ASA 104

A 3 day sail-away course with Afterguard's ASA 104 course helps students earn the certification that vacation charter companies worldwide, and San Francisco Charter companies, are looking for. It is the certification that makes insurance companies breathe a sigh of relief for new boat owners. The ASA104 course is Fun with a wealth of information, many new skills plus higher level of proficiency of the skills gathered to date. This course is about 30 hours of training - sleep is allowed. If thinking of buying a boat, chartering internationally or living aboard - ASA 104 is a Fun live-aboard learning experience.

All stay aboard that night. A night is planned for at a destination the students choose. They stay, but the teacher may leave and return in the am -- teacher's choice to leave, but the destination is the group's choice. ASA requires 1 over-night at anchor with a rotating watch. Sail planning choices need to include prior weather watch for the forecasts for the days of the course. Look for wind predictions for strength and direction, tide heights, current directions (these do not start or max at the same times). Time of sunrise and sunset matter too. All influence choices of how far the boat can go and when to leave dock each day for 4-5 hr of sailing per day. Nav skills are needed to plan and are used continously during this course. Can take ASA 105 in advance of 104. Since the menu for the 3 days, destination and distance traveled are students choices - these costs are shared by the students. Each student must prepare one meal for fellow students and their instructor. 

Must read the ASA 104 study book Bareboat Cruising Made Easy. Must submit your answers to all quizzes in the study book, no later than 1 week before your course commencement! Be prepared to discuss the quiz questions on the way out to the Bay on the first day or the first evening.

Advise all who regularly contact you, that you will be unavailable till after class, each day. Watch, participate and learn the skills. The skills and knowledge you gain in ASA 104 will serve you well for years and many happy sailing days to follow.

After ASA 104, grads can rent boats for independent sailing charters from Afterguard or most any charter company worldwide.  ASA 104 is a guided overnight boating experience and opportunity to go exploring, visit new places and see the world by water.

It's Fun. It's Glamping. Some say its intense. Not sure about that, but there is a lot to this course, so get plenty of rest before the class starts.

The Extra Details:

In the week or two before class starts, get an email from Afterguard with names and contact information of your fellow students and teacher. If it does not come automatically, call and ask for it. The student group, with some input from the teacher, decides in advance where they would like to visit for their destination marina and anchor nights. Must check with the desired marinas in advance: Do they have room for the 34/45' boat.  What is their charge ($10 a night to $80+), current depth of channel -if not dredged recently, where in the entrance channel is it deepest, hours of operation, latest check in time to get a key, services available (showers), what electrical voltage connector is needed -if available at the assigned 'guest' slip, is there fresh water access, restaurant(s) nearby?? Distance traveled might require engine use to make it to a marina before the office closes. If only open M-F, might need a way to get a key in advance or arrange a pick up place and procedure. What VHF channel do they monitor for underway changes in plans. Find out if need to bring cash for the overnight fee and maybe a key deposit.

Fuel replenishment: must refuel before returning the boat. Miles spent motoring will effect refill a cost that is shared by students only. The tank needs be topped off on Afterguard before leaving Oakland.  Check the weather and distance to ensure the boat can safely sail the plan for the 3 days. ASA 104 is a sailing, not motoring trip. The menu is divide into who is cooking. That person pays for their supplies for their prepared meal, once menu ideas are shared and agreed to. Costs that are shared: fuel, guest-dock visitor fees are split by the student group. 

Menu items to decide: lunch underway full group incl the instructor. Marina night and breakfast does not include the instructor. Can do dinner out or cook aboard at the dock in a marina. Breakfast out or aboard? Provision for and choose who is preparing lunch underwsay, cooked dinner at anchor 1 breakfast at anchor and last day lunch will be for full student group and instructor. Define which meal(s) you want to handle. Suggest what you want to prepare. Get the group OK. Take your assignment(s), then provision for, and prepare that or those menu item(s).

Have seen fresh caught Salmon, Halibut, steak, hamburgers or Hotdogs grilled on the BBQ or in a pan on the stove. Cereal, yogurt and fruit to Eggs Benedict. To provision, need to get information on all participants about allergies and food preferences.  Make this safe for all and keep it fun. At dock or when snug at anchor and you are not on watch, can have a up to max of 1 glass of wine or beer with a meal.

