ASA 101 exam cram sheet

Use this as the last pass before the written test. The top section reads your saved trainer progress and turns it into a short final-review plan; the rest is the printable memory sheet.

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Points of sail

Rigging and sail handling

• Halyards raise and lower sails; sheets trim sails; the outhaul flattens the main foot; vang controls boom rise and twist.
• Before loading a line, trace the full lead: sail corner, block, fairlead, clutch, winch, cleat, and tail.
• Hoist and lower with the sail unloaded as your instructor directs. If the halyard suddenly gets hard, stop and find the snag.
• Keep hands out of bights and away from winch drums, blocks, fairleads, and cleats. Never wrap a loaded sheet around a hand.
• Reef early: know which halyard, tack, clew, reefing line, and safe hand positions belong to the boat before the breeze arrives.

Right of way

• Opposite tacks: port keeps clear of starboard.
• Same tack: windward keeps clear of leeward.
• Overtaking: the overtaking vessel always keeps clear.
• Power usually keeps clear of sail, but not when sail is overtaking, impeding a ship in a channel, or meeting fishing/restricted/not-under-command vessels.
• Stand-on holds course and speed until collision risk requires action. Give-way acts early and obviously.
• Rule 7 risk cue: steady bearing plus closing range means assume collision risk; close range, large vessels, or tows can still be risky even with some bearing change.
• Rule 8 action cue: make one early, positive, substantial alteration or speed change, then check effectiveness until finally past and clear.
• Rule 6 safe speed means enough time and distance to take effective action and stop for the conditions: visibility, traffic density, maneuvering room, wind/current/sea, background light, and stopping distance.
• Engine in gear means a sailboat is power-driven under the rules.

Aids, lights, and sound signals

Safety sequence

1. Before leaving: weather, vessel safety check, PFDs, float plan, crew roles, route, return time, required gear.
2. Crew overboard: shout, throw, point, mark, return, recover.
3. Required gear themes: wearable PFD for each person, throwable where required, sound signal, visual distress signals where required, fire extinguisher where required, navigation lights.
4. Emergency order: stabilize crew, control the boat, stop or slow the problem if safe, communicate early, and preserve escape options.
5. Boat sober. Fatigue, sun, cold water, and motion stack up.

Weather calls

• Plan for gusts, not just sustained wind.
• Small Craft Advisory is a strong beginner no-go unless an instructor sets a conservative plan.
• Fog, lightning, squall lines, falling temperature, and fast wind shifts are exit cues.
• Cold water matters even when the air is warm. Dress for immersion risk.
• Wind against current can make steep chop. Lee shores reduce margin.

Docking and anchoring

• Rig fenders and lines before entering the tight space. Step, do not jump. No hands or feet between boat and dock.
• Approach no faster than you are willing to touch the dock. If it is wrong, go around early.
• Use the docking simulator to rehearse the sequence: setup, slow steerage, wind/current allowance, abort call, first controlling line.
• Spring lines control fore-and-aft movement and can help pivot a boat at the dock.
• Mooring pickup sequence: confirm the ball, brief PFD-wearing bow crew with boat hook, approach from downwind/down-current slowly, stop with the ball at the bow, secure the pendant forward, and go around if the pickup is late.
• Anchor sequence: choose room and holding, approach into wind/current, lower from bow, pay out rode, set, check for dragging.
• Use the anchor simulator and anchor set/watch checkoff to rehearse swing room, full-depth scope, bow-crew safety, transits/GPS drag checks, and early reset calls.
• Scope = rode length divided by bow-to-bottom height. Example: 10 ft water + 3 ft bow + 2 ft tide = 15 ft; at 5:1, use about 75 ft.

Auxiliary power

• Before start: fuel level, no fuel smell, neutral, kill switch or stop control, prop area clear, crew briefed, lines/fenders ready.
• Gasoline engine spaces need proper ventilation/blower procedure and a sniff test before starting. Do not start if fuel odor remains.
• After start: confirm cooling water flow or exhaust water as appropriate, listen for alarms, and warm up as the boat/instructor requires.
• Diagnostic order: decide start/stop first, clear fuel vapor or prop hazards, verify cooling water, then choose restart, backup, or go-around.
• Shift at idle. Pause in neutral before forward or reverse. Use short, gentle bursts, then return to neutral and reassess.
• Keep lines, mooring pendants, weeds, and swimmers away from the prop. If a line is near the stern, stay neutral until it is clear.
• Power-assisted crew-overboard pickup: keep the person in sight, control sails and recovery lines, approach slowly, neutral before contact, shutdown before recovery gear or people are near the stern, and reassess for cold exposure or medical help.
• Fueling: no smoking or sparks, control spills, keep nozzle contact, handle portable tanks off the boat when appropriate, and report any sheen as required.

Six knots

Saved checkoff status will appear here after you use the knot trainer.

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