You have the ambition to charter or possibly purchase a cruising catamaran but have never sailed on one. Or you have owned a monohull sailing boat, thinking of swiching to a catamaran and wonder how different they are. How do you start and where do you learn ? Below find some of the best catamaran sailing schools in the country.
You have the choice of earning several ASA as well as ICC certifications,here is an overview:
Yachting Education Catamaran School in Annapolis MD. and the Bahamas
Narragansett Sailing School and Charters, Barrington, RI
Sail the Sound LLC, ASA Catamaran Training School, Mystic, CT.
Steve Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School NY – Caribbean
Fairwind Catamaran Sailing School – BVI’s
Swain Multihull Sailing Courses – Virgin Islands
Blue Water Catamaran Sailing School – Florida, Bahamas
Cruising Catamaran (ASA 114)
This Cruising Catamaran course can be taken as a separate course for those who completed the basic courses on a monohull. Or you can combine Basic Sailing (ASA 101), Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103), Bare boat Chartering (ASA 104) and Cruising Catamaran (ASA 114) just for catamaran sailors.
Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103)
Learn the fundamentals of daytime Coastal Cruising in moderate wind and sea conditions. Subjects include the recommended safety equipment, weather forecasts and interpretation, skippers and crews duties, chart reading and interpretation, sailing skills and practice, boat handling under sail and power and more.
Bareboat Chartering (ASA 104)
Additional knowledge and skills for coastal cruising in an auxiliary powered sailboat. Subjects include cruise planning, living aboard, wind and weather, boat systems and troubleshooting, docking, rafting, anchoring, chart reading and interpretation, extensive sailing drills and practice, knots and more.
Coastal Navigation (ASA 105)
Navigational theory required to safely navigate a sailing vessel in coastal and inland waters. Subjects include chart reading and interpretation, navigation equipment and use, tide and current tables, plotting position, bearings, running fixes, set and drift, lights, day shapes, buoyage systems, current and leeway and much more.
Advanced coastal Cruising (ASA 106)
Learn advanced techniques and procedures for cruising in auxiliary sailboats in coastal and inland waters, day and night, in any condition. Subjects include advanced sail theory and trim, weather systems and forecasting, sail inventory, heavy weather preparation and skills, various anchoring techniques, emergency measures, boat systems and engineering, and more. Students will demonstrates various sailing and seamanship skills.
Celestial Navigation(ASA 107)
Even in these days of satellites and electronic navigation, the complete seaman is adept at the art of celestial navigation. Learn to navigate a boat on open waters by the sun, the moon and the stars. Topics include time and coordinate systems, operation and use of the sextant, sight reduction methods for sun, moon and stars, running fixes, determining compass deviation and more
Offshore Passagemaking (ASA 108)
The ultimate in sailing education and the highest level of ASA certification. Students will participate in an offshore passage of at least 72 hours. Subjects include advanced topics in navigation, passage planning, characteristics of seaworthiness, watchkeeping, emergency procedures, abandon ship procedures and precautions, navigating using celestial navigation, and much more. Students will integrate all previous subject material
