ASA 101 completed!!!!
- Thread starter T_Cat
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Congrats, TCat! You got to do your sailing on Capri 22's?? We had to do ours on a Beneteau 28. I would have much rather had a Capri 22!
Funny you should mention that. My boat's PO moved her traveler to the companionway!
It was so he could have the Bimini further aft, for better shade in the cockpit.
It was so he could have the Bimini further aft, for better shade in the cockpit.
That is just a sign that the designer made no compromise on the ideal position of the traveler. Boom end, cockpit width, 90 degree angle to the mainsheet. Right where God intended it. The Cat22 traveler OTOH is such a compromise that most people don't use it.
What were your thoughts on the course overall? Was it worth the money? I have been sailing a few years and am not sure how much it would benefit me other than learning on a new boat which would e nice as we look to upgrade to mid size In the next few years. My main thought behind doing the course is to get my girlfriend more comfortable as I can be a poor teacher. Anyone else with thoughts on ASA 101 please chime in.
Thanks
Thanks
ASA 101 is an excellent way for someone to jump-start their sailing experience. It gives a person a wide base of knowledge taught in a systematic way.
No matter who they will be sailing with, I would never tell a new sailor that it would not be worth it.
Many good sailors are poor teachers. And many who come up through the school-of-hard-knocks have glaring gaps in their own knowledge.
Plus, sailing/learning from more than one person is very valuable.
Thanks Jack.
I've been stalking this forum for over a year watching the rebuilds and reading all the interesting stories while creepily staying quite that has now changed :dance:? By no means do I think I know much about sailing and have certainly learned through the school-of-hard-knocks thus far. I recently purchased and started reading the essential sailing handbook which in the first few pages had already produced information I wish I knew when I started. Looks more and more like I'll be taking forking up the cash and we will be taking the course over the summer, until then I have the school-of-hard-knocks and this forum. Thanks everyone who posts and makes US all smarter with each thread.
Smooth sailings,
William
I've been stalking this forum for over a year watching the rebuilds and reading all the interesting stories while creepily staying quite that has now changed :dance:? By no means do I think I know much about sailing and have certainly learned through the school-of-hard-knocks thus far. I recently purchased and started reading the essential sailing handbook which in the first few pages had already produced information I wish I knew when I started. Looks more and more like I'll be taking forking up the cash and we will be taking the course over the summer, until then I have the school-of-hard-knocks and this forum. Thanks everyone who posts and makes US all smarter with each thread.
Smooth sailings,
William
I am highly in favor of ASA 101. I wish I could get my First Mate to take it. It would be very helpful if she would. I don't do a great job of teaching her while we're out so formal training from someone other than me would be just the ticket.
My wife and I together took the American Red Cross sailing course [on the water instruction] in 1988 followed a few months later by the US Coast Guard Auxilliary course in "Boating Skills and Seamanship" [classroom only]. After that we bought a 20' boat and starting racing PHRF through a yacht club-affiliated sailing association. We also joined a local cruising club (not YC affiliated) and accompanied their weekend cruises on small (22-29 ft) yachts that we bare-boat chartered variously for 3 years until purchasing a 30' cruising yacht of our own (Pearson 30). Twenty years of boating & sailing experience later in 2008 I needed to obtain an ASA 201 Basic Keelboat Instructor Certification so I signed up for a weekend IQC (Instructor Qualification Clinic) in Marina del Rey which involves testing of classroom & water skills, and teaching methods. By the end of the weekend I was an ASA Certified 201 Instructor.
So, what can I say about it? ASA Instructor Certification was not particularly easy, so don't misunderstand--skill and knowledge are required to become an ASA instructor. However, unlike me, many ASA instructors are evidently graduates of ASA's own curriculum, e.g., ASA 101 & 103. Surprisingly, boat ownership is not a "majority rule." Many ASA 201 keelboat instructors (as represented by that IQC) are themselves apparently not boat owners. Sailing instruction is mostly done using small boats (owned or chartered by the school) inside protected waters, such as those of harbors, where you can at times be observed from a dock or other landside venue, although a sailing instructor would be in the boat with you as well. Whereas it's true that you may well benefit from an ASA 101 sailing course, it's a minimal level of training. To gain more skill that way you'd have to sign up for the advanced courses of the series. That starts to add up to a lot of money, ESPECIALLY if there are two of you!
