ASA Sailing Lessons in Punta Gorda, FL

American Sailing Association (ASA) certified instructors who hold the license of Captain from the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

Our Catalina docks at Fisherman’s Village in Punta Gorda and sails the Gulf Coast. Sailing classes are taught aboard one of our sailboats, no classrooms! To maximize your time at the helm each class is limited in size to a max of 4 pupils.

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Basic Keelboat Sailing (BKB 101)

Sailing Made Easy is the textbook for this class.

You will be able to skipper or crew a 30-foot sailboat on familiar waters in light to moderate winds. No previous experience is needed. This course can be completed in 2 days over a weekend, or on four weekday evenings. Includes log book, textbook and membership in ASA.

You will get "hands on" experience to build sea knowledge and confidence. “Sailing Made Easy” by the ASA is the textbook.

Basic Coastal Cruising (BCC 103)

Coastal Cruising Made Easy is the textbook for this class.

You will be able to cruise safely in local and regional coastal waters as skipper or crew on sailboats up to 30 feet in moderate conditions. This course is offered over a weekend, or added to the above course for a third day at a discount.

Prerequisite: Basic Keelboat Sailing (BKB 101)

You will review the skills learned in BKB 101 and gain more sailing experience. "Coastal Cruising Made Easy" is the textbook.

Bareboat Chartering (BBC 104)

Cruising Fundamentals is the textbook for this class.

You will be able to act as skipper or crew aboard sailboats of 30' to 50' on coastal waters. This certification enables you to charter sailing vessels anywhere in the world. Includes two nights aboard, with one night at anchor. This class requires living aboard for 48 hours, and is taught over a weekend (usually 6 pm Friday to late Sunday afternoon).

Prerequisites:
Basic Keelboat Sailing (BKB 101), Basic Coastal Cruising (BCC 103)

This is an advanced course and you will learn about provisioning and preparedness on longer sailing trips. "Cruising Fundamentals" by Harry Mums is the textbook.

Coastal Navigation (NAV 105)

Coastal Navigation is the textbook for this class.

You will demonstrate the navigational theory and skill to safely navigate a vessel in coastal or inland waters. Topics include reading and plotting on nautical charts, dead reckoning navigation, bearings and fixes, as well as more advanced topics. This course requires no sea time, no prerequisites.

The home study version will be shipped to you. You work through the problems in the workbook using the CD instructor on your computer, then check your answers in the back of the book. When you are ready our instructor sits down and goes over the course with you, answering any questions. You may then take the test whenever you are ready.

This is a very rigorous course and is superior to the Navigation needed to pass your U.S.C.G. Captain’s test. Materials included are the “Coastal Navigation” workbook by Mike Pyzel from ASA, a Power Point Presentation CD and Training Chart #1210 TR.

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Advanced Coastal Cruising (ACC 106)

This is the highest coastal cruising course offered by ASA. It is the only coastal standard that includes night time sailing. You will be taught to sail through coastal waters at night without a GPS or Chartplotter, using only a compass, a chart, a depth sounder, knot meter and a flashlight. You will be able to safely act as skipper and crew of a sailing vessel about 30 to 50 feet in length in coastal and inland waters, in any conditions. You also learn more about cruising, provisioning, boat inspections, safety, anchorages, and emergencies.

We generally leave the dock around noon of the first day and return around 3 pm on the second day. This standard includes a lot of nighttime sailing.

You may also opt to add one more day to make it possible to sail to Ft Myers, or 2 more days to get to Naples and back. The cost for the entire boat for each additional day is $500 and can be divided by all students on board.

Prerequisites:
Basic Keelboat Sailing (BKB 101), Basic Coastal Cruising (BCC 103), Bareboat Chartering (BBC 104) and Coastal Navigation (NAV 105) certifications.

“Annapolis Book of Sailing” is the textbook for this course.

Some of the topics covered:

• True Wind verses Apparent Wind
• Weather Helm verses Lee Helm
• Sailing Forces of Center of Effort and Sail Trim
• Weather Reading of Clouds, Fronts, & a Barometer
• Heavy Weather Sailing
• Anchoring, Anchor Watches, & Rafting
• Dealing with Emergencies
• Clearing Customs

Celestial Navigation (ASA 107)

This is an advanced course, you will be taught to calculate a course using celestial navigation skills when out of sight of land. No previous courses are needed.

Celestial Navigation is 4 days, (2 weekends), including at least one dawn and/or twilight session. It is normally 6 hours per day in a classroom setting - there is no sailing time.

