The world was discovered by sailors! Discover the joy of sailing at Bay Area Sailing School - an ASA certified professional training facility.
Why choose
Bay Area Sailing School?
It's Fun! It's Easy!
It's Safe! It's Affordable!
We are the winners of the ASA School of the Year award for the central region
of the U.S. for
2000 and 2001
We are the oldest and largest ASA sailing school in the Houston area
All our instructors are certified
by the American Sailing Association
Class size is small
You can rent sailboats
up to 30' upon completion of
the Basic Keelboat course
from our affiliate,
Sackett Sailing Center
(up to 20' elsewhere)
Sackett Sailing Center is the oldest, largest and friendliest charter
company in the
Houston area
ASA 101
ASA 103 & 104
ASA 105
ASA 106
Basic Keelboat Course - ASA 101
For novices who want to learn the fundamentals of sailing and small boat
handling, we offer this 2-day course. This Introduction to Sailing
usually takes place on the weekend with the bulk of the course taught
on the water. Upon completion of this course, you will be certified to rent
sailboats up to 20' in length in moderate wind and sea conditions in
familiar waters without supervision. At Sackett Sailing Center, however, we allow our students
to rent sailboats up to 30'.
This course is approved by the National Association of Safe Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), if state specific requirement are met. See Safe Boating for details.
Prerequisite: None
NOTE:
You may "challenge"
the Basic Keelboat Course if you have sufficient sailing experience.
What to bring.
Cost: $251.00 (includes course materials)
Tax: $ 3.10
ASA Certification Fee. $39.00 Beginning Oct. 1 2007, ASA requires all schools to access a certification fee for first time students. This fee also includes a one year membership in ASA Click here to view the ASA benefits page.
When you complete this
course, you will receive one free charter on a Watkins 27 and one free
mentor session.
Not included with the course challenge.
Click here to
request more information.
NOTE: Find out how to sail for
FREE! with our
Special Programs.
Combo Course - ASA 103 & 104
During this 3-day live-aboard course, you will obtain both the Basic Coastal Cruising and the Bareboat Chartering certifications. You will spend the first night in Galveston aboard a cruising sailboat. The second day you will be doing navigational exercises while sailing in the Gulf of Mexico up to 10 miles offshore. The second evening will be spent at beautiful Moody Gardens and Offatts Bayou in Galveston. You will be doing chart work, and other activities required when you bareboat charter in the Caribbean.
* Wind and weather conditions will determine the exact route and time
under sail, for this course.
Prerequisite: Basic Keelboat Course (101)
NOTE: You may
"challenge"
the Basic Keelboat Course if you have sufficient sailing experience.
What to bring.
Cost: $620.00 (includes course materials)
Tax: $ 2.47
Add
$30. $40. for provisions
Private lessons available: $960 per person for 2 people or $1860 for 1 person
Back to Top
Classroom
or Home study
Coastal Navigation is a non-sailing course with no prerequisites. This interesting and challenging course covers everything needed
to safely pilot a sailing vessel in near coastal or inland waters. You will learn
to use the Federal navigation publications, the instruments required for navigation,
use of tide tables and current tables, how to convert courses and bearings between
true, magnetic, and compass, plot a chart position and determine the course to steer
to reach your destination. The types and uses of lighted and unlighted navigation
aids along with shapes, colors, and lights used in the buoyage system will be taught.
This is a prerequisite for the Advanced Coastal Cruising course.
Home Study
Many people
choose to do this course as a home study course using the the ASA
approved text, Coastal Navigation
by Mike Pyzel, as a study guide by doing the exercises included in the text on the
chart provided.
When you are prepared to take the exam, we will schedule a day for the review with
an instructor prior to your taking the exam. This usually takes about 6
hrs.
Prerequisite: None
Cost: $350.00 (includes course materials, but not instruments)
Tax: $ 6.09
Classroom (Fast
Track Coastal Navigation)
This course was designed for the
student who does not have the time to devote to a home study course,
(usually about 3 months). The training portion of this course takes place in
one weekend. The student then has one week to work on his practice
exams at home (most students spend about 5 hrs, and the instructor is
available by phone from 8 am until 11 pm every day ).Final examination is
scheduled for the following weekend and usually takes about 3 hours.
This course is only offered once a quarter, and space is limited, so please register early.
Click ( here ) to learn more about this course, it's schedule, and what previous students have to say about it.
Prerequisite: None
Cost: $350 (includes the following:)
16 + hours of classroom instruction
Fast Track Navigation Work Book
Navigation instruments
Practice Charts
Martha's Vineyard Training Chart
Calculator, pencils, eraser, notebook
Click here to request more information.
"..a little navigation might have been useful here."
Back to Top
Advanced Coastal Cruising - ASA 106
This 3-day live-aboard course includes two nights of sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. Emphasis is placed on understanding weather, seamanship, mechanical systems and the more advanced navigation topics covered in Coastal Navigation. For those individuals anticipating overnight trips where watch standing will be necessary, this is an excellent opportunity to learn the skills and techniques for such a trip.
* Wind and weather conditions will determine the exact route and time
under sail, for this course.
Note: A
7-day version
is also available which includes a
round trip to Port Aransas/Corpus Christi.
Prerequisite: 101, 103, 104, and 105
Cost: $620
Add $30.- $40. for provisions
Private lessons available: $880 per person for 2 people or $1740 for 1 person
Click here to request more information.
Back to Top
The Basic Keelboat Sailing course is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the U.S. Coast Guard as a recognized Safe Boating Course. As such it meets requirements for mandatory education by states not requiring licensing.
(As of 12/01/2003) only two states, did not recognize NASBLA approved courses. Alabama and Connecticut both of which have state boating licensing programs.
* NASBLA approval is only
valid if state specific laws are covered by the course. Many programs ,
including those offered by the Power Squadron, Auxiliary Coast Guard, and
some ASA Schools fail to teach and test for the state specific laws.
Students who wish to be tested on the additional state specific safety requirements, will also be awarded certification for the TPW (Texas Parks and Wildlife) boater education course, provided they receive a passing grade on the TPW exam.
A $10.00 registration fee is required by the state and will be paid by the student.
If you would like to know more about boater education, please give us a call, or you can contact Texas Parks and Wildlife at 1-800-792-1112.