This 4-day immersive liveaboard course aboard our 58’ catamaran Pisces prepares you for multi-day cruising and international bareboat chartering by combining advanced coastal skills with real-world liveaboard experience. Over the course of four days and three nights, you’ll step into true cruising life—sharing responsibilities as skipper and crew, standing rotating watch, planning daily routes, and managing the vessel underway and at anchor.

Training includes advanced sail handling, reefing for changing conditions, multihull docking and maneuvering, anchoring techniques, coastal navigation, tide and current considerations, route and weather planning, and systems management such as water, power, and onboard safety equipment. You’ll also gain hands-on experience with the catamaran’s galley and living systems, preparing meals aboard and learning how to comfortably and safely operate a cruising vessel for extended periods.

Students apply their skills through real passage planning—selecting destinations, calculating travel time, identifying hazards, and discussing decision-making in varying conditions. Evenings are spent anchored out, offering time to review the day, observe night lighting and buoyage, and experience the rhythm of liveaboard cruising.

Successful completion earns you the ASA 104 certification (Bareboat Cruising), and students may add ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran) for an additional certification. By the end of the course, you’ll have the confidence and competence needed for multi-day cruising and international bareboat chartering.

Highlights

• Practical liveaboard experience

• Certification for bareboat cruising

• Skills for international chartering

• Evening passage review

Includes:

• Four days of hands-on liveaboard training

• Food provisions while underway (meals ashore are not included)

• ASA 104 certification (ASA 114 add on available)

• Training materials and textbooks

• Use of safety equipment and PFDs

• All fuel and marina fees

• Linens, Blankets & Pillows

• Coffee & Sugar (bring your own creamer)

• Use of the refrigerator for any personal snack items or medications

What's not included:

• Personal items and clothing

• Optional tools (parallel ruler, dividers- available as add on)

• Meals ashore and incidental expenses

4 Days • ~35 nm/day • Departing from Irvington, VA
Vessel:58’ Catamaran Pisces
Start/End: Tides Inn Marina – Irvington, VA

Day 1: Irvington → Reedville

• Open-Bay sailing & navigation drills

• Anchor in Cockrell Creek

• Optional dinner at Leadbelly’s

• Evening: anchoring & night-light review

Day 2: Reedville → Onancock

• Catamaran docking practice

• Marina night with showers

• Evening -navigation prep

Day 3: Onancock → Deltaville

• Student-led passage planning

• Anchor in Jackson Creek

• Dinner at Deltaville Tap & Raw Bar

• Evening: test review & advanced cruising topics

Day 4: Deltaville → Irvington

• Full student-led navigation

• Final docking practice at Tides Inn

• 2 hours of written ASA 104/114 exams

• Course wrap-up & certification sign-offs

Pisces was custom built on the Chesapeake Bay in the 1990s, designed with a simple mission: to sail safely and comfortably over the horizon. Measuring 58 feet overall with a 28-foot beam, she offers exceptional stability and spaciousness for extended cruising.

Sleeping Arrangements: Pisces offers four private cabins, each sharing a head with an adjoining cabin, providing a practical and comfortable setup for multi-day training. While accommodations are simple and functional, they offer the privacy and restful space you need after a full day of sailing. It’s a classic liveaboard experience—cozy, efficient, and perfectly suited for hands-on cruising instruction.

Bathing: Pisces is equipped with manual-flush marine heads, offering simple and reliable operation during your time onboard. For overnight training guests, full shower facilities will be accessible at the marinas we visit along the way.

Heating/Cooling: A diesel heater provides warmth in cool months and fans located throughout the cabin and in each berth provide cooling.

Check-in details

Please plan to meet in the Tides Inn main lobby at 9am on Day 1. Parking is available in the resort’s main lot, and you’re welcome to leave your bags in your vehicle—we’ll retrieve them by golf cart together and bring them directly to the boat. Your captain will meet you in the lobby to begin your adventure.

What to bring

• Warm clothes and layers

• Your textbook

• Water bottle

• Personal needs and any optional tools

• Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing

• Foul weather gear - Rain gear and waterproof boots or shoes.

• Swimwear

• Warm Layers - its better to have them and not need them; we recommend that all/most clothing be quick-drying

• USB charging cords for your devices (there are USB-A and C outlets in each berth)

• Sunglasses, sunscreen and hat with a brim

• Sailing gloves (optional)

• Entertainment - Books, tablet, music (headphones are required)

• Noise reduction earplugs for sleeping (if you are a light sleeper)

• Personal and sea-sickness medicines

• Shower shoes

• Towel and wash cloth

• Mesh bag for dirty laundry (I find this especially useful onboard)

Special requirements

Participants should be comfortable in a marine environment and willing to participate actively.

Extras

• In addition to the included ASA 104 certification, students may also pursue the optional ASA 114 Catamaran Cruising certification.

• The chart-plotting tools needed for the ASA 104 exam may be supplied by you or conveniently added during checkout so they’re ready upon your arrival.

Disclaimers

You will be asked to sign a waiver before starting the course.

What certifications are included?

This course includes the ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising certification.
Students may optionally add ASA 114 Catamaran Cruising during checkout.

Do I need ASA 103 before taking this course?

Yes. Completion of ASA 101 and 103 (or the equivalent experience) is required before enrolling. If you're unsure about your readiness, we’re happy to help you evaluate your experience.

Where does the trip begin and end?

The course starts and ends at Tides Inn Marina in Irvington, VA.
You’ll meet your captain in the main lobby at 9:00am on Day 1.

Where will we sleep?

Aboard our 58’ catamaran Pisces.
She offers:

• 4 private cabins

• Each cabin shares a head with one adjoining cabin

• Simple but comfortable accommodations appropriate for training

• Marine manual-flush toilets

• Hot water at sinks after the engine has been running

• Showers available at marinas during the trip

What chart-plotting tools do I need?

ASA 104 requires:

• Parallel ruler

• Dividers

You may bring your own or add a premium-quality set at checkout, which we’ll have ready for you at the start of the trip.
Cheaper Amazon sets are available, but students have reported mixed results.

Will there be time for testing?

Yes. We set aside around 2 hours on Day 4 for the written ASA 104 and/or 114 exams, followed by logbook sign-offs and final evaluations.

Is food included?

Yes — all onboard meals are included except for dinners ashore.

What makes this course different from other ASA programs?

• Training aboard a 58’ catamaran

• Led by an ASA Outstanding Instructor (top 1% worldwide)

• True liveaboard cruising experience

• Balanced mix of anchoring, docking, systems, navigation, and real-world passage planning

Typically we do not cancel ASA classes for weather, unless the weather is extreme. In that event your instructor will reach out at least 24 hours in advanced. Cancelled courses due to weather will be rescheduled. The final decision on weather cancellations is made by the instructor.

We offer free cancellation within 48 hours after booking. After that if you decide to cancel for any reason, you will forfeit your deposit.