Captain's License vs ASA 105 course

[ChrisJHC]

The RYA is moving to a “Digital First” approach to navigation instruction.
Start with electronic and then introduce paper charts to demonstrate how they can be used either as an alternative or to complement the electronic.
It’s a recognition that the vast majority of boaters (both sail and power) only use electronic navigation.

For the purists, I personally love paper charts but then I grew up navigating on land by map and compass while moving at 1-2 km/h. Now, while sailing, I use electronic navigation as my primary and paper as my secondary.

Quick question for the undecided: when was the last time you used a paper map in your car?

Another question: I update my electronic charts for the whole of Australia every couple of weeks. When was the last time you updated your paper charts?

[h20man]

Originally Posted by Julesmic

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I hope it doesn't sound ridiculous as I may be comparing apples to oranges... I recently retired (early) so that my husband and I could spend more time together and live aboard our boat for a few months at a time. We've owned our own sailboat now for 17 years and sailed quite a bit together off coastal New England, with me being a fairly good first mate. In preparation for our next adventures I want to build my navigation skills (most important) and seamanship, generally. My initial plan was to study for the OUPV Captain's License but my husband thinks that the ASA105 course would fulfill my needs. I'm leaning towards the Captains License as I think it would give me more comprehensive learning and also cover the navigational learning that I desire. I also did read the comments in another thread about Starpath and perhaps that is also an option? I'm not concerned about stickers or pieces of paper - this is all about building my skills and confidence. Any guidance most appreciated!

The ASA will give you more practical on the water experience. The USCG certification is just written tests and submission of "sea time". After the Bum Boat Gal incident, where a USCG captain was aboard, and took some terrible decisions.... and sank the boat I feel that ASA has more value then a written test that does not verify that skills are actually there...


Also, being on the water with a skilled instructor will help far more then a classroom..


Good luck and enjoy!

[sleeplessfool]

Originally Posted by h20man

TAfter the Bum Boat Gal incident, where a USCG captain was aboard, and took some terrible decisions.... and sank the boat

That captain is here in this very thread, and concurs - ASA instruction is probably more valuable than the USCG credential

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3862763

[requiem]

Originally Posted by JPK

I can't speak to what the USCG is doing, or even ASA for that matter, but US Sailing is moving away from paper navigation, FWIW.

...

From what I understand, it's up to the individual school to decide the details of what apps/tools will be taught. Our club plans to teach Nav1 in Navionics on iPads and Nav2 in OpenCPN. Celestial Navigation will remain as part of the OPM curriculum, though.

I believe Nav3 is also the works as an OPM pre-req, but the specifics are still being developed. As CoNav is, well, coastal and CelNav is about taking sights, this should be an opportunity to provide better training for offshore navigation.

I'm very curious to see how they are implemented; I was just re-reading some of the accident reports from some of the Clipper groundings and two things stood out. One was the lack of a dedicated navigator role, and the other was the failure to effectively use the electronics. Too often people think electronic charts mean you just plug in waypoints and watch the screen.

[h20man]

Originally Posted by MC2019

Well I have my 200 ton captains license, have been a past ASA, ussailing instructor, currently a nauticed.org sailing instructor. Unless you going to do some commercial stuff, just doing the ASA route would work.

Consider nauticed.org to

The USCG route is a big effort compared to sailing credentials .....

stepping off the podium

If you can help me understand something...


in 2012 you in response to the Concordia incident said (and I agree with you here) :

e: Cruise Ship Costa Concordia - MERGED THREADS Wow that AIS link at the top of the thread shows the cruise ship going between rocks. What the hell was he thinking. I would have though twice about going through that with my 18 foot avon ......

Now in 2023 in the unfortunate incident with the BBG you took a shortcut that everyone said is ill advised and rocky and sank a boat.


There have been many other documented incidence where you came close to rocks .


You claim in your Facebook posts you are always learning...


Can you help me understand, why in 2012 you appeared to have good judgment regarding navigating amongst rocks.. and then changed your behaviour?


I am asking a serious question, not attempting to troll or be unkind... I am struggling to make sense of this. Thank you in advance.

[MC2019]

navigating amongst rocks is part of being a captain, I have done it in panama, alaska, and canada ......

Comes with the territory, the BBG incident had many things that were involved with it. Look in the letters of feb latitude 38:

https://www.latitude38.com/issues/fe...mnep4DfMzoYGGM

[Wotname]

Closed pending mod review.