That's good to know, I remember seeing something about bareboat chartering and ASA in another thread and kinda got the impression it was required. I dunno if chartering is something I would want to do but it's good to know.
I remember seeing that offshore sailing course while I was researching lessons a few weeks ago. I think that would be a lot of fun but I can only imagine what something like that costs...
In MOST instances, ASA certification is not required to charter a bareboat. Most charter companies will accept a sailing resume in lieu of ASA certification, and, regardless of certification status, will also check your sailing skills out during an introductory sail on the boat that you wish to charter. If you don't pass, you don't get the boat.
That said; HAVING the ASA certification means that you have successfully demonstrated that you can do the specific things that are required for that level of certification. Briefly; 101 means that you know sailing terminology, how to sail and pick up a MOB. 103 means that you know how to dock, and how to anchor. 104 means that you know what to do when things go wrong, how to reef, how to navigate, and provision. The preceding list touches only the highlights, there is a lot more.
You definitely can get the skills without lessons, but it will probably take a lot more time. ASA allows for you to "challenge" the standard, which means demonstrate your knowledge, and gain the certification without taking the class, and it costs less than taking the class. Having ASA certification means that the check out should be quick, painless, and not embarrassing.
Another benefit to taking sailing lessons is that it enables you to sail with different people. Most people find that learning from other's mistakes is very effective (as you will see from the armchair captaining that goes on here and in other forums). You can also meet sailing partners (crew/captain) without making the commitment of joining a club...
If you think that the cost of lessons is scary... wait till you buy, or buy a share of, a boat.
