Annapolis Sailing School’s goal is to introduce new sailors to the sport of sailing and the joys of cruising under sail. We have been doing so, in an enjoyable and relaxed manner, since 1959. Our formula is simple: a minimum of theory, no tests or exams and a maximum of hands on instruction. You can learn to talk like a sailor from a book, but you only learn to sail by sailing. All graduates of Annapolis Sailing School courses receive certificates of completion for each course from beginner to bareboat. These certificates have long been recognized worldwide as representing the very best in recreational sailing instruction.

In recent years there has been much discussion about certification in the recreational sailing field. There have been several attempts to organize a national system, but at present no single, universally recognized system exists. You can sail, rent boats, bareboat charter, and buy a sailboat without having to present any kind of certification. You may, and will, be challenged to prove your competence and sailing ability for any and all of these activities and it makes sense to be as well prepared as possible for these challenges.

Of the many competing systems currently available we have identified the American Sailing Association system as the best and now offer it to our students as an extra cost option. Please remember that certification systems are not designed to teach you how to sail; they are designed to evaluate your sailing skills and certify that you have reached a certain level. By its very nature, a certification system must be performance based and certification cannot be guaranteed.

Annapolis Sailing School currently offers certification at the following levels:

• ASA 101 – Basic Keelboat Sailing

• ASA 103 – Coastal Cruising

• ASA 104 – Bareboat Chartering

• ASA 105 – Coastal Navigation

In order to be certified at a given level, the American Sailing Association system requires both a written exam and a practical skills evaluation (except for Coastal Navigation) in which you must demonstrate a wide range of boat and sail handling skills. The process of certification is an evaluative one. The evaluator must witness your performance of the required operations correctly on command, and cannot be teaching at that time. The American Sailing Association requires that ASA 101 – Basic Keelboat Sailing certification be attained before attempting ASA 103 – Coastal Cruising and that both be successfully attained before attempting ASA 104 – Bareboat Chartering. There are two ways to attain certification in the ASA system: as part of a course or as a challenge. At Annapolis Sailing School we only offer certification on three and five day courses.

For Example:
Course #105 for Basic Keelboat Sailing

Course #103 for Basic Keelboat Sailing

Course #225 for Coastal Cruising

Course #335 for Bareboat Chartering

The course content covered in these courses and the written tests for each level are fairly simple. The level of sailing and boat handling skills required, even at the Basic Keelboat level, is fairly high and in most cases cannot be appropriately mastered on instructional courses shorter than five days.
A sailor may also challenge the standards at any time. A challenge does not involve any instruction, requires from one half to a full day to conduct and involves an on-the-water practical evaluation and a written exam. Challenges must be scheduled in advance to assure the availability of boats and instructors.

FEES in addition to course tuition:
ASA – 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing $110.00

ASA – 103 Coastal Cruising $65.00

ASA – 104 Bareboat Chartering $65.00

Challenges:
ASA – 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing $185.00

ASA – 103 Coastal Cruising $150.00

ASA – 104 Bareboat Chartering $150.00

ASA – 105 Coastal Navigation $185.00

(This Certification does not require an on the water evaluation, but it is a comprehensive test of all coastal navigation skills which requires four to six hours to complete.)