ASA 103 Certification

Coastal cruising and navigation principles with Jean-Jacques

ASA 103: The Basics of Coastal Cruising

After “ASA 101,” the next level of certification with the American Sailing Association is ASA 103: Basics of Coastal Cruising. The ASA skips 102 and reserves that class number for classes specific to the local area. For instance, locations in Florida may focus on sailing in the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). Lake locations in Colorado may focus on high-altitude health precautions and safety. At least this is what one sailor told me once. I just tried a search to confirm this and found nothing. So it will be our little mystery!

The material gets much more complex in 103 and 104. It also begins to get a lot less related to sailing. That is, we begin to get into the deep running category of the cruising lifestyle. Here it begins to get a lot more like teaching you how to survive and camp in the wild. Well, in the wild and on the water.