BVI (ASA 103/104)

Sailing Collective's Passage Offshore program is proud to be working with American Sailing Association to offer ASA certifications. This means that your experience gained has international recognition, and you are eligible for an IPC (international proficiency certificate), which is commonly accepted by charter companies as a qualification to captain your own cruising boat. Your next vacation could be with you at the helm!

Why learn the Sailing Collective way? We practice a style of sailing that has been honed over thousands of days at sea, an elixir of fun and adventure balanced by safe seamanship and relaxation. We teach the ways of passagemaking without losing sight of all of the wonderful reasons why we want to be out here in the first place.

The American Sailing Association (ASA) curriculum has structured levels of sailing pedigrees that are examined through progressive certification courses. Students who learn to sail through the PASSAGE OFFSHORE program receive an ASA Logbook that lists the certification qualifications and records sailing experience. When your certification is successfully completed, your ASA Logbook is notarized by your ASA instructor any charter or vessel rental operator can view your credentials and level of competency.

DEPARTURE & MARINA

Departure and marina details to be provided upon booking. Details below are illustrative only and will be confirmed upon booking. 

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

• Provisioning begins at 1:00pm

• Checkin begins at 3:00pm

• Boarding is at 5:00pm

• Technical briefing takes place at 6:00pm OR 8:00am the following morning

The ASA 103 & 104 curriculums teaches you the necessary steps to plan a sailing voyage on your own including the procedures of bareboat chartering. You will assist with the check in procedures including provisioning and the technical check in. We recommend you arrive early on Day-1, although the official start time is 5:00pm

Please note that the last ferry from St Thomas to Tortola is 4:30pm and service times are subject to slight changes and delays. Please make sure your flight arrives in St. Thomas before 3:30 pm Day 1 of the journey.

GETTING THERE

AIR TRAVEL

Do not book flights out of St Thomas landing after 3:30 pm on Day 1, or departing before 2:00pm on Day 8.

• Option 1: Fly to Tortola’s Beef Island Airport (EIS) and take taxi to meeting point in Tortola.

• Option 2: Fly to St. Thomas (STT) and take a ferry to Tortola.

TAXI

Wheatley Taxi Service

FERRY SERVICES

As schedules often shift, we highly recommend calling the night prior to your ferry to confirm departure times. Do not rely on the posted schedules. The last ferry leaves St. Thomas at 4:30 pm.

Ferries depart from Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and arrive at the Road Town Ferry Terminal in Tortola.

Road Town Fast Ferry: Toll free 866.903.3779, Local Office 284.494.2323 tortolafastferry.com

Native Son Ferry: Local Office 284.495.4617 nativesonferry.com

Smiths Ferry: Local Offices - St. Thomas 340.775.7292, Road Town 284.494.4454 smithsferryservices.com

PASSPORTS AND VISAS

It is the responsibility of each individual to ensure relevant visas are obtained where necessary. Check BVI visa requirements for your nationality here. U.S. citizens are issued a tourist visa at the airport passport control for a $15 tariff payable in cash only (USD are accepted). Please ensure your passport is valid for the period of travel and for six months after you return with at least 3 blank pages for visa stamps. Your passport name must match the name on the flight ticket otherwise you may not be able to travel and insurance may be invalid. The Sailing Collective cannot be held responsible for refusal of entry or travel due to lack of visas. If you are in any doubt of your visa requirements, please contact your Embassy for full details.

CURRENCIES / MONEY EXCHANGE

Accepted Forms of Payment: US Dollars and US travelers checks are used throughout the BVIs. Visa and MasterCard are also accepted in most places. ATMs can be found in Road Town, but it is recommended that you travel with the necessary cash. Travelers preferring to travel with travelers checks can cash them at most banks in Road Town.

WEATHER

The British Virgin Islands bask in a tropical maritime climate. Rainfall is moderately low for tropical islands. Scattered showers are common throughout the year, but all day rain is very rare. There is little seasonal variation in temperature ranging in the 80s during the day and the 70s during the evening. Brief rain showers can be frequent so please bring a light raincoat. Wind speeds vary throughout the year from 5-20 mph.

PROVISIONING

This is a sailing course, not a sailing vacation. The students will participate with the cooking and meal preparation throughout the week. Your instructor will ask for each student to prepare a few recipes with ingredient list in advance to prepare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The dinning ashore schedule will be decided during the course. Please note, it is common practice to pay for your instructor's meal.

• Not included in provisioning package: Spirits, wine, beer, etc.