The much less expensive alternatives I outlined above are available b/c Red Cross and USCG Aux are not commercial businesses. Take the money you save and join a sailing association or club and go cruising or racing with those folks. You'll learn a lot more, and faster, socializing with people who are boat owners and who sail multiple venues every year than those who are not boat owners, etc. A good sailor does not have to be a "good teacher" in order for you to learn from him or her. Learning is up to you--find your own answers from the information sources available! Just look at what you can learn in this forum, for example!
Good luck!
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Was it worth it?
Let me talk about my situation and rationale behind my decision.
I own and have owned power boats ranging from 13-23ft.
Before I took the course I hadn't been sailing in 20 years.
I have 2 little ones at home ( 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 ) and a wife that doesn't like heeling.
I have 3 very different sailing opportunities close to home. ( Lakes. River delta and SF bay).
My goal was to gain the skills to safety take my family sailing in such a way that they would want to sail again.
Some of the things that I greatly benefited from that the course covered was: tides and currents, navigation, rules of the road, sailing knots, MOB and safety.
I was lucky to find a class that; taught on Capri 22's, was one of the least expensive schools that was local and, the owner had a collection of new and old boats ranging from 22-32. He also had a Rifiki 37 set up for crossing oceans.
My instructor also has a Catalina 22.
What I already had skills in was: Boat handling, outboard operation, docking, years of being on the water, and an understanding of points of sail.
So for me in my situation it was worth every penny.
I spent 4 days sailing a similar boat in my local waters. I had an instructor that understood where I was coming from and he gave me pointers and tips that pertained to my 22, I was able to look at many different boats and how they were set up, and I learned how to safely take my family sailing.
The actual class text book and test was nothing new. I have been reading sailing books for years.
Your experience will be different for each person. I had 4 other students with me, 1 ex navy, 1 curious, and a retired couple that wanted to buy a sailboat.
Russ
Let me talk about my situation and rationale behind my decision.
I own and have owned power boats ranging from 13-23ft.
Before I took the course I hadn't been sailing in 20 years.
I have 2 little ones at home ( 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 ) and a wife that doesn't like heeling.
I have 3 very different sailing opportunities close to home. ( Lakes. River delta and SF bay).
My goal was to gain the skills to safety take my family sailing in such a way that they would want to sail again.
Some of the things that I greatly benefited from that the course covered was: tides and currents, navigation, rules of the road, sailing knots, MOB and safety.
I was lucky to find a class that; taught on Capri 22's, was one of the least expensive schools that was local and, the owner had a collection of new and old boats ranging from 22-32. He also had a Rifiki 37 set up for crossing oceans.
My instructor also has a Catalina 22.
What I already had skills in was: Boat handling, outboard operation, docking, years of being on the water, and an understanding of points of sail.
So for me in my situation it was worth every penny.
I spent 4 days sailing a similar boat in my local waters. I had an instructor that understood where I was coming from and he gave me pointers and tips that pertained to my 22, I was able to look at many different boats and how they were set up, and I learned how to safely take my family sailing.
The actual class text book and test was nothing new. I have been reading sailing books for years.
Your experience will be different for each person. I had 4 other students with me, 1 ex navy, 1 curious, and a retired couple that wanted to buy a sailboat.
Russ
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Jackdraw. God may have intended the traveler to be in the middle of the cockpit on a racing boat and it worked very well. Myself? I like the Catalina 22's setup. Nothing for myself of my family to trip over. I want to fish and cruise on mine so I'll probably have the main out to slow down and troll anyway. LOL
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When we got our C22 in 1983 (1981 boat), we both had sailing backgrounds and had rented boats from Cass' in Sausalito.
We benefited from four sailing instruction classes, all on different boats in the 22 to 27 foot range, the LAST lesson was on our own boat, which was a great confidence booster. It was a typical windy day on the Bay and the boat handled a lot better with the benefit of the lessons and the instructor on our own boat. Banshee!!!
Everybody learns differently.
If you're gonna sail The Bay, you should buy and read and reread Kimball Livingston's great book: Sailing The Bay.
It'll teach what you didn't even know that you didn't know!
Fair winds.
We benefited from four sailing instruction classes, all on different boats in the 22 to 27 foot range, the LAST lesson was on our own boat, which was a great confidence booster. It was a typical windy day on the Bay and the boat handled a lot better with the benefit of the lessons and the instructor on our own boat. Banshee!!!
Everybody learns differently.
If you're gonna sail The Bay, you should buy and read and reread Kimball Livingston's great book: Sailing The Bay.
