- Anyone chartering from outside Spinnaker Sailing School must pass checkout. The checkout process involves two parts. If you are ASA or US Sailing Certified, simply send us your logbook and certifications to skip the written exams. If not, you’ll need to pass two written exams before scheduling your on-water checkout. Everyone must complete the on-water test, which cannot be done on the same day as the written portion.
- The insurance company requires 8 hours of skippering experience every 60 days to stay current. If you don't have that, you will probably have take a private lesson prior to checking out so you can pass this test.
- Written exams are the first step of the checkout process. If you don't pass the written exams, you fail the checkout and we won't schedule the on-water portion.
- Here's the summary of what you will be tested on. If you're chartering boats up to 27' you'll need to know up through the BCC (ASA 103) level of testing. Over 27' and you'll be tested all the way through ICC (ASA 104)
- As the on water test requires a 100% passing grade to qualify, the point at which you don't pass a skill, we head back to the dock and the test is over. There is no instruction as part of the checkout test. We do offer private lessons which is a great way to tune up prior to taking the on-water test.
- The checkout process is NOT certification. It is just to prove your skills to us so our insurance company will underwrite your sailing. We do offer the ASA certification process. This takes much longer and requires additional fees to the American Sailing Association. Ask us for more info on getting certified.
- Expect the written tests to take approximately 2 hours. There are two test for each level of checkout.
- The on-water checkout test can run from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on your skills.
- You will sign a charter agreement and post a damage deposit for the boat you are checking out on. The deposit ranges from $3000 - $6000 depending on the boat. Any and ALL damage you created while checking out is your responsiblity up to the level of deposit. Over that level the insurance company pays.
- Cole is happy now.
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Written exams and on-water exams never happen on the same day. We can't keep a captain on standby as some people fail the written exam, thus failing the checkout.
- Passing Requirements
- Written Exams 80%
- On-Water Exam 100% (yes, you need to know 100% of how to setup up the boat, operate the engine, dock the boat, raise sails, MOB, etc. If you think about it, knowing 100% of this skills makes sense to an insurance company writing you a million dollar check...they want to make sure you don't have to cash it.)
- The point at which you fail anything during the on-water test, we head back to the dock. There is no instructional component to the checkout test.
The Procedure
Please completely and accurately fill out this document- Sailing Resume and email it back to us HERE. One we recieve this, we will contact you with the insurance company's requirements for the next step in the checkout, usually a written exam or if you are already certified to the appropriate level, the on-water test.