Dietary Restrictions: Important to notify your Sailing Collective representative of any dietary restrictions ahead of time and fill out details in Guest Form

ADDITIONAL COST

• Recommended $300 – $600 in spending money depending on spending habits.

• Additional food and beverages including alcohol.

• All expenses on shore including meals and drinks.

• Flights and transportation to and from the marina location.

• Gratuity: Tipping captain and crew is welcomed, 5-10% is customary

PACKING LIST

Collapsible bags in place of large rigid suitcases are advised for ease of storage.

During days on the water, you’ll want to be wearing light and comfortable clothing.  As the vast majority of your time will be spent outside, prepare for elements - bring a light rain coat just in case, a hat to shield yourself from the sun, and a set of warm clothing.  Throughout the week we may dine out at a nice restaurant, so bring gear that you’ll look nice in and suits your style. Loading and unloading from the dingy can be a wet activity, a pair of shoes that you can get wet is recommended.

ASA 103, Basic Coastal Cruising

Able to skipper a sloop-rigged auxiliary powered (inboard or outboard engine) keelboat of approximately 25 to 35 feet in length by day in moderate winds (up to 20 knots) and sea conditions. Knowledge of cruising sailboat terminology, basic boat systems, auxiliary engine operation, docking procedures, intermediate sail trim, navigation rules, basic coastal navigation, anchoring, weather interpretation, safety and seamanship.

ASA 104, Bareboat Cruising

Able to skipper a sloop-rigged, auxiliary powered keelboat of approximately 30 to 45 feet in length during a multi-day cruise upon inland or coastal waters in moderate to heavy winds (up to 30 knots) and sea conditions. Knowledge of provisioning, galley operations, boat systems, auxiliary engine operation, routine maintenance procedures, advanced sail trim, coastal navigation including basic chart plotting and GPS operation, multiple-anchor mooring, docking, health & safety, emergency operations, weather interpretation, and dinghy/tender operation.

Q. What is ASA?

The American Sailing Association is a coalition of sailors, professional sailing instructors, sailing schools and charter companies promoting safe recreation in the United States with an internationally recognized certification education system. The Sailing Collective follows the curriculum of ASA. We recommend becoming familiar with the ASA system prior to booking an ASA course, especially if you have a background with a different sailing institution. Visit online: americansailing.com

Q. What are the advantages of certifications?

Internationally recognized credentials, quality educational materials, professional instructors, and targeted goals for each level of the program.

Q. What certifications will I earn during this course?

ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising & 104 Bareboat Charter Certification

Q. What are the Prerequisites?

Unless you are taking Basic Keelboat 101, there are prerequisite. Please see the top of the page for the requirements for the particular course you are signing up for. If you Please contact us if you would like to request to the Qualifier Exam. Please contract us if you have additional questions.

Q. Should I study the ASA material prior to the start of the course?

YES! You are expected to read through the sailing text books and familier with the information prior to the start of the course. The more knowledge you have the better equipped you will be to implement the knowledge during the course.

Q. What is the deposit?

A 50% deposit is required. You can place your deposit by clicking on the BOOK NOW button at the top of the page.

Q. Will there be meals ashore?

Yes, there will be 3 to 4 meals enjoyed ashore.

Q. How much sailing will there be daily?

Depending on the coursework, there will be 5 to 7 hours of sailing each day. Certain days will cover less water to practice maneuvering and other activities such as anchoring, chart plotting, safety, and docking.

Q. Will there be downtime?

Yes, you bet! PASSAGE OFFSHORE is a course designed to explore the joys of sailing and a big part of that is rewarding yourself with the fruits of your labor. Whether it is a splendid beachside restaurant or rum shack, snorkeling, hiking, exploring a magnificent seaside village, or relaxing with a book aboard, there will be plenty of downtime from the educational curriculum.

Q. Who cooks?

Unlike other Sailing Collective adventures, PASSAGE OFFSHORE teaches you how to provision and cook for a voyage. Together, we will go to the local markets and seek out quality ingredients to be prepared aboard. Recipes will be based on the guidebook provided by the Sailing Collective culinary director. Please be prepared to bring two to three of your favorite recipes to prepare. The instructor will facilitate the provisioning.

Q. How many students?

There will be 3 to 5 students per session with 1 instructor. We keep the student count to a minimum to maximize your time learning and hands-on experience.

Q. Gratuity

Not only is your captain your educational instructor, but he is also providing high levels of hospitality. It is customary in the yachting industry to offer gratuity to your crew. 10% of your ticket price is a standard amount.

NOTICE | This is NOT a luxury week, this is a sailing course. Please be sure to connect with the Sailing Collective travel team to be sure this is the correct experience for you.