Coastal navigation Training

[Shell Back 17]

Hey Everyone! New to the forum.
My question is has anyone had experience with any coastal navigation training. I have taken ASA 101 & 103 from a local school here in Denver and would like to take a coastal navigation class next. The school in Denver is around $380.00. Starpath out of Washington is about $100.00 cheaper and includes some electronic nav training as well. Thanks in advance.

[CruisingHopeful]

I took Coastal Navigation at Club Nautique in Alameda, CA (US Sailing). The website says it's $600. I highly recommend, but you may want to stay with ASA instead of US Sailing....

[Drew13440]

I took ACN through USCG Auxiliary. I dunno if that's an option in Colorado, but it's free less the cost of the course materials (text, chart, pencil, eraser).

[belizesailor]

Havent done the StarPath Navigation class, but their Marine Weather class is quite good so would expect the same.

ASA revised their materials a number of years ago and the current materials by Tom Tursi are quite good. When I deliver ASA Coastal Nav, I have the students work thru the materials once on their own (remotely, at their own pace, with email/phone support), then we do a 1/2 day review and practice in the class room, then about 1/2 day to complete and review the exam. This format has worked out very well.

Under the ASA curriculum, Coastal Nav (105) is a classroom class (no on the water hands on) and Advanced Coastal Cruising (106) is where the hands on happens. You can also incorporate 105 hands on into 104 or 114 (if the school is up for that). As such, 105 works well in combination with any of the above classes.

[toddster8]

I was going to say the same - depends on whether ASA 105 is prerequisite for anything else you want to do. I took the 105 and we did the on-the-water bit as part of 104, since most of the same people were present. As far as I can see, the only thing that lists 105 as a prerequisite is ASA 106. The scope of the Starpath course looks a bit more comprehensive to me - I've worked through their weather book but not nav.

I suppose another factor is whether you do well in a self-study environment or would you rather have a live instructor to help you through problems?

[maxingout]

My coastal navigation was free from the USCG auxillary many years ago in the Panama Canal Zone. Good course.

[leboyd]

If you're not looking to add something like an official ASA course, something like this might be perfect: Coastal Navigation Sailing Course

As Belizesailor said, the 105 is just a classroom course anyway. I've red several articles and things from Nautical Ed that were free on their site. My 105 came with the 104 and 106 courses.

Just learning or reminding when it's been a while seems like the online course would be great and price effecient.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by toddster8

I was going to say the same - depends on whether ASA 105 is prerequisite for anything else you want to do. I took the 105 and we did the on-the-water bit as part of 104, since most of the same people were present. As far as I can see, the only thing that lists 105 as a prerequisite is ASA 106. The scope of the Starpath course looks a bit more comprehensive to me - I've worked through their weather book but not nav.

I suppose another factor is whether you do well in a self-study environment or would you rather have a live instructor to help you through problems?

Yes, 105 is a prerequisite to 106 only.

Ive delivered 105-106 as a combination class many times...following the format described above. We complete the 1/2 day review and the 1/2 exam before we leave the dock and then head out and complete 106 plus some additional 105 hand on.

There is nothing to prevent 105 from being delivered as a combo with classes other than 106, but thats up to the individual school.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by maxingout

My coastal navigation was free from the USCG auxillary many years ago in the Panama Canal Zone. Good course.

You a Zonie?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by leboyd

If you're not looking to add something like an official ASA course, something like this might be perfect: Coastal Navigation Sailing Course

As Belizesailor said, the 105 is just a classroom course anyway. I've red several articles and things from Nautical Ed that were free on their site. My 105 came with the 104 and 106 courses.

Just learning or reminding when it's been a while seems like the online course would be great and price effecient.

If you want to DIY, and dont care about certifications, then there are many good classic navigation texts out there you could use. Electronics aside, basic coastal piloting techniques haven't changed in 100 years.

Before ASA revised their materials, I used to use Duttons for 105 classes.

Side note: The ultimate navigation self study student was Bowditch (being an over the top genius didnt hurt). He taught himself German so he could then use classic German texts to teach himself calculus...then onto navigation and the rest is history. Wow.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by toddster8

...

I suppose another factor is whether you do well in a self-study environment or would you rather have a live instructor to help you through problems?

Definately a consideration based on personal learning style.

In recent years (well...last decade being recent), my delivery preference has been the self study with reduced class room time. This has been for 2 reasons 1, ASA dramatically improved their materials making this feasible and 2, students can optimize their hands on time while in-country vs sitting in a class room...who wants to fly to paradise and be locked in a class room for several mind numbing days (as an instructor I dont much enjoy that either).

That said, Ive also done the full on class room delivery (though many moons ago). And, its totally up to the individual school how they choose to deliver the class...many still do the full traditional class room version. So students have plenty of delivery options to choose from.

[belizesailor]

Another option: You can challenge any of the ASA standards (if the school offers it, they dont have to). So, you could complete coastal navigation training any way you prefer and then challenge the ASA 105 standard if you wanted the ASA cert or needed it as a prerequisite for taking 106.

Ulike PADI in SCUBA, there is no "ASA way" of working navigation problems. Its all just standard costal piloting. So no problem using other curriculum.

[LTDsailing]

Looks like lots of good advice so far. If you are interested in doing a combined 105 / 106 course, we would be happy to have you join us for either an Advanced Cruise and Learn or Advanced Catamaran Cruise and Learn course. A lot of people really enjoy doing coastal navigation for the sake of coastal navigation - but once you take those skills out on the water and put them to use it really makes the whole thing come together.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our courses (Chris@LTDsailing.com).

Beam winds

[Time2Go]

Originally Posted by Shell Back 17

Hey Everyone! New to the forum.
My question is has anyone had experience with any coastal navigation training. I have taken ASA 101 & 103 from a local school here in Denver and would like to take a coastal navigation class next. The school in Denver is around $380.00. Starpath out of Washington is about $100.00 cheaper and includes some electronic nav training as well. Thanks in advance.

Boatsafe.com
Coastal Navigation Course
About 125.00 with a set of tools and practice
charts
All you need
Cheers
Neil