Learn to Sail - American Sailing Association

Did you know that Albert Einstein used to find relaxation in sailing his small boat on alpine lakes in Switzerland? He's just one of many who have come to cherish the experience. Have you ever seen a sailboat gliding quietly through the water, or read of sailing adventures and thought "I'd sure like to do that... but I can't afford a sailboat"? The truth is, you don't need to have a boat to become a part of the wonderful world of sailing.

The American Sailing Association's comprehensive courses can teach you everything you need to know, and get that education and those skills certified. It may very well be the most fun and excitement you've ever had while learning! From there, you can crew or even rent and captain a vessel, all without the burden and expense of sailboat ownership. Earning your Sailing Certificate is the key that unlocks an awesome world of fun, excitement, relaxation and pleasure.

It never hurts to pick up a book or two on sailing, but there's just so much a book can teach you. The rest must be learned through hands-on experience. The ASA provides you with both allowing you the opportunity to learn from highly qualified instructors. Safety always come first, right before fun!

Find an ASA Sailing School in your area: Sailing Schools

One more reason for ASA certification courses is that they'll allow you to rent vessels for pleasure on your day off, for a day-cruise during your vacation, or even as the vacation itself. Such beautiful destinations as the Greek Islands, the Caribbean, and the south Pacific, Borneo, and many others open up to you. You'll see these breathtaking places from a unique perspective when you survey them by sea. Obviously, the owner of a vessel is going to want reassurance that you're capable before handing his vessel over to you. The ASA's Sailing Certificate is that assurance. Once you have it, your skills will be recognized all over the world! Let's take a look at the ASA courses available:

ASA 101 is the Basic Keelboat course. In it, you'll learn to sail a 20' vessel in light to moderate winds and conditions, in familiar waters - without supervision. This course has no prerequisites, and is designed to prepare you for further learning. Successful completion earns you a sailing certificate.

ASA 103 is the Basic Coastal Cruising course for keelboats. When completed, you'll be able to cruise safely in local and regional waters, both as skipper and as crew, on an auxiliary powered sailboat 20-30 feet in length, in moderate winds and conditions.

ASA 104, Intermediate Coastal Cruising (and also your Bareboat Chartering certificate, requires that you've completed ASA 101 and 103. The course provides advanced cruising training for those with some cruising experience. When completed, you'll be able to act as skipper or crew of a 30 - 50 foot boat sailing during daylight hours in coastal waters. This education includes both boat systems and maintenance.

ASA 105 is a classroom-only certification in Coastal Navigation. There are no prerequisites; one could take this class in advance of lower courses. When successful with this class, you'll be able to demonstrate the navigational theory needed to safely navigate a sailing vessel in coastal or inland waters. The practical application of this sailing knowledge is found in ASA 106.

ASA 106, Advanced Coastal Cruising, is the applied aspect of ASA 105. Prerequisites are all of the above, 101, 103, 104 and 105. In this hands-on course, you'll learn to safely be skipper or crew of a sailing vessel 30-50 feet long. The course prepares you for both day and night sailing in coastal and inland waters, regardless of weather and conditions. When you've completed this course, you're ready to take a vessel pretty much anywhere except offshore and on trans-oceanic crossings.

ASA 107 through 114 are expert courses designed to improve upon your skills and abilities. Amongst offerings are Celestial Navigation (the ability to navigate offshore by the sun, moon and stars with a sextant,) and Offshore Passagemaking, including the practical use of Celestial Navigation. Those interested in centerboard or daggerboard vessels, including multihulls, will want to take the Basic Small Boat Sailing class, which teaches the handling of centerboard and multihull vessels (non-keel) at a basic level. ASA 113, Trailerable Multihull Standard, adds certification in your ability to safely cruise an auxiliary-powered multihull 20-30 feet long in moderate winds and seas. This includes skills which are unique to catamarans or trimarans (including folding and trailering, righting, etc.). Prerequisites exist, and combine with 113 to prepare you for ASA 114, which is an advanced course in cruising larger catamarans of 30-50 feet. During the day.

ASA 117-120 are yet more specialized or advanced skills, including further abilities in Celestial Navigation, Docking, using weather information, and finally a Radar course which teaches you how to use small-craft radar efficiently for navigation, piloting, and collision avoidance.

Maritime Training Programs from SailTime: Learn To Sail

Now that you know where to get the education, how do you go sailing? Of course, your first sailing experiences will be at the ASA-certified schools themselves, where you take the classes and learn the skills. Along the way, you're certain to make new friends who have boats, if you don't know some already. There will be plenty of opportunities to crew on their vessels. You may also find a novice's slot in amateur sailboat racing.

One great way to enjoy the day or weekend is to join a sailing club, where you can rent a vessel. Renting the boat with a qualified captain makes for a great time as well as a good hands-on one-on-one education. You can work on your single-handing skills with the safety net of a captain close at hand, should you need him.

Eventually, you may even want to participate in the fractal ownership of a vessel. This innovative approach allows you to afford to go sailing regularly for a small portion of the cost of owning so impressive a vessel. With Fractal sailing, you enjoy all the pleasures of owning a vessel without all the hassles. The maintenance and preparation, as well as all other matters, are tended to for you. You and your family or friends can just show up and go have fun! When you return, the maintenance crew will check the boat back in, stow the gear, wash her down, and put her to bed, while you're off enjoying a meal by the marina or sipping on cocktails, reminiscing about the day's cruising!

Join the world of Einstein, Columbus, Da Gama, and Cook. Share the favorite pass timee of JFK, Ted Kennedy, Bob Seger, Christopher Cross, David Crosby, Jimmy Buffet, John Lennon, SimonLeBonn, Jeremy Irons, Elton John, Christine McVie, Morgan Freeman, Humphrey Bogart, and many others. There's nothing quite as exhilarating as sailing, and ASA's courses are a great way to make your start into a magnificent and awe-inspiring world. For as many as love sailing, there are still relatively few these days who give themselves the wondrous gift. Once you've been to sea, you'll find it changes you. You'll be hard-pressed to remember how your life was before you did.

It may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but in no time you'll be moving about on deck like an old salt, the wind blowing through your hair as the rigging hums and the vessel beneath your feet heels as she races through the waves. At sea, you'll spy dolphins nearby or playing in your bow's wake, perhaps even see whales! The world opens up into a whole new dimension when you step onto the other three-quarters of the planet. Go for it. You'll be very glad you did. Check in to ASA sailing courses now!

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