ASA 105 Instructions - 15-9-19

Q: What are the two main ways to meet the ASA 105 requirement?

You can complete the ASA 105 course and write the exam with another ASA school before BOSS 106, or use economical self-study to learn ASA 105 and write the exam near the beginning of BOSS 106.

Q: What resources are recommended for self-studying ASA 105?

The document recommends an ASA Coastal Navigation kit from the ASA Online Store, free ASA 105 training videos on YouTube, Starpath manuals and training charts (including 1210TR), NOAA PDF chart versions, and an ASA 105 practice exam that uses the 1210TR training chart.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

Guidance for preparing for the ASA 105 Coastal Navigation requirement before starting the BOSS 106 Advanced Cruising course. It explains two main paths: complete the ASA 105 course and take the exam via another ASA school beforehand, or use self-study to learn the required ASA 105 material and schedule the exam near the start of BOSS 106. The instructions list study resources including an ASA online kit, free training videos, Starpath manuals and charts, NOAA PDF chart versions, and practice exams, plus general exam-taking guidance and contact information.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

ASA 105 Preparation Options

Option 1: Complete the ASA 105 Course and Take the Exam

Option 2: Self-Study Before the BOSS 106 Course

Study Resources and Training Materials

General Guidance and Contact

Learning ASA 105 material before taking your BOSS 106 course ASA 105 Coastal Navigation is a prerequisite for ASA 106 Advanced Cruising. You can meet this requirement by passing the 105 exam before coming to SVG, or you can write the 105 exam as part of your BOSS 106 course. However, there is not time in the 106 course to teach all of the 105 material, so you need to learn it ahead of time. To meet the 105 requirement in advance of your BOSS 106 course, you therefore have two main options. 1. You may complete the ASA 105 course and write the exam with another ASA school before your BOSS 106 course. If you search online you will ﬁnd a number of alternatives. Prices vary signiﬁcantly. 2. Alternatively, there are various economical self-study options that can enable you to learn the ASA 105 material, and write the exam near the beginning of your BOSS 106 course. Self-study options include: • The ASA Online Store ([https://store.asa.com/asa-texts-and-reference-1.html](https://store.asa.com/asa-texts-and-reference-1.html)) offers a Coastal Navigation kit that includes a text, solutions workbook, presentations, and training chart • There is a full set of ASA 105 training videos available on youTube for free at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?) v=dElDD3HCwok&list=PL_KEvUapVVnk6WBQSmzyHT674pFufoEmg • Starpath sells an inexpensive training manual based on 1210TR: [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[www.starpath.com/catalog/books/1979.htm](www.starpath.com/catalog/books/1979.htm. Starpath)[. Starpath](www.starpath.com/catalog/books/1979.htm. Starpath) also provides several ways to get the related 1210TR training chart, including free PDF and BSB downloads, at [https://www.starpath.com/1210tr](https://www.starpath.com/1210tr) • Free PDF versions of training charts are available from NOAA at: [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[historicalcharts.noaa.gov/historicals/search_attributes?type=Nautical%20Chart--](historicalcharts.noaa.gov/historicals/search_attributes?type=Nautical%20Chart--)Training You can download a 42 mb version of the MARTHA’S VINEYARD TO BLOCK ISLAND-SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS, Chart 1210TR which is the one used for the 105 exam and many of the courses. You could take the resulting ﬁle to a print shop and print it out at chart size. Alternatively, there are various online resources, including Starpath as noted above, that sell a full size paper version for <=$10. Search online for “1210TR” • General guidance for taking the 105 exam: [https://www.sailnet.com/forums/](https://www.sailnet.com/forums/)[ ](https://www.sailnet.com/forums/)[general-discussion-sailing-related/301145-asa-105-coastal-navigation-exam.html](general-discussion-sailing-related/301145-asa-105-coastal-navigation-exam.html) • Here is an ASA 105 practice exam that provides questions similar to those on the ofﬁcial exam, also using the 1210TR training chart: [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[learntocruiseonline.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ASA-205-Navigation-test](learntocruiseonline.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ASA-205-Navigation-test)review-questions-Version-D2.pdf Using one or more of these alternatives should prepare you to take the 105 exam early in your BOSS 106 course. If you have any further questions, contact Rob McLean at [rob.m@barefootoffshore.com](rob.m@barefootoffshore.com)

FAQs

Why is ASA 105 needed for BOSS 106?

ASA 105 Coastal Navigation is a prerequisite for ASA 106 Advanced Cruising. The 106 course does not provide enough time to teach all ASA 105 material, so it must be learned in advance.

What are the two main ways to meet the ASA 105 requirement?

You can complete the ASA 105 course and write the exam with another ASA school before BOSS 106, or use economical self-study to learn ASA 105 and write the exam near the beginning of BOSS 106.

What resources are recommended for self-studying ASA 105?

The document recommends an ASA Coastal Navigation kit from the ASA Online Store, free ASA 105 training videos on YouTube, Starpath manuals and training charts (including 1210TR), NOAA PDF chart versions, and an ASA 105 practice exam that uses the 1210TR training chart.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys