ASA 114 — Cruising Catamaran

ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran is American Sailing's certification for sailors who already skipper monohull yachts and want to handle a cruising catamaran. Catamarans are now very common in charter fleets for their space, comfort and stability, but they behave quite differently from a monohull under sail, under power and in rough water. This course covers those differences: hull design, rigging and systems, twin-engine handling, multihull performance and multihull safety.

Who it suits

• Holders of ASA 101, 103 and 104 (all three are prerequisites) who want to charter or buy a catamaran
• Groups and families choosing a catamaran charter for the space and flat decks
• Monohull skippers who want to understand how a cat really handles before taking one out

What you'll actually do

You'll spend time aboard a cruising catamaran learning how it's laid out and set up: two hulls, a bridgedeck (the living area between them), two engines and often a wide mainsheet traveller. You'll practise manoeuvring under power in tight spaces using the engines, sail on different points of sail, tack and reef, and recover a person overboard. Safety topics include rigging and using jacklines and understanding capsize risk and response.

Certification needs a written exam and a demonstration of skills on the water. ASA's textbook is Cruising Catamarans Made Easy.

Key ideas explained

• Twin engines — a catamaran's two engines sit far apart, one in each hull, which gives strong turning leverage. Putting one engine ahead and the other astern turns the boat almost on the spot, and small adjustments of each throttle can steer at very low speed. Wind catches the high topsides and cabin, so allow for drift when docking.
• No heel — a monohull heels over as the wind builds, which warns you and spills some of the force. A catamaran stays nearly flat, so it gives much less warning of being overpowered. Skippers reef by wind speed, often using the boat's reefing guide, rather than by feel.
• Capsize risk — a cruising cat is very stable upright, but that stability doesn't recover once a hull lifts too far. A capsized catamaran stays upside down. Good practice is to reef early, keep the mainsheet ready to release, and ease sheets fast in gusts. It's rare in cruising cats sailed sensibly, but it's why the course takes it seriously.
• Bridgedeck slamming — in steep or short waves, particularly heading upwind, water can hit the underside of the bridgedeck with a loud bang. Easing speed, bearing away a little or changing course usually reduces it, and it's a signal to be gentle with the boat.
• Tacking a cat — catamarans lose speed quickly when turning and can stall head to wind. Keep speed up before tacking, and let the jib back briefly if needed to help the bow through.
• Jacklines — lines or webbing running along the deck that crew clip their harness tethers to, so they can move around without being lost overboard.

Where it fits

• Before: ASA 101, ASA 103 and ASA 104.
• This course: catamaran-specific skills for coastal cruising and longer passages.
• Also useful: if chartering in Europe, check whether you'll also need an ICC.

Getting ready

• Read Cruising Catamarans Made Easy before the course.
• Practise close-quarters handling on the monohulls you know, so you can focus on what's different.
• Pack deck shoes, layers, wet-weather gear, sun protection and a head torch.
• Ask the school about the catamaran's size and layout and how much time you'll spend docking under twin engines.
• Ask whether the course is live-aboard and what the written exam covers.

Good to know in Australia

Catamarans are popular for cruising and charter in Australian waters. ASA follows US rules and IALA region B buoyage, whereas Australia uses region A with reversed channel colours, so learn local rules through your state's maritime authority, which also handles recreational boat licences. A marine radio qualification such as the SROCP is needed to use a VHF in Australia.