Map, Compass, and Telescope

ASA Certified Courses

We offer many different courses.

SAILING SCHOOL DISCOUNT

GROUP, MILITARY, FIRST RESPONDER & SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNTS

Active duty military members, veterans, first responders and senior citizens (65+) are eligible for a 10% discount. An additional 10% discount is available for groups of two or more participants who register together for the same sailing class on the same dates.

Flagship Sailing Program

Recognizing that not every sailor may wish to pursue certification through one of our ASA courses, Flagship Sailing offers several introductory courses without the requirement for written testing necessary in an ASA course. These courses are taught on the water and require only an instructor evaluation for completion.

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Sailing Charters

If you want to enjoy a sailing adventure with a professional captain on board then a Flagship Sailing Charter is for you.

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ASA Certification Courses and Tuition

Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA 101)

$995/ Person

Prerequisites: None

Course Length: 4 days

This is a basic sailing standard designed to teach a person new to sailing how to safely sail and dock a sailboat in light to moderate winds and sea conditions in familiar waters. Students are given the opportunity to take the helm of boats designed with a beginning sailor in mind. Students will begin to become familiar with required safety equipment, points of sail, rules of the road, docking and sailing terminology. (Price includes text book, log book, and ASA fees of $54.)

Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103)

$995/ Person

Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA 101) certification

Course Length: 4 Days (Must have ASA101)

This is a transition course designed to build upon the skills learned in ASA 101 with the objective of becoming a competent, safe cruising sailor. You will learn to communicate effectively with your crew so that you will soon be able to become the “skipper” of a sloop-rigged auxiliary powered keelboat between 25 feet and 35 feet in length by day in moderate wind and sea conditions. Additionally, ASA 103 provides an introduction to understanding and maintaining a sailboat’s electrical and plumbing systems, the auxiliary engine, sail trim, heaving-to, reefing, anchoring, weather, safety and seamanship.

Intermediate Coastal Cruising (ASA 104)

$1,175/ Person

Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA 101) and Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103) certifications

Course Length: 4 Days 3 Nights (Required ASA 101 & ASA 103)

This is a four-day, three-night intermediate cruising standard designed for individuals with cruising experience who have mastered the skills contained in ASA 101 and ASA 103. You will be able to act as sipper or crew of a sloop-rigged, auxiliary powered keelboat of approximately 30- to 45-foot sailing by day in coastal waters. Participants will receive a combination of instruction and hands-on learning that covers piloting, dead reckoning, docking, system trouble shooting, maintenance, navigation, cruise planning, weather forecasts, and overnight anchoring. Three nights (two at anchor) will be spent on board.

Coastal Navigation (ASA 105)

$450/ Person

Prerequisites: None

Course Length: Home Study plus 1-day classroom review/test

This is a comprehensive “home study” course that covers the navigational theory required to safely navigate a sailing vessel in coastal or inland waters. Extensive preparation is required. A textbook, workbook and chart will be sent to participants in advance of the course. Students will need to provide their own navigation tools—a minimum of dividers and parallel rules are required. While there is no sailing involved in ASA 105, Flagship Sailing provides an opportunity to utilize the navigational skills learned in this course during the cruising portions of ASA 104 and ASA 106. A comprehensive instructor-led review will be conducted prior to examination.

Advanced Coastal Cruising (ASA 106)

Price depends on Itinerary

Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA 101), Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103), Bareboat Chartering (ASA 104) and Coastal Navigation (ASA 105) certifications

Course Length: 5 -14 days (depending on Itinerary) of training and live aboard experience.

You will learn the communication and hands-on sailing skills necessary to act as skipper and crew of a sailing vessel between 30 and 50 feet in length during a day/night cruise. This is a day and night standard in coastal and inland waters in any weather. Among the topics that will be presented are the theories of sail including the centers of effort and lateral resistance, heavy weather preparation, rafting at anchor, anchoring techniques, towing a dingy, emergency procedures, trouble-shooting and trip planning.

Celestial Navigation (ASA 107)

$500/ Person

Prerequisites: None according to ASA; however, ASA 105 is highly recommended by Flagship Sailing. As a minimum, students must be very familiar with coastal navigation techniques including Dead Reckoning, Running Fix, and Estimated Position.

