| Courses | Private School | FAQs | Bookstore | Links | Contact Us |
| ASA Course Decriptions | Schedule | Details | Offshore Passagemaking | Why Choose Blue Water | Charters |
|
What is the ASA? The American Sailing Association is an association of sailors, professional sailing instructors, sailing schools and charter companies. The American Sailing Association is dedicated to promoting safe recreational sailing in the United States by administering an internationally recognized education system. What are the advantages of certification? ASA certification provides internationally recognized credentials, quality educational materials, professional instruction, specific goals and training for each level of the program, and discounts with many charter companies throughout the world. Do I need certification to charter? Every charter company has their own standards to qualify prospective charterers. Some may accept the ASA Bareboat certification alone; most will also ask for resumes of experience. Charter companies look at a variety of variables in qualifying a charterer: experience, certifications, size of boat being applied for, charter area and conditions, experience and certifications of crew. A certification in Bareboat Chartering or higher will show the charter company that you have received formal training and have passed a rigorous program with specific standards. What course should I take? This varies with sailing experience, please call and we will help you decide which course would be most appropriate. I've been sailing for years but have never gotten a certification - can I take an advanced class? Sailors may challenge any of the standards by taking and passing both written and skills portion of the ASA test. You are then eligible to take all further courses. Advanced sailors may also take any course for the training and experience without receiving certifications. I've been sailing for years - why should I take a class? Many people, even people who have been sailing for years, have experience on only one type or size of boat or in a limited geographic area. Also, many people who are self taught lack the fundamental knowledge that can let them proceed easily to an unfamiliar boat or an unfamiliar area. We provide the education and the fundamentals so that a student can then proceed on his or her own. What kind of boat will be used? Boat type and size depends on the course level and number of students. Generally, Courses A and A+ are on a 35 ft to 40 ft monohull, advanced courses are aboard a 38 ft to 45 ft monohull, and Offshore Passagemaking, Bermuda and Transatlantic courses are aboard a 45 ft to 50 ft monohull. Our catamaran courses are held on a 38 ft to 42 ft catamaran. How many students will be on the boat? Class size is usually four students. Course C (ASA 105, 106) will usually have 5 students on a 50 fott boat. The Offshore Passagemaking classes (Bermuda, Transatlantic and Offshore Passagemaking) may have six. Where do we go? We sail out of our private marina in Ft. Lauderdale and sail to the Biscayne Bay/Florida Keys area or the Bahamas, depending on course level and weather. Course A, A+, and B will typically head south to Biscayne Bay and Key Largo. The advanced classes will go to the Bahamas or further. What other charges are there? Our prices are inclusive - boat, instructor, provisions, running expenses, books, certification fees, and customs and immigration fees. We even include sales tax, saving you 4% to 8% off of competitors prices. Not included are dinner Saturday evening, alcohol, any expenses incurred off the boat, and dockage fees outside of our marina (we usually will anchor out when away from our marina. If the group wants to go into a marina for any of the nights, that would be extra, and would be approximately $15 - $20 per person.) What kind of food is provided? All meals are provided from Sunday morning to Friday lunch. We have the ability to provide a wide variety of foods in an attempt to meet most dietary requirements. As part of your education in sailing and cruising, you will be planning the provisions for the week with the instructor. Together, we will inventory the supplies on the boat, create menus for the week, and make a provisioning list. Blue Water Sailing School will then do the shopping and deliver the food to the boat, where you will stow it away. Are accommodations provided? Our courses are liveaboard cruising courses; all accommodations are provided on board from the first evening, usually Saturday through the last evening, usually Thursday. What is the weekly schedule? Our classes start on Saturdays at 1500 (3:00pm). Saturday afternoon consists of orientation, boat check-out and introduction to boat systems, inventory and stowing of provisions, and overview of the week ahead. Saturday evenings are spent at our marina, accommodations on the boat are provided. Sunday morning we prepare the boat and set sail. As always, destination depends on course level and weather, but a typical class would sail out of Port Everglades and south along the Florida coast to an anchorage off Miami in Biscayne Bay. Each day provides onboard classroom sessions, sailing exercises and drills, and anchoring theory and practice. The courses are designed to anchor each night away from our marina, Sunday through