About the Course
Prerequisite: ASA 103 - Basic Cruising
ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising is our first “live-aboard” course! Students board our training boat on Thursday morning and spend the next four days and three nights sailing up and down the coast, anchoring or mooring in a different harbor each night.
The goal of the course is to provide our students with sailing skills and real-world, on-water sailing experience so that they can safely and competently plan and sail a multi-day voyage in a cruising sailboat from 36 to 45 feet in length!
Even though we spend the majority of the time onboard, we still follow a similar format to ASA 101 and ASA 103 where we take a couple of hours each morning to present a classroom lecture followed by a long sailing session in the afternoon. We typically depart East Boston on Thursday afternoon and spend the next three days sailing between Scituate, Salem/Marblehead and the Boston Harbor islands, depending on conditions and weather interpretation. This experience is as real-world as it gets!
On the final day, there is a written examination. Upon completion, students receive an American Sailing 104 Bareboat Cruising Certification. (ASA 104 certification is equivalent to the International Certificate of Proficiency that is required in order to bareboat anywhere in the Mediterranean! Learn more about the International Certificate of Proficiency here.)
Ready for bareboat cruising made easy? Read more about our ASA certification courses and what to expect on our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Topics Covered in ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising
Provisioning and Preparation
How do we calculate our drinking water requirements vs. our general freshwater requirements for a 7-day Caribbean charter? In ASA 104 we cover this, how to provision your boat efficiently, common tips and tricks when cooking aboard, as well as different types of refrigeration and galley stoves.
Fuel Consumption and Planning
Learn how to determine your vessel's "Burn Rate" while correctly calculating usable fuel capacity. From there we calculate the motoring range in nautical miles and maximum engine hours. We also discuss the rule of thirds and how to properly plan refueling stops when passagemaking.
Entering a Foreign Port
What do you need when entering a foreign country onboard a sailboat? How does the process typical work? These are common questions when passagemaking or bareboat chartering. We go through all of the documentation required as well as all of the flags needed when entering foreign waters and how to use them. Learn the step by step process of checking into common charter ports such as the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda.
Advanced Sail Trim
Now that we are sailing 50+ nautical miles, we want to refine our sailing technique in an effort to make our passagemaking maximally efficient. Up until now, we have been focusing on the "Angle of attack" in terms of sail trim. Now, we move on to more advanced concepts such as "draft" and "twist" as well as the sail controls needed to use them. Learn how to set up a cruising boat for different wind and sea conditions.
Compass Fixes and Dead Reckoning
In ASA 103 - Basic Cruising, we focus on "visual navigation", the most common, day-to-day form of navigating. In ASA 104 - Bareboat Cruising, we start acquiring fixes or measuring our exact location using hand-bearing compasses and the chart. We then take our fixes and extrapolate our position along a course line using "Dead Reckoning". Learn why sailors keep a log when sailing offshore even with modern navigation technology.
Yacht Systems and Troubleshooting
Many sailors at this level still find the idea of troubleshooting engine issues daunting as they don't have a concrete understanding of how marine diesel engines work. We’ll spend an entire day's lecture going through engine operation, including each major system of the engine, how they work, their most common problems and how to troubleshoot them. Don't be intimidated! This is not a technical course. Our goal is to provide a basic understanding and competency of what we can fix as cruising sailors — and how to know when we need to call a professional mechanic. We also cover the electrical, fresh water and head systems in this course.
And more!
We teach far beyond the basic ASA 104 curriculum and cover many topics. Learn about seasickness, advanced docking techniques, tides and currents, sailing in coastal waters, advanced emergencies, advanced anchoring, dinghy operations, galley operations, boat systems, rough weather, fog and much more!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ASA level 104?
ASA Level 104 refers to the Bareboat Cruising certification offered by the American Sailing Association (ASA). It signifies a higher level of proficiency in sailing, navigation, and boat handling, allowing individuals to operate a sailboat independently for multi-day cruises.
What do you eat while on the course?
Typically, we eat breakfasts and lunches aboard the boat. Most of the anchorages and harbors we visit have shoreside restaurants, and we usually spend at least two nights eating out. On the first day, students and the instructor go to the grocery store to buy provisions for the course and split the bill equally.
What do I need to bring?
Upon confirmation of the course, you will receive a full packing list. Students are responsible for bringing their own bedding (sleeping bag, sheet, pillow), normal sailing clothes, a headlamp, sailing gloves, etc.
What other ASA-certified courses are offered at First Reef Sailing?
In addition to ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising, First Reef Sailing offers the following ASA courses in Boston, Massachusetts:
