Our unique approach: Consider ASA 104 as a mini-cruise that lasts 3 days with 2 nights on board!
You will enjoy a three day liveaboard course where we circumnavigate Narragansett Bay entering multiple harbors with lots of anchoring practice and close-quarter maneuvering under power.

What you learn:
– Key to bareboat chartering
– Act as a skipper on 35-45 feet sailboat
– Boat systems and troubleshooting
– Coastal navigation and chart plotting
– Cruising in moderate to heavy winds
– Provisioning for a cruise and trip planing
– Spend night on board
– Seamanship
– Basic weather patterns

How is it taught?
– Prerequisite: ASA 101 and ASA 103
– 3 consecutive days on board
– Spend two nights on board
– Sail in Narragansett Bay and nearby waters
– Enter several harbors
– Drop anchor and get moorings
– Maximum 4 students per class
– Tests and theory on board or in classroom
What will you able to do after ASA 104:
– Bareboat a 35-45 feet boat anywhere in the world
– Obtain your International Proficiency Certificate (IPC)
– Join ASA 105 – 105 class
– Rent one of our boat and sail in the bay

What is ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising?

The focus is on navigating and managing the boat systems over several days. The goal is to give you a chance to experiment what you will do when you charter a boat anywhere in the world.

ASA 104 detailed program

The class is run for three consecutive days:
The theory is taught on board either while sailing or in the morning or evening while at anchor or in a marina. It is a fun and hands-on learning experience.

Learn on 35 or 42 feet sailboat

We teach ASA104 on three cabins sailboats, a Jeanneau 35 or a Bavaria 42. Both boats are equipped for cruising in the Narragansett Bay and off-shore. You can find more information about our boat fleet.

How to prepare for the class?

The best way to prepare for the class is to review what you learn when you follow ASA 101 and ASA 103. You will also receive a textbook “ASA 104 – Bareboat Cruising made easy” by American Sailing if you do not already have it. Study this book prior to join us will help you understand faster.

What is included in the class?

– ASA certification
– Personal flotation device (PFD)
– Test material
– Navigation charts and tools
– The Book Bareboat Cruising Made Easy can be purchased upon registration and will be mailed to you
– Food on board is extra

ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising Program – How is it taught

Day 1 – Basic Maneuvering Under Power and Docking

In the morning, you will meet with the crew and instructors to plan your multi-day trip, your meals and you go over the boat and the main systems prior to departure. You will also shop for food and stock the boat.
In the afternoon we would practice docking and picking up the mooring; and anchoring if time permits. That evening the students will do the chart work for the rest of the trip.

Day 2 – Boat systems, Look at the chart, 6 hours of sailing

The second day of this Bareboat Cruising classes we would review boat systems and check the chart work. Then we leave on our trip of about six hours navigating as we go. Upon arrival at our destination we would review anchoring procedures, and then relax for a bit until dinner. Dinner would be on the boat at anchor. After dinner we would cover basic chart-plotter use and do the navigation planning for the trip back.

Day 3 – Anchoring, sailing and back home

The third day after breakfast we would review and practice anchoring, navigate back to our harbor using the chart-plotter, and practice picking up a mooring and men over board drills. The exam comes after we get the boat squared away.