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ASA 103 Exam Study Guide Material |
Questions and Answers | Latest 2025/ 2026
Update | GRADED A | Verified Solutions |
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Stemhead Fitting A stainless-steel fitting on the bow of a boat to which the forestay and jib tack are attached, as well as the roller fairlead for the anchor rode.
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Turnbuckle A mechanical fitting attached to the lower ends of stays, which connects them to the chainplate, allowing for the standing rigging to be adjusted (tightened.)
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Chainplate Metal plate bolted to the hull of a boat to which standing rigging is attached.
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Hatch A covered opening in the deck.
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Transom The flat surface forming the stern of a vessel.
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Self-bailing cockpit A cockpit that is high enough above the waterline that any water that gets inside will drain overboard by gravity, through scuppers (drains) located in the aft corner of the cockpit well.
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Compass An instrument that indicates direction relative to Earth's magnetic field.
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Binnacle The pedestal on which the boat's main compass is mounted.
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Cockpit locker Storage compartment in the cockpit seating area.
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Emergency tiller
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Auxiliary engine The source of auxiliary propulsion on a sailboat. Used also to produce electricity needed to charge the house batteries.
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Bilge The lowest interior region of the hull.
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Bilge pump A pump used to remove water from the bilge. Usually there is an automatic (electric) bilge pump and a manual bilge pump on every boat.
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Through-hull fitting A fitting in the hull through which water can be drawn in or discarded.
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Seacock
A marine valve which opens and closes a hole through the hull for saltwater needed on board or for discharge.
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Ground tackle A group term for all gear used in anchoring a vessel: anchor, chain, rode.
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Windlass A winch used primarily for lifting and lowering an anchor.
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Federally required equipment for a 33-foot recreational vessel equipped with an inboard diesel engine. Boat registration certificate and hull numbers. PFDs: one per person (type I, II or III) + one type IV. Visual distress signals for day: distress flag and/or 3 smoke flares. Visual distress signals for night: 3 red night flares. Fire extinguishers: 2 B-I or 1 B-II. Sound producing device: air horn (hand-held or mouth-blown.) Navigation lights: sidelights, stern light, masthead light. Placards: "Discharge of Oil Prohibited" placard and a "MARPOL" placard (Marine Pollution.)
Clock or watch (waterproof preferred.) Boathook. Portable bilge pump. Softwood plugs (in case a through-hull fitting fails.) Bucket. Radar reflector (to enhance your visibility to other vessels.)
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Purpose and proper use of a safety harness and tether. To stay safe on deck in strong weather conditions or when sailing alone. A safety harness is worn outside the clothing. It has straps over each shoulder, one around the rib cage, and possibly one between the legs, and is secured in the middle of the chest with a heavy clasp. A safety tether has a heavy metal clip at each end. One is secured to the harness and the other is clipped to a jackline on the deck (or a robust piece of hardware well inboard.) A jackline usually runs on both sides of the deck, from the cockpit all the way to the bow, and is secured to the deck by pad-eyes.
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Refueling procedure for a diesel engine using diesel fuel. Most sailboats have diesel engines. Locate the "diesel fill plate" on the deck. Open it with a winch or a special deck-plate key. Check the signage on the fuel hose before dispensing: diesel! Place a rag over the fuel nozzle to catch drips. Insert the nozzle into the fuel fill.
Squeeze the trigger on the nozzle to start fueling. Start slowly to make sure the fuel tank's vent is not blocked and can allow displaced air to escape. Have someone call out the number of gallons pumped periodically. Do not overfill--listen carefully for sound of filling up. Withdraw the nozzle while holding the rag around it. Return the nozzle to attendant. Wipe up any spills. Dispose of rag properly. Replace the cap in the fuel-fill plate.
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Refueling procedures for a vessel equipped with an outboard engine using gasoline. Outboard motors burn gasoline which is highly flammable. The gasoline tank should be stowed on deck or in a cockpit locker that's sealed from the boat's interior to prevent gasoline and its fumes from getting belowdecks. To refill: disconnect the fuel line from the motor and take the tank onto the fuel dock. Place it where fumes displaced from the tank as it fills will not fall into the sailboat, and fill it carefully. Wipe off any spilled gas before placing the tank aboard the sailboat.
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Essential navigator's tools. Compass. Nautical charts. Chart No. 1. Parallel rule.
The lateral system: buoys and beacons set along sides of channels to mark the limit of navigable water. IALA Region B is used in North America where "red, right, return" rule applies. IALA Region A is used in much of the rest of the world. Regulatory markers are white cylindrical with orange stripes above and below these shapes: diamond (danger), circle (restricted operations), diamond with a cross (exclusion zone, keep out), rectangle (information: direction, distance, etc.)
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Latitude / Longitude Imaginary lines that divide the earth into sections horizontally (latitude) and vertically (longitude) and form coordinates on a chart. 1' of latitude=1 nautical mile
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Determining magnetic direction Finding the number of degrees on the compass card that corresponds to the lubber's line.
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Measuring distance Use the dividers to measure the distance on a chart between points A and B. Transfer the dividers to a Latitude scale on the side of the chart and count the minutes between the two points of the dividers. This is the distance in nautical miles.
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How to prevent undue magnetic influence on a compass. Keep anything containing iron or electric current away from the compass. Keep such items at least 3 feet away from the ship's compass: cell phones, flashlights, batteries, deck knives, radios.