Wednesday. Thursday's sail ends up at our marina in the late afternoon or early evening. Friday consists of docking practice, review of material, final tests, boat clean-up and check-out. Class is scheduled to end by 1500. Do we have time to snorkel or scuba dive? Our main goal is to sail and to teach sailing. As such, we do not have a lot of time for snorkeling. If time and weather permits, we may have time in the schedule to snorkel on one of the reefs in the Florida Keys or Bahamas. We unfortunately have neither the time or space to accommodate suba diving. Will I have to share a cabin or berth? Only if you choose to do so. Every student gets a private berth, couples will usually get a private cabin. All boats have at least one head, some have two. The boats come equipped with linens, blankets, towels and pillows. What is a typical day? Do we get some free time? Sailing lessons and drills usually run 9am to 5pm, although depending on weather, tides and course material a day may start earlier or run later. This is mixed between classroom sessions and sailing exercises, with the emphasis on hands on sailing and drills. We will break for lunch, either anchoring or eating while under way. You will drop anchor in late afternoon. Evenings are yours to relax, watch the sunset, swim, review your textbooks, read a novel or chat with your fellow students. What will the weather be? Weather in the Keys and the Bahamas is similar, but slightly different owing to the large land mass of Florida. Summer weather is hot and humid, with warm nights. Winds are normally less than 15 knots. Most rain comes in the form of afternoon thunder showers. Frequently, rain will stay over warm areas, such as the Gulf Stream and land areas, leaving Biscayne Bay and coastal waters clear. June to October you must be prepared for hot days, with extra precautions for mosquitoes and hurricanes. However, modern weather warning systems and VHF weather reports give adequate warning if anything starts developing in the tropics. Winter usually begins sometime in November, with the first cold front bringing cooler temperatures and drier air. Also common are brisk sailing winds of 15 - 20 knots from the north to northeast for a day or two, followed by warm south and southeasterly winds. If watched closely, these winds can be used to advantage. Fronts usually continue through March, gradually whimpering out in late March or April. What is your cancellation policy? The deposit and course fee is non-refundable, except: If cancellation occurs at least 60 days prior to the scheduled departure date a cancellation fee of $100.00 per person will be charged and the balance of your deposit refunded. If cancellation occurs within 60 days of the departure date no refunds will be issued. For this reason, we strongly recommend you purchase travel insurance. What happens if there is a storm or bad weather while I'm on the class? Due to the nature of sailing and the weather, we do not cancel classes nor are we able to provide refunds for bad weather, with the following exception: If, at any time during your school, a tropical storm watch, warning or hurricane watch or warning is issued for Broward, Dade or Palm Beach County counties, or the area you are sailing, you may take a rain check for the unused portion of your class. You may also be given a rain check if both you and Blue Water Sailing School agree to such, even if a storm or hurricane watch has not been issued. Do I need to study before the class starts? YES, course material is included in the course fee and is mailed to you upon registration. A thorough study of the material in advance is required to get the most out of the course. How much time you will need to study the material varies by student. There are approximately 325 pages of material for Course A+ (101, 103, 104). If you are interested in what books we use, please see The Blue Water Bookstore. Why should I choose Blue Water Sailing School? The goal of Blue Water Sailing School is to provide training and education in sailing, seamanship and boating safety. We offer the finest quality education in one of the nicest areas for sailing in the United States. We are one of the few sailing schools that offers not only the basic sailing courses, but also the most advanced sailing courses available: Advanced Coastal Cruising, Celestial Navigation and Offshore Passagemaking. At all levels you will be taught by instructors who are not only expert sailors, but expert teachers. You can start at Basic Sailing and continue with our program to owning your own boat and sailing around the world. Also see The Blue Water Advantage. Is there parking available? Yes, we have a parking lot at our marinas in Ft. Lauderdale and Newport. These are not guarded, but we have never had problems with theft or vandalism. Not many people drive to St. Thomas :). How do I book a course? What are the deposit requirements? How do I get to your marina? Please see Details What clothing and equipment do I need to bring? Please see Equipment Do you have space to store luggage that I don't need during the course? In Ft. Lauderdale we have sufficient storage for almost anything you might want to bring. We do not have storage ashore in St. Thomas or Newport, please bring only what you need. |
|
| |
|
|
|
All pages, copyright © BWSS, Inc. |