Experienced sailors navigating a catamaran through the Greek islands with charts and instruments visible in the cockpit

Level Up: Master Bareboat Cruising with ASA 104

Name: ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising Course | Sailing Virgins
Uploaded: 2026-09-17
Duration: 3:00
Description: Follow experienced sailors as they master passage planning, advanced navigation, and the skills needed to captain their own charter yacht.

You have got the basics. Now learn advanced navigation, passage planning, and the skills to confidently charter your own yacht anywhere.

Find Your Course

American Sailing Association Certified Training Facility

ASA CertifiedTraining Facility

4.98/5228 reviews

As Featured InVOGUE

7 days

Duration

ASA 104

Certification

$3,950

From

6-8 sailors

Crew Size

Your Intermediate Sailing Adventure

Take your sailing skills to the next level with longer passages, advanced navigation, and the confidence to captain your own charter.

Intermediate sailors practicing passage planning in the cockpit

Sailing through crystal clear waters on an intermediate course

Students learning advanced navigation techniques

Catamaran sailing in stunning Mediterranean waters

Crew working together during a sailing passage

Life onboard during an intermediate course

Relaxing in a beautiful bay after a day of sailing

1 / 10

Is Intermediate Right for You?

Find out if this course matches your experience level and goals.

Perfect For

Sailors with ASA 101/103 or equivalent experience
Anyone who has completed a beginner course and wants more
Sailors planning to bareboat charter independently
Couples or groups wanting to charter without a skipper
Career changers exploring marine industry opportunities
Adventure seekers ready for longer passages and open water

Prerequisites

ASA 101 + ASA 103 certification (or equivalent experience). You should be comfortable sailing in fair weather, basic anchoring, and helm duties. Not sure if you are ready? Contact us for a quick assessment.

What You'll Achieve

ASA 104 (Bareboat Cruising) certification
Qualification to charter yachts up to 45 feet worldwide
Advanced navigation and passage planning skills
Ability to handle challenging weather and sea conditions
Confidence to captain your own charter yacht

Intermediate sailors reviewing navigation charts together in the cockpit of a yacht in Croatia

What You'll Learn

ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising takes you from competent crew to confident captain. You will master advanced navigation, passage planning, and the decision-making skills needed to safely charter and command a cruising yacht.

Passage planning: route selection, timing, weather windows

Advanced coastal navigation with paper and electronic charts

GPS and chartplotter operation and backup strategies

Weather interpretation: reading forecasts, identifying changes

Heavy weather sailing techniques and storm preparation

Advanced anchoring: multiple anchor sets, stern anchoring

Night sailing orientation and watch schedules

Emergency procedures: man overboard recovery, distress calls

Crew management and delegation during challenging conditions

Provisioning and systems management for extended cruising

Customs, immigration, and marina procedures

Basic diesel engine troubleshooting

All certifications issued by the American Sailing Association (ASA)

A Day in the Life

Intermediate courses have more autonomy, longer passages, and real-world decision making. Here is what a typical day looks like.

Time	Activity	What You'll Learn	Vibe
06:30	Early wake-up for weather check	Review GRIB files and plan the day passage	Academic
07:30	Passage planning session	Plot courses, calculate ETAs, identify bail-out harbors	High Focus
08:30	Pre-departure checks and briefing	Assign watch roles, review safety procedures	Active
09:00	Set sail on a longer passage (15-25nm)	Navigate across open water to a new island	Active
11:00	Sail trim practice and efficiency drills	Optimize speed through wind changes	High Focus
13:00	Lunch underway with watch rotation	Experience realistic offshore sailing rhythm	Social
15:00	Approach and anchoring practice	Master tandem anchoring or Med mooring in tight spaces	High Focus
17:00	Systems check and instructor debrief	Review the passage, discuss decisions made	Academic
18:30	Free time to explore ashore	Visit local villages, swim, relax	Zen
20:00	Dinner and evening planning	Discuss tomorrow passage, share stories	Social

06:30Early wake-up for weather check

Review GRIB files and plan the day passage

Academic

07:30Passage planning session

Plot courses, calculate ETAs, identify bail-out harbors

High Focus

08:30Pre-departure checks and briefing

Assign watch roles, review safety procedures

Active

09:00Set sail on a longer passage (15-25nm)

Navigate across open water to a new island

Active

11:00Sail trim practice and efficiency drills

Optimize speed through wind changes

High Focus

13:00Lunch underway with watch rotation

Experience realistic offshore sailing rhythm

Social

15:00Approach and anchoring practice

Master tandem anchoring or Med mooring in tight spaces

High Focus

17:00Systems check and instructor debrief

Review the passage, discuss decisions made

Academic

18:30Free time to explore ashore

Visit local villages, swim, relax

Zen

20:00Dinner and evening planning

Discuss tomorrow passage, share stories

Social

Zen

Academic

Active

Social

High Focus

Celebration

See What an Intermediate Course Looks Like

Follow experienced sailors as they master passage planning, advanced navigation, and the skills needed to captain their own charter yacht.

Click to play • ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising Course | Sailing Virgins

Your Crew

Meet Your Instructors

Learn from captains with thousands of offshore miles who specialize in building confident skippers.

Captain Mitchell Selby

ASA Certified Instructor

Mitchell has 20 years of sailing experience and has been involved in the charter industry for 6 years. Based in Hawaii, he operates year-round, combining his interests in surfing and sailing while traveling to various destinations for charters and...

ASA Certified InstructorSailing Virgins Instructor

1 of 5 instructors

Meet all our instructors

Tripadvisor Reviews

What Intermediate Sailors Say

5.0

(228+ reviews)

“Did my ASA 101/103 last year and was hungry for more. The 104 course was exactly what I needed. The passage planning sessions were intense but incredibly valuable. By day 5, I was running the show - plotting courses, making weather calls, commanding the anchoring. Chartered my own yacht in Greece two months later. Zero regrets.”

