Preparing ASA 105 (Coastal Nav) for experienced sailor

[Mithril Bham]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

When I took my USCG test, I was already an ASA instructor too. I spent a LOT of time reviewing questions of each category from their database, but very little on the Nav questions since the examples I pulled looked pretty basic.

The questions however are pulled from the database for each exam administered. On the day I went in to take the Nav module, I got the test from hell...took me about half a day. I aced it, but it was a bitch.

Yeah, I lucked out. Exactly the same questions as I had been teaching for years. Although I didn't ace it I got every question right but ran out of time. The only section where that was a factor. Surprised me. Passed though.

[guyrj33]

Another choice would be the uscg Auxiliary’s courses. Such as
http://www.cgaux.org/boatinged/classes/2011/wn.php

[jdmuys]

Hello, and thank you for all these useful answers. I ended up buying David's Burch textbook and workbook, as they are available as ebooks.

I also have access to the RYA online course given by Navathome for the Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased curriculum. I expect this is very closely similar to the ASA 105 curriculum.

I guess that with these two, I will have enough material.

[Fair_Skies]

okay... this will show my ignorance.... why the ASA courses verses USCG license process? Isn't the material similar? OUPV, Master with sailing or towing endorsement?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Fair_Skies

okay... this will show my ignorance.... why the ASA courses verses USCG license process? Isn't the material similar? OUPV, Master with sailing or towing endorsement?

ASA has no direct functional relationship to USCG liscencing. However, the knowledge base is relevant.

A note regarding the USCG liscencing process. There is also no USCG delivered training which has a direct functional relationship to liscencing. The USCG administers the exams and handles the paperwork at thats it. Any related training is provided by provided by private sector schools.

[Fair_Skies]

I am pending (paperwork) my 100T Inland Master. I still learn some new every day. Focused course study in a field makes sense to me. For the next two months I get real world training in managing a boat on the hard. Too many things to get done, not enough qualified workers that can work above snails pace.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Fair_Skies

okay... this will show my ignorance.... why the ASA courses verses USCG license process? Isn't the material similar? OUPV, Master with sailing or towing endorsement?

A license requires sea time and is a legal document

When you are licensed and break the rules ....big mess , get a lawyer

A certificate of competency requires little sea time and is not a legal document

When you break the rules the authorities yell at you , beat you with a rubber hose then tell you not to do that again

[bobmcd625]

Hi JD. I had the reverse situation when I moved to France years ago. Bought a Samurai in Marseille and sailed the south coast, including a jaunt to Corsica. My bible was the text book from Les Glenans. Still have it. Essential to learn the nautical vocabulary in the country. As to ASA and other courses, of course they are good and you have great advice here. My only reaction is to concentrate on learning to read the charts. As you must know now, the bouyage here is totally different than in Europe. This applies to both paper and electronic charts. With actual position so easy to get from GPS these days you are not likely to spend a lot of time working out your route on a paper chart. MHO of course. Bon Vent!

[jdmuys]

Hi Bob,

Ah Les Glénans. I was trained by them and I have at least the four last editions of the famous navigation course. Latest is:

https://www.amazon.fr/Cours-Gl%C3%A9...dp/2021288269/

highly recommended if you can understand French! :-)

I know that the USA is region B. At least for us French, this is not totally unfamiliar as our islands in the Caribbean are also region B...

And of course, I have not really practiced much traditional dead reckoning or even fixing for a long time, thanks the wonderful apps and GPS we now have. This is why I need to practice a bit before I go and take the ASA 105.

I might even take the equivalent RYA if I can find a place to take it not too far from home...

[merrydolphin]

I agree with BelizeSailor,

I am and have been a USSailing Instructor for many years and indeed, this course and test (very similar to USSailng) is very much a hands on test, and course. This looks like sound advice. Enjoy the process. It’s is a fun challenge, and results in valuable knowledge.

[rhpike]

One alternative is the Piloting course taught by the US Power Squadron. I have never taken any ASA courses, but the knowledge gained from the Power Squadron course made passing the USCG Captains License (OUPV or Masters) a piece of cake.

[guyrj33]

Originally Posted by rhpike

One alternative is the Piloting course taught by the US Power Squadron. I have never taken any ASA courses, but the knowledge gained from the Power Squadron course made passing the USCG Captains License (OUPV or Masters) a piece of cake.

Right, learning to navigate, sail etc. doesn't have to be a beaurcratic for profit experience.

[NormanMartin]

Here's my question to the OP: After you take the test, will you report back with your comments and evaluation of the exam?

The first time I took the test was in 1985 and found it tough to figure out the questions. I could navigate but thought about navigation in terms not really found in the exam. In time, I figured it out. I am a now-retired ASA instructor after having taught 105 for many years so I am a bit curious. I also think the first reply you received, the one from Belizesailor, was spot on.

Anecdote. I had to take the US Sailing equivalent test a few years ago and flunked! The examiner stated that he was not surprised since my state of mind and stress levels at that time and place were not at "healthy" levels. I reflect that it is often outside factors that lead to navigational errors, not lack of knowledge.

Good luck and write back, please.

Norm on Cape Cod

[jdmuys]

Hi Norman,

Yes I will report.

Perhaps it will be interesting for some to read about how my study is progressing.

To recap:

- I bought the StarPath books, but not the online class
- I had in the past purchased, but never used, the Navathome course for the RYA version of the exam. I paid the reactivation fee.
- I am an experienced sailor from France, and about 20 years ago, I passed the French "Permis Hauturier", the offshore motorboat license that covers a lot of similar stuff
- Back in the 70's and 80's I had learnt much of that stuff from the Glénans sailing school in France
- Obviously, I have been mostly a GPS navigator for many years, though I have been keeping my navigation skills in minimal working order through some chart safety work when planning and tracking passages.
- I passed ASA 101, 103, 104 in one session, scoring 99%

What I have done so far:

- Watched the "Coastal Navigation: Two-Bearing Fix" video by Tom Tursi (

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fiOySPHvE8

), which I found interesting because this is about the only place I found with US based exercises (you can decipher some of the exercises from the exercises sheet nailed on the wall). I found them all very easy. The most difficult part was locating the mentioned places on the unfamiliar training chart. I am interested in some other examples of ASA based exercises. I supposed I will find plenty of those in the StarPath ebook I purchased, but haven't gone through it yet.

- started the RYA course, waiting for my US training to arrive in the mail. I did the first 2 sections out of 12 so far. The sections are

1- Chart basics (datum, deviation…)
2- Tides (including tidal streams)
3- Dead reckoning
4- Course to steer
5- Electronic navigation aids (Radar and GPS)
6- Electronic chart plotting (includes NMEA)
7- passage making
8- visual aids to navigation (water marks, lights, leading lines)
9- pilotage (incl restricted visibility)
10- Meteorology
11- Colregs
12- Safety and environment

Clearly I will spend more time on some sections than others.


A couple random things I noticed:

- Both ASA and RYA use a fictitious sailing area with fictitious charts. While the French exam use a real area, the Baie de Quiberon in south Brittany, albeit with a chart that has been frozen in time and will never be updated - the so called training chart #9999, frozen from chart #7033. I was familiar with that area when I passed the French exam, which made it easier to prepare.

- I haven't seen parallel rulers used very much in France. People seem to be mostly using either Cras rulers, or Breton plotters. Therefore we don't use the roses on the charts as plotting devices very much, as the protractors are on the rulers themselves

- the RYA method for tide computations differs significantly from the French way. This was a bit unexpected. I haven't looked at the US way yet, but I suppose it will be closer to the British way than the French way.

The RYA way is to use a tide curve that is specific to the location, while using one tide time only, usually the time of high waters. Then you ignore the time of low waters on either side, in effect assuming that the tide duration is exactly 6 hours.

In the French way, you don't assume that. You divide the duration between an extremum to the next by 6, giving you what we call "tide hour" (heure marée), which is something like 1h04 (as an example).

Where we French approximate things is by using the rule of the 12th:

- 1 12th of the tide range flows in the 1st tide hour
- 2 12ths of the tide range flows in the 2nd tide hour
- 3 12ths of the tide range flows in the 3rd tide hour
- 3 ____________________________ 4th _______
- 2 ____________________________ 5th _______
- 1 ____________________________ 6th _______

Mathematically, this amounts more or less to approximating the tide curve by a sine curve over half a period, and then fitting a piecemeal affine function to it with 6 segments

The good thing is that it's very easy to do a graph of it using a straight line:

- use 1 x-axis unit for the 1st tide hour
- use 2 x-axis units for the 2nd tide hour
- use 3 x-axis __________ 3rd ________
- use 3 x-axis __________ 4th ________
- use 2 x-axis __________ 5th ________
- use 1 x-axis __________ 6th ________

and then one straight line from low height to high height using whatever scale you want on the y axis

Another thing we have that seems to be unique is the tide coefficient: a number between 20 and 120 where 20 is the "neapest", and 120 is the "springest" tide.

If people find it interesting to read about my studying experience, let me know. If you don't care let me know too. Writing this up is time consuming.

And feel free to point where my English is wrong or awkward.

[NormanMartin]

Hello and thanks for writing. Your use of English is just fine.

I went to my office and looked at a copy of the exam sheet. The chart used for the test is the US NOAA training chart 1210TR. It is an area from Block Island to Buzzards Bay and the Elizabeth Islands. Newport, RI is a major port included in the charted area. The back of the chart has major portions of our Chart One (symbols explained) which is a benefit.

The modern chart number is different (13218) but you can view the area here:
https://charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/13218.shtml

This is also my sailing area since I was a little tiny kid so I think I can answer any questions you may have about the area, ask away. PM if you like.

Keep well