Are you dreaming of taking your sailing experience to a whole new level, far beyond the sight of land and over the breathtaking open sea? Do your biggest sailing ambitions include nonstop multi-day passages, crossing an ocean, or sailing around the world? If so, Modern Sailing’s ASA 108, Offshore Passagemaking course will help prepare you to meet the challenge.
The ASA 108, Offshore Passagemaking certification marks the pinnacle of the ASA certification journey. This course will prepare you with the knowledge and skills that are crucial to any sailor considering long-distance cruising and offshore passagemaking. Students will gain an understanding of yacht preparation, long-term passage planning, crew health, watch-standing, use of celestial navigation, weather analysis, storm avoidance, heavy weather sailing techniques including use of a trysail, storm jib, and drogue, use of radar and AIS, emergency procedures, safety and seamanship, as well as other elements involved in ocean passagemaking.
This course is led by two highly experienced USCG licensed captains who will serve as your captain, first mate, and ASA instructors. Crew consists of four ASA 108 students on one of Modern Sailing’s bluewater equipped and capable 40ft+ monohull or catamaran sailing yachts.
There are two separate “sessions” offered for this course. Session 1 sails south out of Sausalito to Marina del Rey and Session 2 sails north from Marina del Rey to Sausalito. Each session begins with a one-day hands-on orientation and preparation seminar conducted onboard the yacht prior to departure. The Session 1 passage covers 450+ nautical miles for 5 to 6 continuous days and nights, with a planned one-night stopover at Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. A stopover at Santa Catalina Island is also planned for early in Session 2. The northbound Session 2 passage will often be longer in distance and duration, given the prevailing wind direction and available sailing angles that are typically present when sailing northbound up the California coast.
Candidates for this course must be in good health and fit for activities aboard a sailing vessel underway continuously for multiple days and nights. Prerequisites include ASA 106, Advanced Coastal Cruising, and ASA 107, Celestial Navigation. It is possible to fulfill the ASA 107 prerequisite with either ASA 107, Celestial Navigation or ASA 117, Basic Celestial Endorsement, both of which are available online at https://asa.com/starpath.
The coveted ASA 108 certification is awarded to students who have met the course prerequisites and have demonstrated mastery of the ASA 108 standards by means of on-the-water skills evaluation and an essay-style written exam.
Due to the broad range of topics covered in this course, there is no single textbook that covers everything you need to know to successfully complete this course and prepare for your future offshore passages. A recommended (but not required) reading list is provided in the ASA 108 Information Packet that can help you in your studies and provide valuable reference material for your future sailing adventures.
ASA 108 Information Packet
Please be sure to read the ASA 108 Information Packet for important details about this course.
ASA 108, Offshore Passagemaking Orientation Session
We will host an Orientation Session at Modern Sailing with your captain and instructor.
2024 ASA 108 Session Dates
Orientation Session (for any interested parties): May 5, 2024, 9:00am - 1:00pm at 2330 Marinship Way, Suite 280, Sausalito
Course Session 1: June 29 - July 5, from Sausalito to Marina del Rey, California
Course Session 2: July 7 - 13, from Marina del Rey to Sausalito, California
Questions? Ready to Sign Up?
If you have questions or want to sign up, contact Modern Sailing at (415) 331-8250, office@modernsailing.com, or stop by our Sausalito office at 2130 Marinship Way. You may book online if you completed ASA 106 and 107 with Modern Sailing.