Michael R.

Solo Male, 38, Financial Analyst

“We're planning to sell the house and live aboard in a few years. This course gave us the confidence we needed. The instructor pushed us out of our comfort zone - night sailing, tight Med moorings, the works. We went from 'maybe someday' to 'definitely happening' after this week.”

Lisa & Mark T.

Couple, 45 & 47, Planning Charter Retirement

“I was the only woman on my boat and never felt out of place. The crew was supportive and the instructor made sure everyone got equal helm time. The focus on decision-making under pressure was transformative. I now bareboat charter solo and feel completely confident.”

Jennifer K.

Solo Female, 31, Product Manager

“After our beginner course, we knew we wanted more. The intermediate course was a step up in every way - longer sails, more responsibility, deeper learning. Our instructor was brilliant at explaining the why behind every decision. We have already booked our advanced course.”

Next: Oct 11

Up to 5 sailors

From

$4,990per person

View dates →

View All Intermediate Courses

Bareboat-Charter-Readiness-Guide.pdf guide preview

Free Download

Download the Bareboat Charter Readiness Guide

Everything you need to know before your first bareboat charter - pre-departure checklist, passage planning templates, and tips from experienced charter skippers.

What's inside:

Pre-course skills refresher guide
Weather pattern quick reference
Night sailing preparation tips
Passage planning worksheets

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Earn your bareboat charter license with the ASA 104 course.

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Guide

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Certification

ASA 102 Basic Coastal Cruising

Build your coastal sailing skills with the ASA 102 course.

Frequently Asked Questions

You need ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat Sailing) and ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising) certifications, or equivalent verifiable experience. If you learned elsewhere or have logged significant sailing hours, contact us with your background and we can assess readiness.

Not sure if you qualify? We offer a quick phone consultation to review your experience.

While beginner courses focus on fundamental skills in protected waters, intermediate courses introduce:

- **Longer passages** (15-25nm vs 5-10nm)

- **Open water sailing** with real navigation challenges

- **Advanced weather interpretation** and decision-making

- **Night sailing orientation** (conditions permitting)

- **Greater student autonomy** - you are running the boat by mid-week

Expect more responsibility and deeper skill development.

ASA 104 qualifies you to bareboat charter yachts up to 45 feet from most charter companies worldwide. This means you can rent a yacht without a skipper in destinations like the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific.

Many charter companies require ASA 104 (or equivalent) as the minimum for bareboat rentals. It's the key certification for independent cruising.

Weather and conditions permitting, we introduce night sailing orientation. This typically means an evening departure or dawn arrival passage, giving you experience with navigation lights, reduced visibility, and watch schedules.

Full overnight passages are part of ASA 105/106 (Advanced courses), but ASA 104 provides the foundation.

Absolutely welcome! We accept ASA certifications from any school, as well as RYA (Day Skipper), IYT, and other recognized credentials. If you have logged significant sailing experience without formal certification, contact us with your sailing resume.

We want to ensure everyone on an intermediate course has compatible skill levels for a great learning environment.

Intermediate courses typically attract a mix of:

- Couples planning to charter together

- Solo sailors looking to advance their skills

- Groups of friends who sailed together before

Everyone shares the same goal: gaining the confidence and certification to charter independently. The camaraderie and shared learning make for lasting friendships.

We offer ASA 104 courses in:

- **BVI (British Virgin Islands)** - Diverse conditions with protected anchorages and open water challenges

- **Croatia** - Island hopping with Mediterranean mooring practice

- **Greece** - Meltemi wind conditions and ancient ports

Each destination offers unique sailing challenges appropriate for intermediate skill development.

Ready to Become a Confident Skipper?

Take the next step in your sailing journey. ASA 104 opens the door to bareboat chartering anywhere in the world.

Find Your Intermediate Course

100% Satisfaction GuaranteeFlexible Booking Options

Level Up: Master Bareboat Cruising with ASA 104

Your Intermediate Sailing Adventure

Is Intermediate Right for You?

Perfect For

Prerequisites

What You'll Achieve

What You'll Learn

ASA 104

A Day in the Life

See What an Intermediate Course Looks Like

Meet Your Instructors

Captain Mitchell Selby

What Intermediate Sailors Say

Upcoming Intermediate Courses

Croatia Sailing Adventure

Croatia Catamaran Adventure

French Polynesia Catamaran Adventure

Greece Catamaran Adventure

French Polynesia Sailing Adventure

St Martin Catamaran Course

Download the Bareboat Charter Readiness Guide

Explore More Sailing Experiences

Certifications and destinations to pair with this

Earn your ASA 104

ASA 103 Coastal Cruising course

summer 2027 bareboat and catamaran combo

ASA 102 Basic Coastal Cruising

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the prerequisites for the intermediate course?

How is the intermediate course different from beginner?

What can I do with ASA 104 certification?

Will we do any night sailing?

What if I completed my beginner course elsewhere?

What's the crew composition like?

What destinations are available for intermediate courses?

Ready to Become a Confident Skipper?

Your Intermediate Sailing Adventure

See What an Intermediate Course Looks Like

Meet Your Instructors

Captain Mitchell Selby

What Intermediate Sailors Say

Download the Bareboat Charter Readiness Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the prerequisites for the intermediate course?

How is the intermediate course different from beginner?

What can I do with ASA 104 certification?

Will we do any night sailing?

What if I completed my beginner course elsewhere?

What's the crew composition like?

What destinations are available for intermediate courses?