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ASA 101 course or challenge?

20K views 25 replies 16 participants last post by  barnacle bill 
#1 ·
I have been sailing for a couple of months on our new to us Pearson 27 and am thinking about going ahead and getting ASA 101 Keelboat certified soon. I have read Sailing Made Easy (the ASA-approved training book), as well as several others.

There is one instructor available locally that offers the 2-day course/exam and I am considering that. However, I am going to San Diego on business in May where there is a school that offers an ASA 101 challenge as well, which is a one day paper/water exam. The challenge is much less expensive. I have a life time of learning ahead of me about the nuances of sailing and sail trim, but I don't think I would have that much of a problem passing the 101 (I hope). Any recommendations?
 
#2 ·
Check out the standards on the ASA web site. If you feel confident go for the challenge. You might actually find that being on a boat with raw rookies can be a little frustrating.
 
#6 ·
You should be able to challenge at any ASA school, but some dont like handling it. It is relatively easy to fail someone if the instructor is so disposed. For example, do you want to bet several hundred dollars that you'll complete your first figure eight MOB exercise right on-the-spot... the MOB to windward amidships, boat completely stopped in the safety position? If you dont know what every word in the description means, dont even think of trying...
 
#8 ·
I think it depends a lot on your motivation for taking it. I took the 2-day ASA 101 course a few years ago with my wife, before we had a boat. I had sailed a little and was reading everything I could on the subject, and I personally found it a little basic. But my main reason for taking it was to get my wife interested in sailing (she had never been on a sailboat). I thought it would be a good thing for us to do together, to get some real instruction with the same baseline for terminology and technique, and hopefully help talk her into buying a boat.

I don't regret it a bit, and I did learn some things--mostly from the hands-on part. If you're looking to really get some time on the water with the instructor, I think the 2 day is probably better. If you're trying to test out so that you can get into the higher classes to get bareboat certified or something, you're probably better off with the quick and dirty.
 
#12 ·
I think it depends a lot on your motivation for taking it. I took the 2-day ASA 101 course a few years ago with my wife, before we had a boat. I had sailed a little and was reading everything I could on the subject, and I personally found it a little basic. But my main reason for taking it was to get my wife interested in sailing (she had never been on a sailboat). I thought it would be a good thing for us to do together, to get some real instruction with the same baseline for terminology and technique, and hopefully help talk her into buying a boat.

I don't regret it a bit, and I did learn some things--mostly from the hands-on part. If you're looking to really get some time on the water with the instructor, I think the 2 day is probably better. If you're trying to test out so that you can get into the higher classes to get bareboat certified or something, you're probably better off with the quick and dirty.
I'm just surprised it can be done in two days. When I did it, it took 4.
 
#18 ·
When I recently took the ASA 101 course (3 Sundays, IIRC), I had very limited experience with sailing. I could not repeatedly perform the MOB drill to perfection, and the instructor would not pass me until I could. He brought me in for 4 additional hours of practice on his own time. We worked until I could do it SPOT ON. :) I feel that with any certification course, you get out what you put in. If your just looking for a stamp, do the challenge. If your looking to perfect a technique that may one day save someone....Just my 2 $ from a nube. Best of luck either way.
 
#20 ·
Sailing Fundamentals is OK but was subject to some criticism, and as a response ASA came out with Sailing Made Easy. So the latter is the latest, greatest ASA101 book and is supposed to be a considerable improvement on the old course book.

The biggest criticism I would have concerning Sailing Fundamentals is that it mixes 101 and 103 content and it is seldom clear which material applies to which standard.

If you want a sort of simple summary of everything, the course notes I got from the sailing school take some beating.
 
#21 ·
We started with the US Sailing Basic Keelboat on a lake and wanted to take more advanced classes ASA classes on the coast. We took the challenge and passed. Our experience was that the ASA sailing challenge expected less of us than our US Sailing class, and that the written test was comparable.

Before taking keelboat classes, we both had earlier 18' catamaran sailing experience and thought that classes were well worth the time and money.
 
#22 ·
Individual sailing skills are mostly simple, but a tough job for a new sailor is combining them and using good judgment in applying them. Crew overboard drills combine several tasks and require concentration, communication, and teamwork. A good instructor who watches your COB performance can likely tell all sorts of things about how a student is progressing as a sailor.

Similarly, you can learn a whole lot about people and whether you'd want to sail with them when you watch them at the boat ramp and as they approach a marina slip or mooring.
 
#23 ·
Good input from all, thanks.

I called the place in San Diego that I am considering taking the challenge and asked for some details. A cheerful and knowledgeable employee told me that people do it all the time and told me the details of the preparation materials that they would send electronically and what time allowances to make for the paper and water exams. She told me to just schedule ahead to make sure an instructor is available.

I called another instructor a bit closer to me to inquire about challenging and received a response that was less than cheerful and informative.

I am looking forward to Coronado.
 
#25 ·
Good input from all, thanks.

I called the place in San Diego that I am considering taking the challenge and asked for some details. A cheerful and knowledgeable employee told me that people do it all the time and told me the details of the preparation materials that they would send electronically and what time allowances to make for the paper and water exams. She told me to just schedule ahead to make sure an instructor is available.

I called another instructor a bit closer to me to inquire about challenging and received a response that was less than cheerful and informative.

I am looking forward to Coronado.
If you ever need crew send me a pm. Im in SanDiego as well.
Have fun.
 
#24 ·
Money well spent. Im 101,103 certified. Im doing my 104/114 this weekend.
Next will be 105/106 and that will be a rap for now. I never thought I would get as much as I have from the ASA and have fun at the same time.
 
#26 ·
All training is great.
I personally believe there is no better way to learn how to sail than to crew on a racing boat. Find a local yacht club, volunteer to crew on a boat about the same size as yours. You'll learn more faster and in more circumstances than you would on your own.( and when things break it's not your boat.) It's been said that you will tack more times in one race than you would day sailing in a year !
Also you learn how to manage stress, fatigue, emergencies, and screwups in all kinds of conditions. The best part is; you'll make a bunch of friends who you'll enjoy sailing with for the rest of your life and have many stories to tell.

Arrrg!! matey, it brings tears too me one good eye !

Have fun !!!!!!
 
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