The ASA Certification Path

Prerequisites

None. This lesson is the map for everything else in the ASA column.
It helps to know roughly what a keelboat is (a sailboat with a fixed, weighted keel rather than a centerboard).

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

Explain what the American Sailing Association (ASA) is and how its certifications are delivered.
List the core courses from ASA 101 to ASA 108 and the order you take them in.
Describe the endorsements (114, 117, 118, 119, 120) and how they differ from the core ladder.
Explain what the ASA Logbook is and what a certification actually requires.
Say what the International Proficiency Certificate (IPC) is and when a charter company might ask for it.
Compare ASA with RYA and US Sailing in broad terms.

Where ASA Came From

The American Sailing Association was founded in 1983 by Lenny Shabes, a charter operator in Marina del Rey, California. He was tired of giving long, home-made checkout exams to every customer who wanted to rent one of his boats. At the time the United States had no nationally recognized set of sailing standards, so there was nothing to ask customers for.

Shabes adapted the standards of the Canadian Yachting Association, drawing also on certification agencies in France and Germany. The result was a ladder of clear, written standards that any school could teach to and any charter company could recognize.

ASA does not run its own boats. Certification is delivered by professional instructors at independent, ASA-accredited sailing schools. ASA reports several hundred schools and hundreds of thousands of certifications to date, so you will find a school on most US coasts and lakes and in a number of other countries.

The Core Ladder

The core courses form a chain. Each one assumes the skills of the one before.

Course	Title	Prerequisite	What you can do afterwards
ASA 101	Keelboat Sailing 1	None	Skipper a 20–27 ft sloop by day in winds up to about 15 knots
ASA 103	Coastal Cruising	101	Skipper a 25–35 ft auxiliary sloop by day in winds up to about 20 knots
ASA 104	Bareboat Cruising	103	Skipper a 30–45 ft sloop on a multi-day cruise in winds up to about 30 knots
ASA 105	Coastal Navigation	None	Plan and plot a coastal passage on a chart
ASA 106	Advanced Coastal Cruising	101, 103, 104 and 105	Handle night passages, heavy weather and emergencies
ASA 107	Celestial Navigation	105	Fix your position with a sextant
ASA 108	Offshore Passagemaking	101 to 107	Skipper a boat on an ocean passage

Points to notice:

ASA 101 has no prerequisite. It is designed for complete beginners and is usually taught over two full days.
ASA 105 and 107 are theory courses. ASA 105 has no sailing prerequisite, so many sailors take it alongside 103 or 104. ASA 107 builds on it and needs ASA 105 first.
ASA 106 is the first course that needs both a sailing course (104) and a navigation course (105).
ASA 108 needs celestial navigation. The ASA 108 standard lists ASA 107 Celestial Navigation as a prerequisite, along with every course from 101 to 106.

ASA also recommends time on the water between levels: at least 24 hours of sailing before starting ASA 103, and around 80 hours before ASA 104.

Side Courses and Endorsements

These sit beside the core ladder. The endorsements are not required for the 101–108 sequence, but they add skills that are useful on charter and in your own boat.

ASA 110 Basic Small Boat Sailing: dinghies and small boats under 20 ft. No prerequisite. Covers rigging, launching, beach landings and wind awareness.
ASA 111 Sailing Review: a refresher for people who already hold 101.
ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran: requires 104. Twin-engine handling, catamaran sail trim, jacklines and the capsize risk, and crew-overboard recovery under sail and power.
ASA 117 Basic Celestial Endorsement: a shorter celestial course. The ASA 108 standard asks for the full ASA 107, so check with your school before counting on 117 instead.
ASA 118 Docking Endorsement: no prerequisite. Wind, current and prop walk, spring lines, the pivot point, and docking with or without the engine.
ASA 119 Marine Weather Endorsement: forecasting and weather interpretation.
ASA 120 Radar Endorsement: requires 105.

How Certification Works

A certification is more than attending a class. ASA states that simply enrolling does not guarantee certification. For each level you must:

Demonstrate the skills on the water. Your instructor checks you against the written standard for that course. For ASA 101 that includes hoisting and trimming sails, tacking and jibing, a crew-overboard recovery, docking, and tying six basic knots within time limits.
Pass the written exam. Exams are multiple choice. Schools commonly quote a pass mark of 80%, and some require every right-of-way question to be correct. Check the details with your own school.
Get your logbook signed. The ASA Logbook is the official record. Each level you pass is entered and signed by your instructor, and it is the document charter companies ask to see.

Schools then submit your passing scores to ASA, which records the certification against your name.

