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Live Aboard Cruising

Learn to Sail in the World's Best Sailing Waters.

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BVI

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Rhode Island

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Antigua

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USVI

 

Live Aboard Cruising

Monohull or Catamaran Cruising

ASA 103 Coastal Cruising and 104 Bareboat Cruising Certifications; ASA 114 Cruising Catamaran can be added.

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BVI Training Boat: Jeanneau 41, Hanse 548, Astrea 42, Isla 40

New England Training Boat: Beneteau 39, Jeanneau 51, Baveria 46, Hanse 548, Astrea 42,

Contact Us to ask about boats available in Antigua and USVI

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Prerequisite: ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Course

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Course Structure

Generally, our group courses are offered Monday- Saturday with a Sunday night arrival and sleep-aboard. View sample itinerary and skills covered. Maximum of 4 students in our group training courses.

 

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Tuition Rates

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Monohull Courses:

Group Tuition (maximum of 4 training):

May 15 - November 15 (low season): $2,495 per person

November 16 - May 14 (high season): $2,695 per person

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Rate includes:

  • The ASA Coastal Cruising Made Easy and ASA Bareboat Cruising Made Easy textbooks

  • Night of arrival sleep aboard 

  • Cruising permit (BVI)

  • Provisioning for 5 days (5 breakfasts; 4 lunches; 3 dinners; snacks and starter kit)

  • ASA 103 and ASA 104 certifications fee

  • Boat water and fuel top offs

  • Cleaning fee

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Catamaran Courses:

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May 15 - November 15 (low season): $3,095 per person

November 16 - May 14 (high season): $3,295 per person

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Rate includes:

  • The ASA Coastal Cruising Made Easy, ASA Bareboat Cruising Made Easy and Catamaran Cruising Made Easy textbooks

  • First night hotel accommodations or sleep aboard option

  • Cruising permit (BVI)

  • Provisioning for 5 days (5 breakfasts; 4 lunches; 3 dinners; snacks and starter kit)

  • ASA 103, ASA 104 and ASA 114 certifications fee

  • Boat water and fuel top offs

  • Cleaning fee

 

There is a 2 person enrollment minimum for this course. Singles, please inquire about availability in our open enrollment courses.

Live Aboard Cruising Sample Itinerary

Day 1

Following an afternoon of big boat tacking, crew over boards, maneuvering under power, sail trim, and eyeball navigation, we find our anchorage on the eastern end of Tortola. Marina Cay (like all of your stops) is idyllic with a fringing barrier reef for snorkeling or just staring at calm, clear water where the bottom looks six feet away, but could be fifty.

Curriculum

  • Overview of boat (below and above deck)

  • Engine - gauges, shifting, neutral, prop walk

  • Dock lines

  • Electrical panel

  • Stowage

  • Refrigeration (stowage)

  • Safety equipment

  • Dinghy and outboard operation

  • Depth, speed, auto pilot

  • Through haul fittings

  • Propane operation

  • Successful provisioning

  • Maneuvering under power

  • Proper sail raising/unfurling

  • Fair lead placement, tell tales

  • Big boat tacks -team work

  • Rights of way

  • Man Overboards

  • Double Anchor prep

  • Live Aboard Cruising

Day 2

Tuesday you will sail up to the Bitter End Resort located in North Sound on Virgin Gorda. Head ashore for some of the best water sports in the world or stroll through this world class resort, or stay on the boat and watch the sun go down.

We call day 2 "big Tuesday", in that we cover: solo reefing, solo MOBs, docking practice, upwind sailing performance, and more rudimentary navigation.

Curriculum

  • Mechanical systems

  • Electrical systems

  • Fresh water systems

  • Solo reefing

  • Solo man overboards

  • Perfect sail trim

  • Mooring balls

  • Power spins with prop. Walk

  • Reversing

  • Incessant docking

  • Weather reports

  • Live Aboard Cruising

Day 3

Anegada is your Wednesday destination. On this day, we fully cover navigation - all fixes, dead reckoning, gps., lines of position, depth sounder navigation, danger bearings, and more. Along with this comes sail trim and sail shape as it relates to reaching. You cannot see Anegada when you set out so your navigation skills are both fresh and necessary.

Anegada is actually a sand bar on top of a reef. Its mean elevation is six or seven feet which requires solid navigational skills. Always worth the sail, Anegada is almost completely circled by reefs and is surrounded by white beach. After snorkeling the reefs, long walks on the barren beach, or relaxing in a hammock under sea grape trees, you'll have dinner ashore at a fabulous restaurant on the beach.

Curriculum

  • Navigation i.e. dead reckoning, lops, (all) fixes, GPS, depth contours, etc.

  • Trimming sails to course

  • Man overboards

  • Position and DR fixes

  • Cooking underway

  • Compass steering

  • Live Aboard Cruising

Day 4

From Anegada, we perfect our jibe angles and wing on wing skills. It's the longest sail of the week, so there is ample time for navigational fixes and dead reckoning.

After a long broad reach, you will sail into Cane Garden Bay. A picture book anchorage with palm trees spotting a white sandy beach, CGB is a small beach community that one will find difficult to leave the next day.

Curriculum

  • Broad reaching with proper trim

  • Jibe angles and wing on wing; preventer

  • Controlled jibes

  • Navigation

  • Live aboard cruising

Day 5

After picking up the anchor, we will reach down the NW Tortola coast, piloting our way to the West End, from there we'll tack our way through the Thatch Cut to our destination, Norman Island. The snorkeling here is tremendous, and the harbour is always flat and breezy. Whether you enjoy dancing it up on the "Willie T" (a floating bar known by countless visiting boaters) or sitting back on the boat, Norman Island will be on your list of islands to return to.

Curriculum

  • Reinforcing learned sailing skills

Day 6

After a night at Norman, you will sail back to Roadtown, Tortola and debrief on your course.

Curriculum

  • More docking practice

  • "Debriefing", how to leave the boat

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