ASA 106, Advance Coastal Cruising Certification

Course Objective

Enjoy a memorable adventure vacation with your family. After these 3 days and 2 nights (or 4 days and 3 nights) of on-the-water training, you should be able to safely act as a skipper and crew of a sailing vessel about 30 to 50 feet in length to the Channel Islands in any condition.

About Santa Barbara Island

Are you familiar with Santa Barbara Island? It is a serene speck of land 55+ miles offshore from Newport Beach. This wind-blown landscape reminds one of the peace that must have reigned in California before millions moved here. There are cliff-hugging trails with beautiful views. There are thousands of sea lions lounging around the bases of rocky cliffs. You can hike from one side of the island to the other within an hour. You can kayak through sea caves. And…there are no people. You and your group might be the only people on the whole island.

Because of the uniqueness of this island and the fact that you will probably be the only people out there, we have chosen it as the favored destination for our ASA 106, Advanced Coastal Cruising Certification Class. What you will learn in ASA 106 will prepare you to explore this island and others in the Channel Islands National Park with more confidence. The Channel Islands National Park is one of the least used National Parks in the US. Soon you’ll anchor in a secured cove and be the only boat around. The anchorage and the island will feel like yours.

Course Overview

• Sail to Santa Barbara Island, 55+ miles offshore from Newport Beach.
• Stand a navigation watch during a passage of about 20 miles by night and over 20 miles by day using traditional methods and electronic instrumentation.
• Demonstrate correct procedures for hoisting, setting, trimming, jibing, dousing and packing a cruising spinnaker.
• Demonstrate crew over-board recovery at night.
• Demonstrate double anchoring techniques.

To view the full ASA 106 curriculum click here

Materials

• Annapolis Book of Seamanship
  

Prerequisite

• This course is for sailors who have completed ASA 101, 103, 104 and 105

Agenda

Here is the typical agenda for this course, weather permitting:

• Day 1: Sail from Newport Beach to the West End of Catalina Island. Find a quiet cove like Emerald Bay and anchor for the night. Spend the afternoon hiking and/or kayaking.
• Day 2: Sail from the West End of Catalina to Santa Barbara Island. Enjoy the welcoming party of playful sea lions. Anchor and kayak to the natural arch, snorkel with sea lions or hike across the island.
• Day 3: Sail from Santa Barbara Island back to Newport (a 55 mile sail). Practice your navigation skills without the electronics, and then check the electronic navigation equipment: are you close? Fly the gennaker, perfect your watch rotations. Practice night sailing.
• Optional Day 4: Spend an extra day on Santa Barbara Island relaxing and exploring. Or break up the long sail back to Newport by sailing back to Catalina.

Tuition

• Tuition includes ASA certification for two students over 18 years of age.
• Additional ASA certifications for persons over age 18: $150.00 p/person
• ASA certification for persons under age 18 is not available; however, a certificate of completion will be awarded to your junior crew members.

Scheduling

You work with the instructor to schedule the dates that work best for your family.