Textbook is included. The use of a Sextant, Nautical Almanac, and Sight Reduction Tables are included during classroom time.

Some of the topics covered:

• Convert longitude into time.
• Convert standard time and zone time to GMT and vice versa.
• Calculate the zone time given longitude.
• Calculate the chronometer (or watch) error given a previous error and the daily rate.
• Apply the corrections for index error, dip of the horizon, and total correction to convert sextant altitudes of the sun, stars, planets, and moon to true altitudes.
• Calculate the time of meridian passage of the sun and calculate the boat's latitude from the observed meridian altitude of the sun.
• Determine the latitude at twilight by means of the Pole Star.
• Solve the navigational triangle using a navigation table and show all appropriate work.,
• Plot celestial lines of position on a Mercator projection or on a universal plotting sheet
• Calculate the times (ship's and GMT) of sunrise, sunset and twilight.
• Determine the approximate azimuths and altitudes of the navigational stars and planets at twilight.
• Calculate and plot the lines of position obtained from observations of several celestial bodies at twilight and thus find the boat's position.
• Advance the LOP obtained from a sun sight to another LOP obtained from the sun at a later time and find the boat's position using a running fix (sun-run-sun).
• Calculate the true bearing of a low altitude celestial body in order to determine the error and deviation of the compass.

Cruising Catamaran (ASA 114)

Multihull Cruising Fundamentals is the textbook for this class.

This is an advanced cruising standard for individuals with cruising experience. You will be able to act as skipper and crew of a 30-50 foot multihull sailboat by day in coastal waters. The standard includes those skills unique to a 30-50 foot multihull. This course can be completed in 2 days over a weekend, or combined as an extra day with a 104 class. Textbook is included.

Prerequisites:
Basic Keelboat Sailing (BKB 101), Basic Coastal Cruising (BCC 103), Bareboat Chartering (BBC 104)

Basic Celestial Endorsement (ASA 117)

You will be taught basic celestial navigation, and to calculate longitude and latitude using a sextant and Nautical Almanac when out of sight of land using sun and Polaris sights. No previous courses are needed.

This course is 2 days in a classroom setting - there is no sailing time.

Textbook is included. The use of a Sextant, Nautical Almanac and Sight Reduction Tables are included during classroom time.

Some of the topics covered:

Understand the terms and theory of Basic Celestial Navigation:

• Convert between standard time and zone time to GMT/UT in either direction.
• Calculate the zone time at a given longitude.
• Determine the times of sunrise, sunset and civil twilight for a vessels position.
• Know the parts, principals and operation of a traditional sextant.
• Determine altitudes of the Sun and Polaris by a traditional sextant.
• Obtain Latitude and Longitude at noon (LAN) by applying the sextant corrections for conversions of the raw sextant altitudes (hs) of the Sun to the true celestial altitudes (HO) of the Sun.
• Determine the vessels latitude and Estimated Position at morning and evening twilight by means of the altitude of Polaris.
• Plot latitudes and EPs on a chart.
• All of the above are accomplished by a traditional sextant and a Nautical Almanac without the use of a programmed calculator or computer.

ASA Certified Lesson Prices

25% discount for the 2nd, 3rd or 4th students in your party. Must register at same time for discount, and you will share your study materials. (Multiple student discount does not apply to private lessons.)

All classes have a minimum of 2 students. If you sign up as a single and no one else signs up to join your class, you can either reschedule or choose the private lessons option.

ASA Certified Combination Lessons

25% discount for the 2nd, 3rd or 4th students in your party. Must register at same time for discount, and you will share your study materials. (Multiple student discount does not apply to private lessons.)

All classes have a minimum of 2 students. If you sign up as a single and no one else signs up to join your class, you can either reschedule or choose the private lessons option.

ASA Certified Private Lessons

Private Lessons

If you prefer private lessons with no additional students in your class, simply add 50% to the price listed above. (Multiple student discount does not apply to private lessons.)

Private Informal Lessons

If you just want to have fun! You can charter a boat, and for a few extra dollars we will give informal, private lessons with no tests or certifications. You pick the topics covered, and may have up to 6 people aboard. You buy your own textbooks and materials, and work on any skills you wish. Perhaps you just need a little refresher course, or some more sailing time before your next test, maybe you want to learn on your own boat. Give us a call and we will design just the lessons you want. For private informal lessons on your own boat, there is a 4 hour minimum in the Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte area, 8 hour minimum for other areas, please contact us for details.

* Plus gratuity, food, and drinks. Prices are per lesson, up to 4 students per class.

• Contact us to inquire about sailing lessons