Course Length: Home Study plus 1-day classroom review/test

ASA107 Celestial Navigation Class is the essential course for those planning to certify to the ASA 108 Ocean Passage Making standard. Students will learn: celestial navigation and how to determine position on the earth's surface; calculate time for local apparent noon, sunrise, sunset, and civil/nautical twilight given your position; use of sextant, nautical almanacs, tables, charts, and plotting sheets; procedures for taking sun, moon, planet and star sights; use of noon sights and Polaris sights to determine latitude; use of the 2102-D Star Finder to facilitate identifying stars and planets; reduction of celestial sights to a coherent format and combine with DR position to obtain a fix/running fix. Successful completion of the course and meeting ASA standards will result in ASA 107 Celestial Navigation Certification. More importantly, you will have the knowledge needed to navigate offshore using celestial navigation.

Price includes shipping and handling within US of the following materials:

  • Celestial Navigation for Sailors by Tom Tursi
  • Solutions to Celestial Navigation for Sailors by Tom Tursi
  • Plotting sheet (DMA 925)
  • 2102-D Star Finder
  • ASA test and ASA certification

Skills Review Clinic (ASA 111)

$450/ Person

Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA 101) certification

Course Length: 4 - 6 hours

This on-the-water clinic is targeted to meet the needs of ASA certified sailors who either need a “refresher” or those who sail more regularly who wish to get focused instruction in a few areas (e.g., docking, sail trim, etc.).

Celestial Navigation Endorsement (ASA 117)

$450 / Person

Prerequisites: None required, but ASA 105 is suggested. Class size: 2-4 typically

Course Length: 3 days

Celestial Navigation Endorsement (ASA 117) now satisfies the celestial navigation prerequisite for Offshore Passagemaking (ASA 108). ASA 117 provides students the basic knowledge needed to fix their latitude using the Sun and Polaris. While this basic celestial endorsement does not require the student to learn and master all the calculations required in the ASA 107 Celestial Navigation course, the student will receive a meaningful introduction to the theory and processes of celestial navigation. Students will get hands-on experience with the sextant and learn the concepts that make celestial navigation possible. This course provides a basic capability for emergency navigation and serves as a useful introduction to Celestial Navigation. Upon completion of the class, the student will understand and be able to demonstrate the use of the sextant and Nautical Almanac to determine their latitude based on sextant sights taken of the Sun and Polaris.

ASA 117 Basic Celestial Topics include:

  • Latitude, longitude, and nautical miles
  • Relationship between longitude, Zone Time, and GMT
  • Principles of celestial navigation
  • Sextant usage and care
  • Sextant sights and sight reduction of sun
  • Noon sights and Polaris sights for latitude

Docking Endorsement (ASA 118)

$450 / Person

Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA 101) certification

Course Length: 1 day

This course is designed to teach advanced docking techniques for sail and power boats with single inboard or outboard engines. It combines basic theory with the hands-on experience needed to dock and undock boats bow-first and stern-first efficiently without damage or injury.

Combination Courses

Combination – ASA 101 + ASA 103 $1,750/ Person

Course Length: 6 days


Combination – ASA 103 + 104 $2,050/ Person

Course Length: 8 Days/3 Nights


Combination - ASA 101 + ASA 103 + ASA 104 $2,775/ Person

Final approval for taking this demanding combination back to back requires completion of a sailing resume, a telephonic interview, and approval of the Chief Instructor. The student may choose to break up the combination classes over different dates/periods.

Course Length: 12 Days/3 Nights

Private Instruction Available on Request

On Flagship Boat Full-Day $550.00. On Students Boat (Contact Captain Nordie)


Note: ASA 105 and ASA 107 both are intense home study courses that are time demanding. They require focus and commitment. While there is no stated time limit for completing the course material, Flagship Sailing has seen a high correlation of success in passing the exam for those who complete the course and take the test within 3-6 months. Delaying the test for a year or two usually does nothing to help. Email and telephonic assistance will be made available to students during the first six months of enrollment. After six months—or anytime that in-depth help is requested—tutoring is available (by telephone) for ASA-105 and ASA-107 for $50/per hour. Face to face tutoring is also available for those in the Tampa, FL area at Flagship Sailing for $180 for a 4-hour session. There is an administrative fee of $100 for retest of ASA-105 and ASA 107 exams.

Standard Challege

Experienced sailors wishing to "challenge" one or more of the ASA course certification standards, without taking the associated class, may do so by successfully completing both the on-the-water evaluation and the written test for each standard. The price is $400.00/standard. If the "challenge" takes place in conjunction with another regular ASA class, the challenge price is reduced to $300.00/standard. Other discounts do not apply.

Flagship Sailing is Veteran Owned and Operated.

As such, we are proud to participate in American Sailing Association's (ASA) Veteran's Sailing Education Program by offering a 10% discount to ALL Veterans. We thank you for your service to our Nation.

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