San Juan Islands ASA 104/114: Five-Day Bareboat & Cruising Catamaran Liveaboard Course

On a damp morning in the Salish Sea, the ASA 104/114 Combo Bareboat/Cruising Catamaran course transforms classroom theory into the real work of skippering multi-hull cruisers. Based in Anacortes, Washington, meeting at 3116 V Place, Anacortes, 98221, this five-day, four-night liveaboard takes place in the tidal maze of the San Juan Islands and northern Puget Sound. Students move from 35-40-foot charter sloops to an Excess 11 Cruising Catamaran as they master seamanship under sail and power. Designed for sailors who have completed ASA 101 and 103, the curriculum pushes crews into conditions up to 30 knots and realistic coastal seas. Instruction covers bareboat charter protocols, provisioning and galley operations, boat systems and auxiliary engine handling, docking and multi-anchor moorings, dinghy and tender work, routine maintenance, advanced sail trim, emergency operations and health and safety. Coastal navigation training includes basic chart plotting and GPS, plus practical lessons on planning for weather, tides and currents. What makes this program a standout in the Pacific Northwest is its operating environment. The San Juan Islands are a network of glacially scoured islands, rocky shorelines and submerged kelp forests where tidal currents shift quickly and visibility can change with sun and fog. Training in those real conditions teaches decisions that classroom drills cannot: reading eddies around islands, judging kelp-strewn anchorages, and timing passages to favorable currents. Wildlife is part of the classroom—harbor seals, bald eagles and transient orca pods are frequent observers when conditions allow. Groups are capped small—typically five students—so each person gets extended helm, docking, and anchor practice. The course starts aboard 35-40 foot sloops and finishes on the Excess 11 Cruising Catamaran to emphasize differences between monohull and catamaran handling. Texts and study guides for ASA 104 and 114 are mailed in advance; bring the required logbook and classroom materials plus practical gear: bottled water, polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, sailing gloves, non-marking shoes, layers and foul weather gear, towels, sleeping bag and pillow. Anacortes serves as the gateway base for the program; lodging options nearby include Islands Inn, Salish Inn, Anacortes Inn, Cap Sante Inn and Majestic Inn and Spa. If you have any questions, please call 206-351-8661 or email [email protected]. For sailors aiming to charter or to command a cruising catamaran professionally, this liveaboard course compresses high-value experience into a single, intense week on the water. Expect long days of hands-on instruction, instructor-led debriefs each evening, and multiple logbook sign-offs as you complete the ASA 104 and 114 skill elements. The course suits experienced day-sailors stepping up to charter responsibility, delivery crews, and anyone planning to bareboat in coastal or island chains. Small-group coaching accelerates learning; by week's end you'll have practical experience in docking, heavy-weather seamanship and multi-anchor strategies.