Sailing Lessons

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Sailing Lessons2022-11-16T13:32:57-05:00

Congratulations on your interest in learning to sail, or in improving your sailing skills!

At the American Sailing Academy, located at the Key Lime Sailing Club and Cottages, you will learn from experienced professionals who provide the most comprehensive, safety first training available. We are a professional certification facility affiliated with the American Sailing Association, the world’s foremost organization dedicated to training, teaching and certifying schools, sailing instructors, and sailing enthusiasts.

Our basic sailing course will give you the skills and confidence to take the helm, and our advanced courses will take you through navigation, cruising, bareboat chartering, weather, and more.

Our sailing instructors are highly qualified and they truly care about your success. They are USCG licensed Captains, certified and insured through the American Sailing Association. You can rest assured that your sailing education will be one of the best available.

sailling-lession2The American Sailing Academy is located at Key Lime Sailing Club and Cottages, a vacation resort in Key Largo, Florida Keys, visited by sailors of all experience levels from all over the world. So not only will you have expert instruction and full time access to licensed Captains, you can also mingle and socialize with other sailors for a true immersion training experience! If you choose to stay at the resort, at the conclusion of your training, you can be assigned a 22 foot sailboat with which you can explore the crystal clear waters of Key Largo and put your new found skills to use! There is simply no other place like this.

We will teach you to sail safely and with confidence. Our instructors have made sailing their profession and are some of the best in the industry. When you attend class at our facility, you will not only learn the art and science of sailing, but also experience sailing as a lifestyle! With the Key Lime Sailing Club and Cottages, it’s easy to chart a course for a rewarding family vacation. Adventurous families who love the outdoors are discovering the joyful, rewarding experience of learning to sail together.

Call us today to get started on your new sailing lifestyle. We’ll get you on your way to a whole new world of adventure, fun, and relaxation.

Want to start your sailing journey ASAP at the comfort of your own home? Take our ASA 101 Online Training now!

Course Descriptions & Pricing

Intro to Sailing

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  • 2 Hours. Prerequisites: None. Learn the basics of sailing with this introduction to sailboats and sailing. With an emphasis on safety, learn about points of sail, tacking, jibing, man overboard, and docking. Get out on the water and find out what sailing is about.

Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103)

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  • 3 Days. Prerequisite: ASA 101. Students will learn to cruise safely in local and regional waters as both skipper and crew on a 25 – 33 foot sailboat in moderate conditions. Learn terminology, safety, reefing, anchoring, heaving to, man overboard, docking and more.
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes training materials, test, ASA certification, and one year of audit privileges*.
  • *Audit Privileges: All of our ASA 101 and ASA 103 students may come back to audit any regularly scheduled ASA 101 or ASA 103 class they have completed on a space available basis for a period of one calendar year from the date of testing at no additional cost.

Bareboat Cruising (ASA 104)

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  • 4 Days. Prerequisites: ASA 101 & ASA 103. An all inclusive advanced course for individuals with sailing experience. Completion will prepare you to act as skipper and/or crew of a 30 to 50 foot sailboat, during daylight hours in coastal waters. This is a live aboard course. Learn systems, maintenance, advanced anchoring techniques, basic navigation, food provisioning and cooking aboard, plus much more. Ports of call vary with weather and season. A true cruising class!
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Minimum 2 students, Maximum 4 students.
  • Includes docking fees, training materials, test, and certification

Combination ClassSailor Package –  (ASA 101 & ASA 103)

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  • 5 Days. Prerequisite: None. Earn your Basic Keelboat (101) & Basic Coastal Cruising (103) certifications. Students learn to sail on board a 22 foot sailboat with tiller and outboard motor and a 25 – 33 foot sailboat with auxiliary power in light to moderate winds and sea conditions. Learn terminology, safety, points of sail, tacking, jibing, man overboard, docking, anchoring and more. No previous experience necessary.
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes training materials, logbook, tests and ASA certifications, and one year of audit privileges*.

Skipper Package – (ASA 103 & ASA 104)

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  • 5 Days. Prerequisite: ASA 101. Earn your ASA 103 and 104 certification in five days. An accelerated, all-inclusive advanced course for individuals with sailing experience. Completion will prepare you to act as skipper and/or crew of a 30 to 50 foot sailboat, during daylight hours in coastal and/or coastal waters. Learn systems, maintenance, advanced anchoring techniques, basic navigation, food provisioning and cooking aboard, plus much more.
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes docking fees, training materials, test, and certification

Mariner Package – (ASA 103, ASA 104, & ASA 114)

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  • 6 Days. Prerequisite: ASA 101. Earn your ASA 103, 104, and 114 certifications in six days. Everything included in Combination Two plus the ASA multihull certification. An accelerated, all-inclusive advanced course for individuals with sailing experience. Completion will prepare you to act as skipper and/or crew of a 30 to 50 foot monohull or multihull sailboat, during daylight hours in coastal and/or coastal waters. Learn systems, maintenance, advanced anchoring techniques, basic navigation, food provisioning and cooking aboard, plus much more.
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes docking fees, training materials, test, and certification

Navigator Package – (ASA 105 & ASA 106)

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  • 4 Days. Prerequisites: ASA 101, ASA 103, & ASA 104. If you want to take the ASA 106 Advanced Coastal Cruising course but have not completed the prerequisite ASA 105, take this course and complete both in a four day live aboard class.
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes docking fees, training materials, navigation tools, test, and certifications.