It'll teach what you didn't even know that you didn't know!
Fair winds.
Congratulations ! That's a great decision.
I always recommend good sailing classes taught on the water.
I've been sailing since I was 14, but my wife didn't get into it until we were married.
Back then we purchased a 16ft daysailer so she could learn on a simple fun boat. (I pushed for an International 505 and said we could simply not use all the sails, but I didn't win the debate.)
After using the boat for a while, a friend bought the same daysailer and wanted to take basic classes. We booked a week long "CYA White Sail 1+2+3" class along with them and made a holiday out of it. I didn't learn much at all, but my wife learned more than I had taught her at that point.
The difference is that the course was structured, and me simply explaining things wasn't. There were gaps in what I had explained, in addition to a difference in how I explained it. Previously we had simply gone out on the water, and I explained things as needed. It's MUCH better for most people, to learn before they head out on the water.
The classes were so fun as a "learning holiday" that the 4 of us eventually took a week long CYA Basic Cruising course in the B.C. Gulf islands.
We lived on the boat for a week and it was great.
The cost was the same if we had simply booked a hotel for a week in the same locations.
Since then my wife and I have done everything but our Yachtmaster Ocean and Offshore certifications. (that's gonna happen eventually too)
Simply put, the cost of the "liveaboard while learning" classes are the same price as a normal holiday. We always had a great time (does drinking wine at anchor in Desolation Sound sound like fun ?), and learned something at the same time.
I tell you, after seeing how many people can't anchor or dock without yelling or risk their lives with a combo of big keel boats + not enough knowledge, it no wonder that people (especially female crew) can find sailing a bit scary.
Let me put it this way... My wife and I spent 2 days, moored in Sopers Hole while a hurricane passed north of us.
That night we had gusts of 60 knots in the sheltered anchorage, and no lee cloths in the charter boat's bunks. (not that we each slept much when off watch)
At no point were we scared. Prepared and Vigilant but not scared.
Prepared... because we had learned from a couple of good teachers on the water, in real world conditions with strong tides, variable anchoring conditions, shipping traffic etc.
Not to mention, there is nothing better than knowing your 1st mate can handle anyhing if you get hurt.
I always recommend good sailing classes taught on the water.
I've been sailing since I was 14, but my wife didn't get into it until we were married.
Back then we purchased a 16ft daysailer so she could learn on a simple fun boat. (I pushed for an International 505 and said we could simply not use all the sails
, but I didn't win the debate.)After using the boat for a while, a friend bought the same daysailer and wanted to take basic classes. We booked a week long "CYA White Sail 1+2+3" class along with them and made a holiday out of it. I didn't learn much at all, but my wife learned more than I had taught her at that point.
The difference is that the course was structured, and me simply explaining things wasn't. There were gaps in what I had explained, in addition to a difference in how I explained it. Previously we had simply gone out on the water, and I explained things as needed. It's MUCH better for most people, to learn before they head out on the water.
The classes were so fun as a "learning holiday" that the 4 of us eventually took a week long CYA Basic Cruising course in the B.C. Gulf islands.
We lived on the boat for a week and it was great.
The cost was the same if we had simply booked a hotel for a week in the same locations.
Since then my wife and I have done everything but our Yachtmaster Ocean and Offshore certifications. (that's gonna happen eventually too)
Simply put, the cost of the "liveaboard while learning" classes are the same price as a normal holiday. We always had a great time (does drinking wine at anchor in Desolation Sound sound like fun ?), and learned something at the same time.
I tell you, after seeing how many people can't anchor or dock without yelling or risk their lives with a combo of big keel boats + not enough knowledge, it no wonder that people (especially female crew) can find sailing a bit scary.
Let me put it this way... My wife and I spent 2 days, moored in Sopers Hole while a hurricane passed north of us.
That night we had gusts of 60 knots in the sheltered anchorage, and no lee cloths in the charter boat's bunks. (not that we each slept much when off watch)
At no point were we scared. Prepared and Vigilant but not scared.
Prepared... because we had learned from a couple of good teachers on the water, in real world conditions with strong tides, variable anchoring conditions, shipping traffic etc.
Not to mention, there is nothing better than knowing your 1st mate can handle anyhing if you get hurt.
Oh so true.... MOB training is the especially good to re-train on. Fortunately we normally don't get to do it for real.
For most offshore races, US Sailing requires 1/2 the crew to have a current USSailing Safety At Sea certificate; a rating that has to be re-trained every 4 years.