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Ace Your 103, Basic Coastal Cruising Written Sailing Exam

Howard Edson Sr.

When you are ready to take your knowledge from 101 Basic Keelboat ground school,to the next level of sailing knowledge: adding reefing, anchoring, basic navigation and good mariner stuff to what you've already learned, then this is the right place for your next step. OR when you are facing the prospect of taking the 103 Basic Coastal Cruising written exam, this is the right summary course to review to help you pass your exam with flying colors. Additionally, you will have the knowledge that will bring you to a whole new level of understanding sailing: intermediate level terminology, systems, concepts and tips to help you make sense of your on-the-water experience.

Read more

When you are ready to take your knowledge from 101 Basic Keelboat ground school,to the next level of sailing knowledge: adding reefing, anchoring, basic navigation and good mariner stuff to what you've already learned, then this is the right place for your next step. OR when you are facing the prospect of taking the 103 Basic Coastal Cruising written exam, this is the right summary course to review to help you pass your exam with flying colors. Additionally, you will have the knowledge that will bring you to a whole new level of understanding sailing: intermediate level terminology, systems, concepts and tips to help you make sense of your on-the-water experience.

  • Learn intermediate sailing– and be safe and competent on the water
  • Ace your 103 written knowledge exam – without test anxiety
  • Feel competent in your new role as skipper or crew on a sailboat
  • Accelerate your learning – fast, easy and more efficient than reading

This course is patterned after the format of the American Sailing Association's learn to sail programs. It does not take the place of an ASA instructor or on-the-water practice and experience. However it contains a body of essential knowledge to advance your skills and seamanship. This course contains over three hours of content – utilizing over 250 colorful pictures, graphics and narrations by a senior ASA instructor to add to your experience of having “been there done that" before you ever face the situation on the water. The content is divided into seven modules: Terminology (Sailor-speak); Anchoring, Rules of the Road; Charts and Navigation; Knots to Know; and Required/Good to Know. Supplemental content covers several topics in detail… all essential knowledge to advance your confidence and competence while sailing an auxiliary powered sloop rig in light to moderate sea conditions and winds.

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What's inside

Syllabus

You are new to sailing and you don't know how to anchor, or determine who is the 'stand-on' vessel. Become a safe and knowledgable crew member. And ace the 103 Basic Coastal Cruising written exam
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A brief introduction and orientation to get you started
Add substantially to your sailor-speak vocabulary

Correct names of boat "thing-ies", so we all knnow what we're talking about

Happy Hooking

At first we anchor because it's cheaper than staying in a marina slip. Later we prefer anchoring in gunkhholes because it's closer to nature and to the peace and serenity far from the maddening crowd.

Take action at the first sign of a "freshening wind"

Be ready to practice the five step process of "shortening sail" in a freshening wind... in order to keep your boat under control, limit the stress on the standing rigging and continue sailing safely.

Be ready to practice the five step process of "shortening sail" in a freshening wind... in order to keep your sanity, your boat under control, limit the stress on the rigging and continue sailing safely.

Act in a safe and predictable manner to prevent a collision
Honoring the pecking order
Stand-On & Give-Way
Great leap forward toward the goal of safely sailiing anywhere in the world

The buoyage system is to water what road signs are to cars.

Charts and symbology
Know the eight essential knots used regularly on a sailboat, their characteristics and their purposes
Knots to Know and Love
Know the legal six pack plus other legal requirements for a boat 16 to 26 feet

When you leave the dock as skipper you are legally responsible for having required legal and safety gear on board.
Learn your "safety six-pack" and lesser known requirements and never leave the dock without them.

This is a catch-all for adding to your "good to know" knowledge, and also items on the 103 Basic Coastal Cruising exam that have not been previously covered.

