Do I need prior navigation experience?

No—ASA 105 builds on basic piloting but assumes only fundamental familiarity with small-boat handling; the course teaches coastal navigation fundamentals.

Is ASA 105 a prerequisite for ASA 104?

No, ASA 105 is not required before ASA 104, but it provides core navigation skills that strongly prepare students for ASA 104 coursework.

What is included in the class format?

Three in-person half days with presentations, hands-on plotting, handouts, assigned homework, and a timed proctored exam on day three.

What should I bring to class?

Bring a basic calculator, pencils, eraser, and a notebook; instructors provide charts and handouts as specified in the course description.

Are there weather-related cancellations?

Because this is a classroom course, cancellations are rare and reserved for major access issues like flooding that prevents reaching the training rooms.

Will materials be provided for the exam?

The course description specifies training materials and handouts; check the full course notes for exam rules and permitted aids ahead of testing.

Master Coastal Navigation in Alexandria: ASA 105 Three-Day Course

On the banks of the tidal Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia, ASA 105 Coastal Navigation is a compact, hands-on classroom course designed to turn weekend sailors into confident coastal navigators. Over three evenings you'll move beyond basic piloting to plot passages, read nautical charts, and apply tide and current data to real-world routes. The course focuses on practical skills—chart plotting, converting between true and magnetic bearings, dead reckoning and fixes, and using tide tables—skills that matter when visibility drops or electronics fail.

The classroom sits a short drive from the Alexandria waterfront and the Chesapeake Bay approaches, which means examples and exercises are grounded in the local maritime environment: tidal currents, busy shipping channels, and mixed freshwater-saltwater estuary conditions. Instructors use regional charts and navigation publications to teach how to correct for leeway and set, determine a course to steer, and translate a plan into a safe multi-day coastal passage. That localized emphasis makes this more than a generic seminar; it's preparation for the real decisions you'll face on the water around Washington's rivers and the Bay.

The course structure is straightforward: three half days, starting at 5:00pm and wrapping around 8:30pm, with hands-on plotting, presentations, handouts, and homework. Day three includes a timed proctored exam. Bring a basic calculator and a readiness to work through plotting exercises—this course expects active participation. ASA 105 teaches the core techniques that underpin ASA 104 and is an ideal next step for sailors preparing to skipper extended trips.

Practical benefits are immediate: improved passage planning, greater confidence interpreting tide and current tables, and the ability to navigate reliably when GPS signals are unreliable. Equally important, you'll learn to read charts critically, understand magnetic variation for your region, and translate bearings into tactical steering decisions. Those competencies reduce risk and let you expand cruising grounds with competence rather than guesswork.

This in-person classroom format limits weather cancellations to unusual circumstances like flooding that blocks access to the training room, so plan accordingly. Whether you're preparing for a summer cruise in Chesapeake waters or aiming to navigate unfamiliar coastlines with more skill, ASA 105 is a focused, efficient way to add indispensable coastal navigation skills to your sailing toolkit.

Alexandria’s maritime history stretches back to the colonial era—officially established in 1749—so learning navigation here connects you to centuries of coastal trade, pilotage, and riverine seamanship. Instructors frame exercises around local waypoints and common challenges such as strong tidal sets near bridges and approach lanes used by commercial traffic. Beyond technical ability, ASA 105 opens access to the local sailing community: graduates swap trip plans, share radio procedures, and often join weekend flotillas that convert classroom plotting into real coastal passages to the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.

About Heritage Sails LLC

Heritage Sails LLC provides professional on-water sailing instruction and yacht delivery services from Alexandria, Virginia. The company specializes in American Sailing Association (ASA) courses and hands-on experiences designed for new and advancing sailors. Instructors focus on practical skills: sail trim, navigation, docking, safety procedures, and seamanship. Classes include ASA 101 Keelboat Sailing 1, ASA 103 Coastal Cruising, ASA 105 Coastal Navigation, ASA 118 Docking Endorsement, Discover Sailing introductory sails, and yacht delivery assignments that build real-world experience.

Training takes place aboard appropriately sized keelboats and larger coastal cruisers. ASA 101 prepares students to skipper 20–27 foot boats, while coastal courses emphasize navigation, systems, and trip planning for multi-day cruises. Docking endorsement sessions concentrate on handling wind, current, and prop walk in crowded marinas. Yacht delivery services pair participants with professional crew to transport vessels and gain certification credits.

Heritage Sails LLC emphasizes safety, certification alignment, and practical repetition to build confidence on deck. Instruction follows ASA standards and uses chart plotting, tide analysis, and hands-on drills to teach decision-making under changing conditions. The company operates in the Potomac River and nearby coastal waters from its Alexandria base, offering day and multi-day formats to match student goals.

As a featured provider on The Adventure Collective, Heritage Sails LLC presents verifiable courses and services that prepare sailors for independent cruising and safe boat handling. Prospective students can book specific ASA courses or inquire about scheduling and yacht delivery opportunities directly through the business listing. Flexible scheduling and personalized coaching support learning goals.