ASA 103 — Coastal Cruising

ASA 103 Coastal Cruising is the step from sailing a small keelboat around the bay to skippering a proper cruising yacht along the coast. American Sailing's standard trains you to skipper a sloop-rigged keelboat of about 25 to 35 feet, with an inboard or outboard engine, by day in moderate winds of up to 20 knots and moderate seas.

It's where sailing turns into cruising: engines, docking a heavier boat, anchoring, reading a chart and making decisions about the weather.

Who it suits

• ASA 101 graduates (it's the prerequisite) who want to handle bigger boats
• Sailors who want to take friends or family out for day cruises along the coast
• Anyone on the way to ASA 104 and bareboat chartering

What you'll actually do

You'll spend time on a cruising yacht learning its systems: the engine, fuel, water, electrics and the heads (marine toilet). You'll practise docking and undocking with lines and fenders, anchoring and retrieving the anchor, reefing the sails as the wind builds and heaving-to. You'll also plan simple coastal trips, working out courses and distances on a chart.

Certification needs both an on-the-water skills demonstration and a written exam. ASA's textbook is Coastal Cruising Made Easy, and ASA offers online prep material and quizzes.

Key ideas explained

• Reefing — reducing sail area when the wind strengthens, so the boat stays upright and under control. The usual advice is to reef early, when you first wonder whether you should.
• Heaving-to — setting the sails and rudder so they work against each other and the boat almost stops, drifting slowly and comfortably. It's useful for a break, a reef or dealing with a problem.
• Anchoring and scope — scope is the length of rode (chain or rope) let out compared with the depth of water. More scope helps the anchor hold; you also need room to swing as the wind shifts.
• Magnetic versus true — charts are drawn to true north but a compass points to magnetic north. Variation is the difference, and you apply it when converting between chart and compass bearings.
• Engine care and refuelling — daily checks, and refuelling safely: close hatches, no naked flames, avoid spills, then ventilate before starting.

Where it fits

• Before: ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing.
• This course: skipper a 25 to 35 foot cruising keelboat by day in moderate conditions.
• Next: ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising, then ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran if you want to charter multihulls.
• Broadly comparable: Australian Sailing's Keelboat Start Skippering and the practical side of RYA Day Skipper cover related skills, though they aren't formally equivalent.

Getting ready

• Read Coastal Cruising Made Easy and do the practice quizzes before the course.
• Review your ASA 101 skills: knots, points of sail and helm commands.
• Bring deck shoes, layers, a waterproof jacket, a hat and sunscreen.
• If you're prone to seasickness, prepare in advance; coastal swell is different from sheltered water.
• Ask the school about the boat's size, the sailing area and when the written exam happens.

Good to know in Australia

ASA teaches US navigation rules, equipment requirements and IALA region B buoyage, where channel colours are reversed compared with Australia's region A system. The international collision rules are the same worldwide, but learn local buoyage and safety-equipment rules from your state's maritime authority, which also handles recreational boat licences. For radio use in Australia you'll need a qualification such as the SROCP.