ASA Sailing Classes

  • Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA 101)
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  • 3 Days. Prerequisites: None. Learn how to sail on board one of our Catalina 22 sailboats with tiller and outboard motor in light to moderate winds and sea conditions. You will learn the basics of sailing, terminology, safety, points of sail, tacking, jibing, man overboard, docking, and more. No previous experience necessary.
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes training materials, logbook, test, ASA certification, initial membership in the American Sailing Association, and one year of audit privileges*.
  • Note: The United States Coast Guard has granted approval for ASA101 Basic Keelboat Sailing to satisfy certain merchant mariner credential examination requirements and safe boating training requirements.

Coastal Navigation (ASA 105)

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  • 3 Days. Prerequisites: None. Able to demonstrate the navigational theory required to safely navigate a sailing vessel in coastal or inland waters. There is no sailing skills part to this standard and practical application of this sailing knowledge is found in the Advanced Coastal Cruising Standard (ASA 106).
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Minimum 2 students, Maximum 4 students.
  • Includes navigation tools (Dividers, Parallel Rule, Calculator) training materials, logbook, if needed, test and certification.

Advanced Coastal Cruising (ASA 106)

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  • 3 Days. Prerequisites: ASA 101, ASA 103, ASA 104, ASA 105. Able to safely act as skipper and crew of a sailing vessel about 30 to 50 feet in length in coastal and inland waters, in any conditions. This is a day and night time course in coastal and/or inland water, in any weather and includes night time sailing. The course includes systems and maintenance procedures. Learn advanced skills including weather, seamanship, engineering, and safety.
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes docking fees, training materials, test, and certification

Cruiser Package – (ASA 101, ASA 103 & ASA 104)

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  • 7 Days. Prerequisite: None. This course combines the Basic Sailing (ASA 101), Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA 103), and Bareboat Chartering (ASA 104) levels of the ASA curriculum. No prior experience or certification is necessary for this course. Completion will take you from basic keelboat sailing to acting as skipper and/or crew of a 30 to 50 foot sailboat, during daylight hours in coastal waters.. Learn systems, maintenance, advanced anchoring techniques, basic navigation, food provisioning and cooking aboard, plus much more. Ports of call vary with weather and season.
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes training materials, logbook, initial  membership in the American Sailing Association, on board food, docking fees, training materials, tests, and certifications.

Seafarer Package – (ASA 104 & ASA 114)

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  • 5 Days. Prerequisites: ASA 101 & ASA 103. An all inclusive advanced course for individuals with sailing experience. Completion will prepare you to act as skipper and/or crew of a 30 to 50 foot monohull or multihull sailboat, during daylight hours in coastal waters. This is a live aboard course. Learn systems, maintenance, advanced anchoring techniques, basic navigation, food provisioning and cooking aboard, plus much more. Ports of call vary with weather and season. A true cruising class!
  • NO ADDITIONAL FEES!
  • Includes docking fees, training materials, test, and certification

In House” Sailing Endorsement

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  • Interested in sailing but don’t feel the need for international certification? We have an in-house sailing endorsement class for those who want to sail the waters of Buttonwood Sound while staying at the resort or to apply for membership in our sailing club – the “Skipper’s Society”. Our Learn to Sail Class is normally completed in 2 six hour sessions. Upon successful completion you will be able to sail one of our Catalina 22s for the duration of your stay or apply for membership in the Skipper’s Society and sail with us year round.

Call 305-587-3205 or Email klsccapt@aol.com now for best pricing and more information.

Want to start your sailing journey ASAP at the comfort of your own home? Take our ASA 101 Online Training now!

Cancellation Policy

  • If you must cancel, we will refund your deposit and / or tuition, less our cost of any materials you have received, up to 30 days before the scheduled class date.
  • If you cancel with less than 30 but more than 10 days notice, you will be charged for materials received plus 15% of the class tuition.
  • If you cancel with 10 or fewer days notice, you will be charged for materials received plus 25% of the class tuition.
  • There are a lot of logistics that go into a sailing class.
  • When you book, we schedule boats, classroom space, and instructors / captains for the class.
  • If something comes up and you cannot attend your class, we will make every effort to reschedule your class to a later date, at no additional charge, if you notify us at least 30 days in advance.

We Still Have Cottages Available, Request to Book!