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Dangers of, and how to avoid, a 'Lee Shore.' A lee shore can be any obstruction or hazard (land or pier) toward which the wind is blowing. To be prudent, keep in mind the surrounding hazards and the potential effect of a change in the wind or current to avoid getting in a lee shore. When trying to get away from a lee shore avoid "pinching" (sailing too close to the wind) which slows the boat down.
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Sources of weather information National Weather Service (NWS) of the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) online. VHF radio--Wx channels tunned to NOAA continuous broadcast of local marine weather.
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Wind speed-5 knots (Beaufort scale 2: wind 4-6 knots, wave height 1 ft.) Light breeze: the wind forms small wavelets that bump against the hull. The apparent wind will be higher and you can make steady progress upwind, but will be slow downwind.
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Cumulonimbus clouds Towering, tall clouds with gray bottoms that can bring heavy rain, lightning, and tornados. Associated with cold front.
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Bottom types--Gravel (Gr) Provides consistently good holding and is easy for anchors to penetrate. Lightweight and plow anchors work well.
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Bottom types--Mud (M) Offers low resistance to dragging. Claw anchors work better than others because of their greater surface area and ability to penetrate deeper.
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Bottom types--Rock (Rk) An anchor's ability to hold depends on what it can catch onto. Plow and fisherman-type anchors work best.
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Bottom types--Clay (Cl) Challenging for all anchor types, and the anchor's weight is more important than its shape. Heavy claw or plow types are better than lightweight types.
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Bottom types--Grass (G) Challenging for all anchor types, and the anchor's weight is more important than its shape. Heavy claw or plow types are better than lightweight types.
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Bottom types--Coral (Co) Delicate, live organism protected by law in many places. Damage to it can incur heavy fines. Never anchor on this type of bottom.
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Small craft advisory Warning issued by the National Weather Service, most frequently in coastal areas. It is issued when sustained winds or frequent gusts are expected to be 22 to 33 knots or seas 5 to 7 feet or greater. A sailboat properly handled by an experienced crew can cope with such weather.
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Gale warning Warning of sustained surface winds or frequent gusts of 34 to 47 knots, predicted or occurring.
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Downhaul or Cunningham A line used to tension the luff of a sail by pulling down the boom at the gooseneck.
Q: Ways to reduce heeling
- Decrease the angle of attack. Steer closer to the wind (feather); ease the mainsheet or drop the traveler to leeward; ease the jib sheet.
- Use twist. On windward or close-reaching courses, add twist. Ease the mainsheet or vang, move the jib sheet lead aft. On a broad reach or run, remove twist: tighten the boom vang.
- Flatten the sails: tighten the halyards on both mainsail and jib; tighten the outhaul on the mainsail. Q: Chord Straight line from a leading edge of a sail (luff) to the trailing edge (leech) in the direction parallel to the direction of airflow. Q: Depth of a sail The perpendicular distance from the chord to the sail at that point (also called draft.) Q: Chord-depth ratio The maximum depth along the chord, expressed as a percentage of the chord length. A full sail has a higher chord-depth ratio than a flat sail, and it generates more power. Q: Draft position The location along a chord of the maximum depth of the sail. Q: Angle of attack The angle at which the wind strikes the chord.
Q: Twist The difference between the angle of attack at the foot and at the head of the sail. Q: Aback Of a sail, when the wind is on the wrong side. Q: Abaft Toward the stern, as in abaft the beam. Q: Abeam Off the boat at right angles to its centerline. Q: Amidships At or toward the middle of the boat. Q: Astern Behind the stern. Q: Athwartships Across the boat from side to side.
Q: Block A pulley. Q: Bridgedeck The deck connecting the hulls of a catamaran. Q: Bridgedeck clearance The distance from the underside of the bridgedeck to the surface of the water. Q: Bridle A line fixed at both ends that spreads the force of another line, attached at its midpoint. Q: Bulkhead An upright partition in the interior of a boat. Q: By the lee Sailing on a run with the wind on the same side as the mainsail. Q: Nautical mile
6,076 feet. A knot is one nautical mile per hour. Interestingly, and for comparison's sake, a mile is 5,280 feet, meaning wind speed measured in knots is 15% greater than measured in miles per hour. Q: Heaving to To set the sails in opposition so the jib is on one side and the mainsail on the other. This is achieved most often by tacking and leaving the jib sheet cleated on the new tack. Adjust mainsheet so boat is on a close reach. Adjust helm as needed and lash wheel so it can't move. Q: Navigation Rules 16,17 and 2. These are all related. Rule 16 states the give way vessel must take early and substantial action to keep well clear of the stand on vessel. Rule 17 requires the stand on vessel to maintain course and speed. Rule 2 overrides these if a collision is imminent, requiring vessels to take whatever action necessary to avoid a collision. Q: Navigation Rule 5 The Lookout Rule. This rule requires all vessels to maintain a proper lookout by sight and sound and all means available, at all times. Q: Navigation Rule 12 (Sailing Vessels Only) Starboard tack has right of way. The position of the main boom determines which tack you are on. If it is on the port, even if you are sailing by the lee, you are on starboard tack. The other rule is windward/leeward. For boats on the same tack converging, the boat to windward is the give- way vessel, and would most often alter course to pass astern of the stand-on vessel.
