Experience a 4-day, real-life cruising trip on Florida’s Charlotte Harbor and the the Gulf, from Punta Gorda to Venice and earn your ASA103 and ASA 104 certifications. Charlotte Harbor is a well protected large body of water that connects to the Gulf. After a shakedown sail in the Harbor, we will venture out into the Gulf for a coastal sail to Venice.
This trip will prepare you for your future cruising and chartering career. We will go through all the aspects of the ASA 103 and ASA 104 curriculum while you are going through the same motions that you will encounter when chartering a boat. From check-in on the boat and getting familiar with all the systems and local charts to check-out and debriefing when you get back at the base.
This learn-to-sail vacation with Whitecaps Sailing School offers ASA 103 and ASA 104, which will allow you to get the International Proficiency Certificate required to charter in the Mediterranean.
¤ ASA 103 | COASTAL CRUISING
¤ ASA 104 | BAREBOAT CRUISING
*Prerequisite is ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat Sailing)
Meet your instructor at 9:30 AM for provisioning, boat familiarization, weather briefing, and theoretical instruction. Depart the base and sail across Charlotte Harbor to Pelican Bay near Boca Grande Pass, practicing chart navigation, route plotting, and identifying aids to navigation. Anchor overnight and enjoy dinner on board. (About 20NM).
After breakfast and a weather briefing, sail through Boca Grande Pass into the Gulf of Mexico and head north to Venice. Spend the night at Crow’s Nest Marina, review course material, and complete the written test. Optional dinner ashore at the Crow’s Nest restaurant. (About 30NM).
Sail back toward Charlotte Harbor and anchor near Cabbage Key for the night. If weather conditions are unfavorable, return via the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), practicing radio communication with bridge tenders along the way. Enjoy dinner on board. (About 33NM).
After breakfast, sail back through Charlotte Harbor to the home base in Punta Gorda, concluding your four-day cruising experience. (About 21NM).
Please Note. This itinerary is meant to serve as an example, however, it is important to note that the actual itinerary is subject to change due to weather conditions or circumstances beyond our control.
You will be sailing a comfortable and well-equipped ETAP 32S monohull.
Recently completed my 101/103/104 combo with Whitecaps. Very friendly team, responsive and knowledgeable. The boat used for training was in great shape and of perfect size for learning.
My partner and I had an amazing experience at Whitecaps Sailing in Port Charlotte, Florida, where we completed our ASA 101/103/104 course with Captain Lee. The course was incredibly informative, and we truly appreciated Captain Lee’s deep expertise and the personalized 1:1 instruction he provided. By the end, we felt confident and well-equipped to embark on our own charters in the future. Jean and Mila at Whitecaps were also fantastic. They were highly responsive to our questions before the course and went above and beyond to ensure the boat was prepared and a dock was arranged despite challenges from two hurricanes. We can’t recommend Whitecaps highly enough for anyone looking to learn or advance their sailing skills!