Extra Good Stuff to Know
Know an interesting and deeper understanding of several topics (not required for the exam)
Supplemental Content Topics
A brief orientation to this course

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Ace Your 103, Basic Coastal Cruising Written Sailing Exam with these activities:
Review Basic Keelboat Terminology
Solidify your understanding of basic sailing terminology to better grasp the intermediate concepts covered in this course.
Show steps
  • Review a glossary of basic sailing terms.
  • Create flashcards for unfamiliar terms.
  • Test yourself on the terminology.
Sailing for Dummies
Use this book to reinforce basic concepts and terminology.
View Sailing For Dummies on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on basic sailing techniques.
  • Review the glossary of sailing terms.
  • Take notes on key concepts.
Chapman Piloting & Seamanship
Use this book as a reference to deepen your understanding of anchoring, navigation, and rules of the road.
View The Boater's Handbook on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the sections on anchoring and navigation.
  • Study the rules of the road diagrams.
  • Take notes on key concepts.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Knot Tying Practice
Reinforce your knot-tying skills to ensure you can quickly and effectively tie essential knots while sailing.
Show steps
  • Gather rope and practice tying the bowline.
  • Practice tying the clove hitch and figure eight knot.
  • Time yourself tying each knot.
Create a Presentation on Rules of the Road
Deepen your understanding of the rules of the road by creating a presentation that explains key concepts and scenarios.
Show steps
  • Research the rules of the road for sailing vessels.
  • Create slides illustrating different scenarios.
  • Write clear explanations for each scenario.
  • Practice delivering the presentation.
Create a Chart Navigation Guide
Solidify your understanding of chart navigation by creating a guide that explains chart symbols, buoyage systems, and basic plotting techniques.
Show steps
  • Research chart symbols and buoyage systems.
  • Create diagrams illustrating key concepts.
  • Write clear explanations for each element.
  • Compile your work into a navigation guide.
Plan a Mock Coastal Cruise
Apply your knowledge by planning a mock coastal cruise, including route planning, anchoring locations, and safety considerations.
Show steps
  • Choose a coastal route for your mock cruise.
  • Plot the route on a chart, noting hazards.
  • Identify potential anchoring locations.
  • Create a safety checklist for the cruise.

