ASA 104: Bareboat Cruising
Intermediate Sailing Class
ASA 104 at PSSI is taught by certified instructors with offshore and charter experience, including multiple American Sailing Outstanding Instructor of the Year recipients.
If ASA 101 and 103 taught you how to sail, ASA 104 teaches you how to lead.
ASA 104: Bareboat Cruising is a three day, two night live aboard sailing course designed for sailors who are ready to take full responsibility for a cruising vessel. In this certification, you’ll skipper a 30 to 50 foot auxiliary powered sailboat on extended inland and coastal passages in moderate to heavy conditions, building the competence and judgment required for true cruising independence.
This is the certification most bareboat charter companies look for. More importantly, it’s where you transition from capable crew to confident skipper.
Liveaboard Sailing Certification
$1,540
Class Schedule
Three consecutive days, including two overnight stays aboard. Start times and locations will be shared upon registration.
Ask us about couples pricing.
What ASA 104 Really Is
Over three consecutive days and two nights aboard, you’ll experience what cruising really involves. You won’t just practice maneuvers in isolation. You’ll plan a route, provision for the trip, manage systems, anchor in new harbors, dock in unfamiliar marinas, and make decisions as conditions change.
You’ll operate onboard systems, handle auxiliary engine procedures, practice coastal navigation using charts and GPS, and manage crew communication in real time. You’ll learn how to think ahead, assess risk, and lead calmly when variables shift.
By the end of the course, you won’t just know the mechanics of sailing a larger boat. You’ll understand what it means to be responsible for the vessel, the people aboard, and the outcome of the voyage.
Advanced sail trim and helming
Multi-day trip planning and provisioning
Galley operations and onboard living
Coastal navigation (chart plotting, GPS, bearings)
Auxiliary engine and systems operation
Anchoring techniques and docking in new harbors
Emergency protocols and safety management
Dinghy/tender handling and crew leadership
What’s Included
3-day, 2-night live-aboard experience
ASA “Bareboat Cruising Made Easy” textbook (shipping not included)
Online prep course: Bareboat Cruising
ASA 104 registration and certification fees
All required safety gear provided
Prerequisites
ASA 101 and ASA 103 Certifications
Completion of the online Bareboat Cruising prep course and textbook review
Recommended: Minimum 80 hours of on-the-water sailing experience
If you completed ASA 101 and/or 103 at another school, please contact our office to verify your certification.
Why ASA 104 Is a Turning Point
Many sailors sign up because they want to charter internationally. ASA 104 does qualify you for bareboat charters in many locations around the world. But that’s not the real value.
The real value is confidence under responsibility.
In ASA 104, you stop reacting and start anticipating. You learn to plan passages around tides and weather windows. You manage provisioning for multi day trips. You troubleshoot systems while underway. You practice anchoring and docking in places you haven’t seen before.
You leave not just with a certification, but with the mindset of a skipper.
Graduates often move on to international charters, extended coastal cruising, sailing club leadership roles, or sailboat leasing so they can continue building hours and experience.
If you’re ready to skipper independently and take full command of a cruising sailboat, this is your next step.
Club members, please contact the office directly to register and receive your club level discount.
Club Members, please contact the office to register for classes to obtain your club level discount.
ASA 104: Bareboat Cruising FAQs
These are the most common questions students ask about our ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising class, including prerequisites, liveaboard details, and what you need to know to earn your ASA 104 certification.
What is ASA 104: Bareboat Cruising?
ASA 104: Bareboat Cruising is an intermediate American Sailing certification that teaches you how to skipper a 30’–50’ auxiliary-powered cruising sailboat on multi-day trips. You’ll practice real-world cruising skills like passage planning, anchoring, docking in new harbors, coastal navigation, boat systems management, and safety procedures so you can lead an overnight crew with confidence.
Do I need ASA 101 and ASA 103 before taking ASA 104?
Yes. At Puget Sound Sailing Institute (PSSI), ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat) and ASA 103 (Coastal Cruising) are required prerequisites for ASA 104. ASA 104 assumes you already know core sailing fundamentals, points of sail, sail trim basics, and day-sailing-level navigation, and it builds those skills into multi-day bareboat cruising leadership.
If you completed ASA 101 and/or ASA 103 with another sailing school, contact our office with your ASA number so we can verify eligibility.
How long is the ASA 104 course and is it a liveaboard class?
ASA 104 runs for three consecutive days and includes two overnight stays aboard the sailboat. This liveaboard format is intentional because bareboat cruising is about more than sailing. You’ll practice watch routines, onboard living, galley operations, night procedures, and skipper-level decision making over multiple days.
What will I learn in ASA 104 at PSSI?
In our ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising class, you’ll learn skipper-level skills including coastal navigation and passage planning, anchoring techniques, docking in unfamiliar harbors, crew leadership, emergency procedures, and multi-day cruising preparation.
- Auxiliary engine operation and basic troubleshooting
- Anchoring, mooring, and overnight planning
- Coastal navigation: chart plotting, bearings, GPS route planning
- Provisioning, galley operations, and onboard living
- Safety management, risk awareness, and emergency protocols
- Dinghy or tender handling and crew coordination
Does ASA 104 qualify me for bareboat charters?
ASA 104 is one of the most widely recognized bareboat cruising certifications and is commonly accepted by charter companies as a qualification benchmark. Charter requirements can vary by destination and operator, so we recommend confirming requirements for your specific charter plan. If you’re preparing for bareboat charters, our team can also suggest the next best steps after ASA 104 based on where you want to sail.
How much sailing experience do you recommend before ASA 104?
We recommend a minimum of 80 hours of on-the-water sailing experience before taking ASA 104. The more time you’ve spent sailing after ASA 101 and ASA 103, the more confident you’ll feel stepping into skipper responsibilities like docking, anchoring, and passage planning.
What’s included with PSSI’s ASA 104 class?
Your ASA 104 course includes a 3-day, 2-night liveaboard experience, the ASA 104 registration and certification fees, required safety gear, and access to the online Bareboat Cruising prep course. The ASA “Bareboat Cruising Made Easy” textbook is required (shipping not included).
What should I bring for a liveaboard sailing class?
Pack light and plan for changing Pacific Northwest conditions. We recommend soft-sided luggage, non-marking shoes, layered clothing, a warm hat, gloves, a waterproof jacket, personal toiletries, and any medications. If you have questions about specific gear for your sailing dates, contact us and we’ll help you get prepared.
Do club members get a discount on ASA 104?
Yes. Sailing Club members should contact the PSSI office to register for classes to ensure your club level discount is applied.
What class should I take after ASA 104?
After ASA 104, many students continue with advanced coastal training like ASA 105 (Coastal Navigation) and ASA 106 (Advanced Coastal Cruising), or build specialty skills through endorsements like docking, marine weather, or radar. The best next step depends on your goals, whether that’s bareboat chartering, offshore passagemaking, or becoming a more confident skipper in Puget Sound conditions.