The International Proficiency Certificate (IPC)

Many charter bases in Europe ask for the ICC (International Certificate of Competence), which is issued under UNECE Resolution 40. Americans usually cannot get an ICC, because the US has not adopted that resolution. ASA's answer is the International Proficiency Certificate (IPC).

ASA describes the IPC as meant mainly for countries that do not accept the UNECE ICC, with Mediterranean charter companies in mind.
To apply you must hold at least ASA 101, 103 and 104.
US Sailing issues its own IPC on a similar basis, valid for five years.

Acceptance varies by country and by company, and the rules change. Always ask your charter company which documents they need before you book flights.

ASA, US Sailing and the RYA

US Sailing is the national governing body for the sport, covering racing, coaching and race management as well as cruising certifications. Its cruising ladder (Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising, Bareboat Cruising and beyond) covers much the same ground as ASA's.
ASA focuses on teaching cruising sailors and certifying them through accredited schools.
The RYA (UK) ladder is the one the "All students" column of this site follows. ASA 101 lines up roughly with Competent Crew, ASA 103/104 with Day Skipper, ASA 105/106 with Coastal Skipper, and ASA 108 with Yachtmaster Offshore. These are rough equivalents. The certificates are not interchangeable, but the seamanship is the same.

That is why the shared lessons on the left of the curriculum count for both systems, and this ASA column only holds what is different in American waters.

Worked Example: Planning Your Path

Maria has never sailed. She wants to charter a 40 ft monohull in the British Virgin Islands with friends in eighteen months.

Months 1–2: ASA 101. A weekend course on a 24 ft keelboat. Then she joins a club and sails as often as she can to build hours.
Months 4–6: ASA 103. She now has more than 24 hours on the water. The course covers the engine, anchoring and basic coastal navigation on a 30 ft boat.
Online alongside: ASA 105. She studies chartwork in the evenings.
Month 10: ASA 104. A live-aboard course, ideally in a charter area, after building up to around 80 hours.
Optional: ASA 118 Docking, because marina handling is where charterers most often get into trouble.

With 101, 103 and 104 in her logbook and a sailing résumé of her hours, she can show the charter company what they want to see. If the trip were in Croatia instead, she would also apply for the IPC.

Common Mistakes

Treating the certificate as the goal. Charter companies look at your logbook and your experience. A sailing résumé with real hours matters as much as the stickers.
Rushing from 101 to 104. The recommended hours exist because skills fade quickly without practice.
Leaving ASA 105 until last. It has no prerequisite and makes 103 and 104 much easier.
Assuming the IPC is accepted everywhere. Check each country and each company.
Losing the logbook. It is your proof. Keep it with your passport when you travel to charter.

Summary

ASA was founded in 1983 to give the US a national set of sailing standards. Courses are taught at independent, ASA-accredited schools.
The core ladder is 101 → 103 → 104 → 106 → 108, with the navigation courses 105 and 107 alongside.
Endorsements (114 catamaran, 117 celestial, 118 docking, 119 weather, 120 radar) add specific skills.
Each certification needs an on-water skills check, a written exam and a signed ASA Logbook entry.
The IPC is ASA's alternative to the ICC for chartering abroad and needs at least 101, 103 and 104.

Check Your Understanding

What is the prerequisite for ASA 101? None. It is designed for complete beginners.
Which two courses must you hold before ASA 106? ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising and ASA 105 Coastal Navigation.
What celestial navigation course does the ASA 108 standard list as a prerequisite? ASA 107 Celestial Navigation.
What document is the official record of your ASA certifications? The ASA Logbook, signed by your instructor for each level.
Which courses do you need before applying for the IPC? At least ASA 101, 103 and 104.

Sources

https://americansailing.com/articles/asa-american-sailing-association/
https://americansailing.com/?p=55784
https://americansailing.com/certifications/asa-101-basic-keelboat-sailing
https://americansailing.com/certifications/asa-103-basic-coastal-cruising
https://americansailing.com/certifications/asa-104-bareboat-cruising
https://americansailing.com/certifications/asa-105-coastal-navigation
https://americansailing.com/certifications/asa-106-advanced-coastal-cruising
https://americansailing.com/certifications/asa-110-basic-small-boat-sailing
https://americansailing.com/certifications/asa-114-cruising-catamaran
https://americansailing.com/certifications/asa-118-docking-endorsement
https://americansailing.com/international-proficiency-certificate/
https://www.ussailing.org/education/adult/certification-courses-endorsements/ipc/
https://www.sailnova.com/classes/asa-101/
https://catamaranguru.com/asa-101