ASA Sailing School Certifications

ASA Sailing Certifications – Learn to Cruise with Confidence

St. Michaels Sailing Charters offers American Sailing Association (ASA) certification courses aboard Epiphany, our Leopard 44 cruising catamaran. Located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, our sailing school provides a hands-on learning experience in the scenic waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

Courses are taught by experienced ASA-certified instructors who guide students through practical sailing skills both on the water and in the classroom. Training aboard Epiphany allows students to gain experience on a modern cruising catamaran while building the confidence needed for coastal cruising and charter sailing.

Why Learn to Sail with St. Michaels Sailing Charters

St. Michaels Sailing Charters offers a unique environment for earning your ASA sailing certifications on the Chesapeake Bay. Training takes place aboard Epiphany, our Leopard 44 cruising catamaran, providing students with hands-on experience on a modern cruising vessel in a relaxed and supportive learning environment. This popular and proven cruising catamaran design is widely used by sailors around the world and is equipped with several upgrades favored by full-time cruisers. Students have the opportunity to learn about systems and features not always found on charter catamarans, which can be especially valuable for those considering purchasing a boat of their own.

Because the same boat is used for every course, instructors know the vessel extremely well and can provide consistent, practical instruction. Classes are kept small to allow for more hands-on learning, and students can reserve individual spots rather than needing to book the entire boat. With online booking and scheduled classes, it’s easy to plan your course in advance.

Our program focuses on building real sailing competence and confidence, ensuring students leave with the skills needed to safely skipper a cruising boat rather than simply checking a box for certification.

Located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, St. Michaels offers one of the best environments on the Chesapeake Bay for learning to sail. The waters of the Miles River and Chesapeake Bay provide ideal conditions for practicing docking, sail handling, navigation, and anchoring, while still offering access to open-bay cruising.

Beyond the sailing, St. Michaels is a charming waterfront town known for award-winning seafood restaurants, boutique shops and galleries, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and nearby inns and waterfront hotels. Many students combine their sailing course with a weekend getaway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

ASA 104 – Bareboat Cruising

ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising teaches sailors how to safely skipper and crew a cruising sailboat on multi-day coastal voyages.

During this course aboard Epiphany, students learn the practical skills required to plan and manage a cruise, operate onboard systems, and confidently handle a cruising sailboat in a variety of real-world conditions.

ASA 104 can be taught on either a monohull or a catamaran. At St. Michaels Sailing Charters, this course is taught aboard Epiphany, our Leopard 44 cruising catamaran. For students whose long-term goal is to sail or charter catamarans, completing ASA 104 on a catamaran provides valuable hands-on experience with multihull sailing, including twin-engine maneuvering, catamaran handling characteristics, and onboard cruising systems. While the certification itself is the same regardless of the vessel type, learning aboard a cruising catamaran can provide additional familiarity and confidence for sailors planning to charter or own a catamaran in the future.

What You’ll Learn

• Voyage planning and navigation fundamentals
• Docking and maneuvering a cruising sailboat
• Sail handling and boat handling under power and sail
• Anchoring techniques and anchorage management
• Weather awareness and trip planning
• Safety procedures and crew management
• Onboard systems including electrical, plumbing, and engine operation

Students gain valuable hands-on experience while sailing the scenic waters of the Chesapeake Bay, practicing real-world cruising scenarios under the guidance of an ASA-certified instructor.

Certification

Upon successful completion of the course and demonstration of required knowledge and sailing skills, students receive ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising Certification, an internationally recognized credential that allows sailors to charter boats in many locations around the world.

Prerequisites

• ASA 101 – Basic Keelboat Sailing
• ASA 103 – Basic Coastal Cruising

ASA 114 – Cruising Catamaran

The ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran certification introduces sailors to the unique handling and systems of modern cruising catamarans.

This course takes place aboard Epiphany, allowing students to gain direct experience sailing and maneuvering a modern cruising catamaran in real-world conditions.

Perfect for sailors interested in chartering or owning a catamaran, this course builds on the knowledge gained in ASA 104 while focusing specifically on multihull sailing techniques.

What You’ll Learn

• Catamaran handling and maneuvering techniques
• Docking and close-quarters maneuvering using twin engines
• Sail trim and performance characteristics of multihulls
• Anchoring and mooring with a catamaran
• Systems operation specific to cruising catamarans
• Voyage planning and safety considerations for multihull sailing

Training aboard Epiphany provides an excellent opportunity to experience the stability, space, and handling characteristics that make cruising catamarans so popular with sailors worldwide.

Certification

Upon successful completion, students earn ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran Certification, demonstrating the skills needed to confidently operate and charter a cruising catamaran.

Prerequisites

• ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising

ASA 104 & 114 Combo Certification Package 

Take your sailing skills to the next level with our ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising and ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran combination course aboard Epiphany.

This accelerated training package allows students to complete both certifications during one immersive sailing experience on our 44-foot catamaran, saving time and money compared to taking the courses separately. By combining the two certifications into a single program, students benefit from extended hands-on instruction while building confidence quickly on a modern cruising catamaran.

ASA 104 teaches the skills needed to confidently skipper a cruising sailboat for multi-day trips, while ASA 114 focuses on the unique systems and handling techniques required to safely operate modern cruising catamarans.

Training takes place on the Miles River and Chesapeake Bay, providing real-world conditions for navigation, docking, sail handling, anchoring, and onboard systems management.

What You’ll Learn

• Bareboat cruising skills and trip planning
• Catamaran-specific handling and maneuvering
• Twin-engine docking techniques
• Sail trim and performance on a cruising catamaran
• Anchoring, mooring, and coastal navigation
• Safety procedures and crew management

Course Includes

• ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising certification
• ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran certification
• Hands-on instruction aboard Epiphany
• Professional ASA-certified instructors
• Training materials and certification testing

This package is ideal for sailors who want the credentials and confidence to charter large cruising catamarans in destinations like the Caribbean, Mediterranean, or the Chesapeake Bay.

Prerequisites

• ASA 101 – Basic Keelboat Sailing
• ASA 103 – Basic Coastal Cruising

Our Real-World Cruising Catamaran Experience

While ASA certification courses aboard Epiphany are taught by experienced ASA-certified instructors, the program is supported by the extensive cruising experience of owners GM and Laura Bell of St. Michaels Sailing Charters.

Since purchasing their Leopard 44 catamaran Epiphany in 2017, GM and Laura have sailed more than 10,000 miles, including multiple winter voyages from Maryland to the Bahamas with their family aboard. GM also has deep roots in the local sailing community, having served as a US Sailing certified instructor for the Miles River Yacht Club (MRYC) Junior Sailing program and participating in many years of regional monohull racing throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

Sailing remains a family lifestyle for the Bells, whose son sails Optimist dinghies in the St. Michaels MRYC junior sailing program and even brings his Opti aboard Epiphany when cruising south for the winter.

Start Your Sailing Journey

ASA certifications open the door to sailing adventures around the world. Whether your goal is owning your own boat, cruising the Chesapeake Bay and the East Coast, or exploring destinations like the Caribbean, Europe, or the Pacific, these courses provide the skills and confidence to make it happen. Many sailors also use ASA certifications as a pathway to chartering yachts in some of the world’s most beautiful cruising grounds.

Join us aboard Epiphany and begin the next chapter of your sailing journey.

Book online today, or contact us to learn more about our courses, course content, and available scheduling options.

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