Career center

Learners who complete Ace Your 103, Basic Coastal Cruising Written Sailing Exam will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Sailor
A sailor operates and maintains sailing vessels. This course helps aspiring sailors learn intermediate sailing terminology, systems, and concepts needed for on-the-water experiences. The course's focus on anchoring, rules of the road, charts, navigation, and essential knots helps build a foundation for safe and competent sailing. It is relevant for anyone looking to become a capable sailor, especially its coverage of safe practices and essential knowledge to advance your skills and seamanship.
See salaries and explore the career path for Sailor
Charter Captain
A charter captain is responsible for skippering chartered sailing vessels. This course is an excellent starting point for aspiring charter captains, particularly its coverage of terminology, anchoring, rules, and navigation. The course's modules on charts and navigation help charter captains navigate safely and efficiently. Learning the legal requirements and safety gear, as covered in this course, helps a future charter captain meet their responsibilities.
See salaries and explore the career path for Charter Captain
Sailing Instructor
A sailing instructor teaches individuals how to sail. This course is beneficial for sailing instructors, especially its structured approach to sailing knowledge, which helps them organize their lessons effectively. Mastering the terminology of this course is useful for instructors to clearly communicate with students. The course may also serve as a reference for the ASA programs, helping instructors align to a standard.
See salaries and explore the career path for Sailing Instructor
Yacht Broker
A yacht broker assists clients in buying and selling yachts. This course helps yacht brokers increase their knowledge of sailing terminology and yacht systems. A yacht broker can leverage this course to better understand the needs of buyers and sellers. The comprehensive coverage of terminology, systems, anchoring, navigation, and legal requirements helps a yacht broker provide informed advice and support to their clients.
See salaries and explore the career path for Yacht Broker
Marine Surveyor
A marine surveyor inspects vessels to assess their condition and value. This course may expand a marine surveyor's awareness. Learning the terminology of this course may improve understanding and communication. This is useful because this course provides further information on safety and legal requirements for sailing vessels, which marine surveyors may find relevant to their work.
See salaries and explore the career path for Marine Surveyor
Coast Guard Officer
A Coast Guard Officer ensures maritime safety and security. The content of this course may align with their duties. They can leverage the course's focus on rules of the road, navigation, and safety gear to enhance their understanding of vessel operations. The modules on legal requirements and safety regulations help improve risk assessment and regulatory compliance processes.
See salaries and explore the career path for Coast Guard Officer
Harbor Master
A harbor master manages the operations of a harbor or marina. This course helps harbor masters broaden their understanding of sailing practices. A harbor master may find this course beneficial. By learning more about terminology, anchoring, navigation, and knots, the harbor master better ensures safe and efficient harbor operations. The module on legal requirements helps them enforce regulations and maintain a safe environment.
See salaries and explore the career path for Harbor Master
Marine Electrician
A marine electrician installs and repairs electrical systems on boats. This course may be useful for marine electricians, especially if it increases their familiarity with the specific terminology used in sailing. This terminology becomes relevant when working on sailing vessels, as it helps facilitate effective communication with sailors and other marine professionals when troubleshooting and installing electrical systems.
See salaries and explore the career path for Marine Electrician
Naval Architect
A naval architect designs and oversees the construction of marine vessels. This course may serve as a supplementary resource for naval architects. While naval architects focus on the engineering and design aspects of vessels, this course offers practical knowledge related to sailing operations, terminology, and safety. The course covers essential knots, safety gear, and navigation, which helps in the design of user-friendly and safe vessels.
See salaries and explore the career path for Naval Architect
Oceanographer
An oceanographer studies the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the ocean. This course may be helpful to oceanographers. While oceanographers primarily focus on scientific research, this course explores navigation, which is useful for conducting fieldwork and deploying instruments safely. The course’s discussion of charts and navigation helps oceanographers in planning research expeditions and understanding maritime activities.
See salaries and explore the career path for Oceanographer
Port Manager
A port manager oversees the operations of a port facility. This course may be a useful supplemental resource for port managers. Although their primary focus is on logistics and infrastructure, this course covers sailing knowledge that could improve comprehension of maritime activities within the port. Learning terminology, rules of the road, and navigation helps a port manager enhance their understanding of vessel traffic and safety procedures.
See salaries and explore the career path for Port Manager
Ship Captain
A ship captain commands and navigates large commercial vessels. While this course focuses on basic coastal cruising, the underlying principles in this course may be useful to ship captains seeking to expand their awareness. The curriculum in this course touches on rules, systems, and terminology, which captains may leverage to build a base foundation for their understanding of recreational sailing vessels.
See salaries and explore the career path for Ship Captain
Travel Blogger
A travel blogger creates content about travel experiences. This course may provide useful insights for a travel blogger who specializes in nautical travel. Learning all of the terminology and practices will help ensure the blogger can communicate effectively with their audience. This can help build credibility by exhibiting a baseline level of comfort and familiarity with basic sailing concepts.
See salaries and explore the career path for Travel Blogger
Technical Writer
A technical writer creates manuals and other forms of documentation. This course may serve as a specialized field for technical writers. They can utilize the course's material on charts, navigation, and regulations to produce accurate and user-friendly documentation for sailing-related products or services. The course's modules provide a structured learning path to assist technical writers in their subject matter comprehension.
See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer
Translator
A translator converts written content from one language to another. This course may improve the quality of a translator's sailing-related projects. By learning intermediate level terminology, translators can accurately translate documents in this space. The course covers terminology, navigation, and knots, which can give translators contextual knowledge of the subject material.
See salaries and explore the career path for Translator

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Ace Your 103, Basic Coastal Cruising Written Sailing Exam.
Cover image
The Boater's Handbook
Save
Chapman Piloting & Seamanship comprehensive guide covering all aspects of boating, from basic sailing to advanced navigation. It serves as an excellent reference for understanding the rules of the road, anchoring techniques, and chart reading, all of which are crucial for the 103 Basic Coastal Cruising exam. is commonly used as a textbook in sailing courses and by experienced mariners. It provides in-depth explanations and illustrations to enhance your understanding of sailing concepts.
The Boater's Handbook
Paperback
Check
The Boater's Handbook
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
Sailing For Dummies
Save
Sailing for Dummies provides a user-friendly introduction to the world of sailing. It covers basic concepts, terminology, and techniques in an accessible manner, making it ideal for beginners. While not as in-depth as other sailing manuals, it offers a solid foundation for understanding the fundamentals of sailing and can be a helpful resource for those new to the sport. It is particularly useful for understanding basic terminology and concepts before diving into more advanced topics.
Sailing For Dummies
Paperback
$$
Sailing For Dummies
Kindle Edition
$$

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Effort
3.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Howard Edson Sr.
Language
English
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