The boats used are 34' / 45'. Could be either a mono or multi-hull for this course. Mono-hulls have an easier time getting berthing at visited marinas any time of year, but the cat is more comfortable. If a double class, two boats going, will raft up on anchor watch night. Clipper Cove is a calm snug harbor that is great for rafting the holding at Paradise Cove is excellent.

Pack clothes in layers to suit the weather of the class days and something to sleep in that you can go on-deck wearing, if called.  Weather sometimes changes the destination to 1st night vs 2nd. Each participant can bring aboard 1 bag for clothes, 1 'sea' bag with sailing gear, a sleeping bag/sheet to line the bag/pillow, small ditty bag with toothbrush etc and towel. Most 34/45' boats have built-in showers, but water on boats is limited. Will top off the water tanks before leaving the docks. We take a potable water hose and a shore power cord to be able to replenish water and heat the water, with more than engine use, at the marina for the night. 

For your developing 'Sea Bag': In addition to gloves, hat, windbreaker, croakies for glasses - add a Red light head lamp with a white light option, a simple 'rigging knife' (Davis?), foul weather top and bottoms plus boots (foulies). If no boots, bring 2 pairs of shoes. Bring an inflatable life-vest with harness and a 6' tether. It is time to select and own your own of these essential sailing gear items. Suggest a power pack for electronics. 

Re: Mal de Mer - Bring ginger snaps, ginger dried fruit, ginger capsules, ginger ale, ginger is a natural anti-nauseate that works. Sea Bands or the watch work great. Medical sea-sick medications are 92% tranquilizers. They dull your brain and vision, give you dry mouth, make you sleepy. Good for passengers, maybe, but not for students learning to skipper a boat. Many have tried. Did not work well for most.

A thorough pre-cruise sheet is used for this course. It takes 1.5-2 hr to get through it. Full boat inventory check. Boat pre-trip load up includes: deciding on which dinghy and outboard engine are going with the boat. Testing and putting them on the boat. Anchor gear check. Galley and head supply check. Can start pre-trip load up on the evening before the course if 2 or more of your class group attend, with others participating via zoom.

As with all Afterguard courses, especially this one, must achieve 100% of the on-the-water skills before being allowed to take the written test. Can take the 100 question exam after cleaning up the boat upon return to home port. ETA at dock last day is 3pm. If run late, can return for the written exam up to 30 days after the course, but must test at our facility. If do not pass the on-the-water skills, will be re-enrolled for part or all of the course,

If read your book prior to the course, paid attention and fully participated in the course (ignore texts and calls on cells, unless an emergency, till class is over each day) and make effort to learn each skill, then retake of test or course in part or fully is at no cost. If do not pass the skills for lack of any of the above list - the retakes can have a fee, up to 3/4s of the original amount. ASA requires 80% but do to location of SF Bay, Afterguard requires 85% to rent a boat for Central Bay use (past Bay Bridge) and overnights on SF Bay. Reading the book makes the a difference in scores. This course like others but more so becomes a partnering with what the instructor is sharing over the 3 days.

Note: Marijuana may be legal on land in CA but can get a Federal Offense DUI or/and the boat can be confiscated by USCG if partaking on the water. Waterways are Federal. Anyone buzzed by any substance, or if mentally fogged with a hangover, during class time will be excused at that dock, or taken to the nearest dock, to find their own way home.

The decision to release a student for consumption of substances or refusal to participate or injurious behavior to the boat or fellow students results in No refund, no certification and no retake. The skipper's decison for safety of all taking this drastic of a measure holds. Maritime law.

Another view, if a student does not work well with an instructor, before leaving the dock day one or durning the course, either can ask the office for a reschedule or, if two boats are running in tandem for a double ASA 104, those not comfortable with their instructor can request to change boats. Not common, but this situation is easy to resolve without any damage, hardship or hard feelings.

Students come to Afterguard for ASA 104 to learn and get certified. The safety of the boat, all aboard and anything the vessel touches or causes is the primary responsibility of all skippers.  Having a great time is not the mission, it’s simply what happens when people feel safe, share an adventure, feel empowered by new levels of knowledge and practiced skills, gain confidence, become a team while learning for the next step in their goals.

Keep it fun and love the learning experience with Afterguard.