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ASA Certification: Are Sailing Courses Really Worth It?
May 17, 2025 · 11 min · 35K views
What this video covers
The American Sailing Association (ASA), founded in 1983, is the dominant recreational sailing certification body in North America, with over one million sailors trained and certifications recognized by charter companies worldwide.1:49 ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat Sailing) costs roughly $800 standalone and qualifies a sailor to skipper a 20–27 ft sloop in up to 15 knots.3:39 Most schools skip ASA 102 and sell a bundled 101/103/104 package — Blue Water Sailing School in Fort Lauderdale prices it at $3,300 per person, with a couples discount bringing two people below $6,600.4:44 ASA 103 (Coastal Cruising) covers anchoring, docking, and multi-day planning on 25–35 ft boats in up to 20 knots; ASA 104 (Bareboat Cruising) adds provisioning, advanced navigation, and heavy-weather handling on 30–45 ft boats and is the certification most charter companies require.5:25 ASA 105 (Coastal Navigation) runs about $800; ASA 106 (Advanced Coastal Cruising), which adds night sailing and crew-overboard drills, ranges from $2,000 to $6,000.8:36 Courses extend to ASA 120, covering celestial navigation, dinghy sailing, and catamarans.9:29 No license or course is legally required to sail in the U.S.0:51
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