with John Neal | Team Mahina
An online class to help sailors and aspiring cruisers gain the knowledge and skill they need to care for their crew and boat while at sea.
This online class, designed for sailors of all skill levels, will aim to enhance the understanding of maintaining boat and crew safety in various conditions. Led by renowned offshore sailor John Neal, the live online class will cover essential seamanship skills, including pre-departure safety checks, emergency protocols, navigation best practices, and techniques for safe offshore seamanship. enabling them to confidently navigate and manage their boats for global voyaging or casual sailing. Whether you're a casual sailor or cruiser planning global voyages, you'll gain the valuable knowledge needed to navigate and manage your boat confidently and safely.
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ONLINE CLASS OVERVIEW
From the moment you leave the dock, whether it be for far-flung cruising destinations or a relaxing evening sail after work, your seamanship skills are at play. In this online class you’ll learn the essential components of seamanship which will enable you to comfortably navigate and manage your boat safely and confidently. Renowned offshore sailor John Neal will be covering pre-departure safety checks, emergency and safety protocols, making landfall, and best practices for demonstrating safe seamanship offshore including collision avoidance.
Who is this class for?
- Sailors of all skill levels who wish to increase their knowledge of what it takes to keep a boat and her crew safe and comfortable through conditions of all kinds.
- Cruisers looking to gain depth and breadth of understanding their proficiency in essential seamanship skills for global voyaging.
List of topics:
- Pre-departure safety checks.
- Prudent outfitting and boatkeeping.
- Establishing emergency procedures.
- Safety drills to practice.
- Heavy weather sail handling procedures.
- Navigation resources and best practices.
- Collision avoidance prevention.
- Communication protocols.
- Squall avoidance and management.
- How to safely make landfall in unfamiliar places.
- Taking care of yourself at sea.Tactics for regional hazards like coral reefs and river bars.
YOUR HOST
CAPTAIN JOHN NEAL
John Neal’s 400,000 offshore miles include six Cape Horn roundings plus expeditions to Antarctica, Africa, Australia, and Spitsbergen. Since 1976, John’s passion has been sharing his ocean cruising knowledge through 204 sail training expeditions aboard Mahina Tiare III, a Hallberg-Rassy 46 and various other yachts. John is author, co-author or contributing author of 17 books including Log of the Mahina. When John’s not at sea leading sail-training expeditions he teaches Mahina Offshore Cruising Workshops and offers boat purchase consultation services.
ONLINE CLASS REGISTRATION
TUESDAY, APRIL 1ST, 2025@ 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET (90 min)
Regular Price
$39
ASA Member Price
$29
ON-DEMAND ACCESS
All registrations include unlimited on-demand access to the recordings of the live online class. So if you are unable to attend live you can still register and watch at your leisure.
ASA MEMBER DISCOUNT
American Sailing Members can claim their discount in the Member Portal. If you're not a current member then for only $59/year you can join or renew today!
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Seamanship is the art of operating a vessel. Specifically, it is a compilation of the skills and knowledge entailed in navigation, boat handling, maintenance, and the law of the sea. It involves working as part of a crew and when the occasion arises, leading a crew in the role of a skipper.
Seamanship involves every aspect of a boat from being tied up to the dock to the operation in open water. A proficient seaman creates a culture of awareness, safety, and confidence in the crew and the operation of a vessel at all times.
Seamanship involves leading, teaching, managing, navigating, and maintaining all aspects of the operation and activity aboard the vessel.
ASA 104 Bareboat Cruising examines and covers seamanship at length.
Aspects of Seamanship include but are not limited to:
- Skippers Responsibility and Roles on a Boat
- Understanding Crew Safety
- Handling Lines
- Understanding Knots
- Maneuvering the Vessel
- Anchoring
- Understanding Navigation
- Dinghy Operation
- Port formalities (checking in and out)
ASA 104 certification includes knowledge of seamanship and a certified sailor to ASA 104 will be able to:
Describe the information required and the procedure for tying a boat to a fixed dock in areas with a large tidal range.
– Describe the following multiple-anchor mooring procedures and their purposes:
- Fore & Aft Moor
- Forked Moor
- Bahamian Moor
- Mediterranean Moor
– Describe methods and potential dangers of rafting vessels at anchor.
– Describe safe methods for towing and securing a dinghy / tender.
– Describe the preparation of the vessel for heavy weather sailing including gear stowage, crew safety, and appropriate sail plan.
– Describe the following courtesies and customs:
- Permission to board
- Permission to come alongside
- Courtesy in crossing adjacent boats when rafted
- Rights of the first boat in an anchorage
- Keeping clear of regattas
- Flag etiquette
- Rendering assistance to vessels in distress
– Describe, using diagrams as appropriate, the applicable rules (steering & sailing, lights, and sound signals) for a 30’ to 45’ recreational vessel, as found in the USCG Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook.
Keen to get started?
- Read about our ASA Certifications our accredited schools teach to sailing enthusiasts.
- Find a Sailing School and take sailing lessons to improve your sailing skills.
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