’ll revisit the fundamentals of keelboat sailing, including sail trim, points of sail, tacking, jibing, crew communication, safety procedures, crew-overboard recovery and essential knots. There are no examinations and no new textbook required. This is simply an opportunity to practice, ask questions and spend focused time sailing with an instructor.
Prerequisite: ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1
Format: This one-day course is offered from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Click the REGISTER button to view complete course information and reserve your place.
![ASA111, Sailing Skills Review]( "ASA111, Sailing Skills Review")
ASA 103/104 – Lake Michigan Intensive Learn-to-Sail Adventure – Coastal to Bareboat Cruising Combo | July 5th through July 9th, 2027 | Port Washington, WI: $2,457.00
PORT WASHINGTON, WIPrerequisites: ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1Turn five days on Lake Michigan into the sailing experience that takes you from basic sailing skills to confidently cruising a larger sailboat.
The ASA 103/104 Lake Michigan Intensive Learn-to-Sail Adventure combines two American Sailing certifications with a five-day liveaboard cruising experience along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline.
Rather than returning to the same marina after each lesson, we’re going cruising. You’ll depart Port Washington, sail north to Sheboygan and Manitowoc, practice anchoring and living aboard away from marina facilities, and work your way back to Port Washington.
Throughout the voyage, you’ll become an active member of the crew while rotating through sailing, navigation, docking, anchoring, passage planning, boat systems, weather decisions, and skipper responsibilities. The goal is not simply to pass two ASA courses. It is to experience what it is actually like to plan, sail, and manage a multi-day cruise aboard a larger cruising sailboat.
By the end of the adventure, students who successfully complete the required examinations and practical skills assessments will earn both ASA 103 Coastal Cruising and ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising certifications.
Prerequisite: ASA 101: Keelboat Sailing 1
Format: Monday, July 5th through Friday, July 9th, 2027, departing from and returning to Port Washington. The planned route is Port Washington to Sheboygan, Manitowoc, an anchorage, and back to Port Washington. The exact itinerary may change based on weather, wind, lake conditions, and the captain’s judgment.
Click the REGISTER button to explore the complete course details, itinerary, tuition, and to reserve your place aboard.
Five Days. Two ASA Certifications. One Lake Michigan Cruising Adventure.
![ASA 103/104 combo class]( "asa-103-104-combo")
ASA 101 Keelboat 1 | July 10th & July 11th, 2027 | South Shore Yacht Club, Milwaukee, WI: $647.00
South Shore Yacht ClubPrerequisites: NoneReady to become a sailor? ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1 is the perfect place to begin. No previous sailing experience is required.
Over one hands-on weekend, you’ll learn the fundamentals of sailing aboard a tiller-steered Hunter 216. With no more than four students per class, everyone receives plenty of time at the helm, trimming sails, practicing maneuvers, and rotating through the different crew positions.
You’ll build a strong foundation in boat handling, sail trim, safety, sailing terminology, crew-overboard recovery, knots, and more, all while gaining the skills and confidence to continue your sailing journey.
Your course includes two full days of hands-on sailing instruction aboard one of our training sailboats, use of all sailing equipment, the official ASA textbook and course materials, plus the ASA 101 examination and certification.
Click the REGISTER button below to view the complete course details, available dates, and tuition, or reserve your place in an upcoming class.
![ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing]( "ASA 101, Basic Keelboat Sailing")
ASA 104, Bareboat Chartering | July 17th & July 18th, 2027 | Milwaukee, WI: $1,097.00
South Shore Yacht ClubPrerequisites: ASA101-Keelboat Sailing 1, ASA103-Coastal CruisingASA 104 Bareboat Cruising is a comprehensive cruising course for experienced sailors ready to take on greater responsibility aboard a larger cruising sailboat.
You’ll develop practical skills in basic navigation, cruise planning, provisioning, advanced anchoring techniques, boat systems, maintenance procedures, weather interpretation, and emergency response. You’ll also explore international sailing considerations and learn how to respond to the “what ifs” that might occur when you are away from immediate assistance and become the first responder for your boat and crew.
By the end of the course, you’ll be better prepared to act as skipper or crew aboard a 30- to 45-foot sailboat during a multi-day cruise in inland or coastal waters. 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 boat.ASA 104 also provides a strong foundation for continuing to ASA 105 Coastal Navigation and ASA 106 Advanced Coastal Cruising.
Format: This course is 2 consecutive days with and optional overnight. Students who successfully complete the required written examination and practical skills assessment will earn the ASA 104 certification.
Click the REGISTER button to explore the complete course details, tuition, and to reserve your place in this class.
![ASA 104, Bareboat Chartering]( "ASA 104, Bareboat Chartering")
ASA 108, Offshore Passage Making | July 19th through July 23rd, 2027 | Milwaukee, WI: $3,427.00
South Shore Yacht ClubPrerequisites: ASA 106 Advanced Coastal Cruising, ASA 107: Celestial Navigation or ASA 117: Basic Celestial EndorsementStep up to true offshore sailing with Sea Safaris’ ASA 108: Offshore Passagemaking course, departing from South Shore Yacht Club in Milwaukee.
This advanced five-day liveaboard course is designed for experienced sailors who want to confidently plan and execute multi-day, nonstop passages while sailing day and night away from the comfort of the marina.
You’ll stand watches, sail through the night, and rotate through the roles of skipper, watch captain, navigator, helmsman, and crew. Along the way, you’ll gain real-world experience with passage planning, weather routing, nighttime navigation, heavy-weather preparation, emergency procedures, and managing a vessel underway.
The passage is planned to include at least 72 continuous hours and 100 nautical miles without touching land, providing genuine offshore passagemaking experience, not simply a series of day sails. Students who successfully complete the course requirements will earn the ASA 108 certification.
Prerequisites: ASA 106 Advanced Coastal Cruising and either ASA 107: Celestial Navigation or ASA 117: Basic Celestial Endorsement.
Format: Five-day liveaboard course departing from and returning to South Shore Yacht Club in Milwaukee. The exact route and passage schedule will be determined by weather, lake conditions, and the captain’s judgment.
Click the REGISTER button to explore the complete course details, tuition, and to reserve your place aboard.
![ASA 108, Offshore Passagemaking]( "ASA 108, Offshore Passagemaking")
ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising | July 22nd & 23rd, 2027 | Port Washington, WI: $897.00
PORT WASHINGTON, WIPrerequisites: ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1Ready to move beyond the basics? ASA 103 Coastal Cruising builds on the foundation developed in ASA 101 and introduces you to the skills needed to safely operate a larger, auxiliary-powered cruising sailboat.
During this intensive two-day course, you’ll gain hands-on experience with boat handling under sail and power, docking, sail trim, anchoring, navigation, weather, safety procedures, boat systems, and cruise preparation.
By the end of the course, you’ll have greater confidence handling a cruising sailboat and a solid foundation for planning and enjoying daytime coastal cruises. You’ll also be prepared to continue building your skills with ASA 104: Bareboat Cruising.
Format: This course is offered as an intensive two-day course.
Click the REGISTER button to explore the complete course details, available dates, and tuition, or to reserve your place.
![ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising]( "ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising")