Late notice spaces available for selected courses - click here for details

RYA Competent Crew

Price: from £799

Location: Starts from our base at Premier Gosport Marina, and visits different ports around the Solent and adjacent waters.

Duration: 5 days

The perfect introduction to yachting, the five day RYA Competent Crew practical sailing course will give you the best building blocks to kick-off your sailing adventure from!

Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Competent Crew course!

Booking details

Course Information

Joining Instructions: Please click here for course joining instructions

What is included in the course cost:

  • Yacht hire
  • RYA Qualified Instructor
  • RYA course materials and certificates
  • Breakfast, lunches, snacks and three evening meals (One evening meal is taken ashore at the students own cost)
  • Tea, coffee & soft drinks
  • Accommodation on board
  • Marina berths & moorings at Premier Marinas only. Other marinas charges are split between all students.
  • Diesel
  • Cooking gas
  • Wet weather kit hire (not footwear)
  • Hire of a Baltic automatic life jacket

Recommended Reading: Sailing magazines and newspapers, but this is not essential 

Course Prerequisites: No assumed knowledge

Minimum Age: No minimum but Under 16’s must be accompanied by adult. Persons aged 16+ can be unaccompanied subject to other pre-requisites having been met

Holiday Insurance: We would advise ALL our customers to ensure they have suitable holiday insurance in-place. Yachtsman’s insurance is available from a variety of souces like Topsail Insurance and can cover things like cancellations and personal effects cover.

Who is the course for:

The Competent Crew course is designed for anyone who wants to start their exciting and adventurous sailing journey the right way! This course is the perfect way to learn to sail!

With little or no prior knowledge of being on a yacht, the five-day Competent Crew course will give you the building blocks you need to start your sailing journey.

What we cover on the course:

Knowledge of general sailing terminology and the parts of a boat, including her rigging and sails, sail handling and setting the sails, ropework and knots, fire precautions and emergency actions, personal safety equipment, man overboard actions, emergency equipment, meteorology, seasickness, helmsmanship, general duties, manners and customs, rules of the road, tender use and rowing. This course covers the basics so you’ll be a handy and capable member of a crew, and is a great way to learn to sail.

Our Competent Crew courses have 4 to 5 students. We aim it at a mixture of Competent Crew and trainee Day Skipper students per boat. All Students are able to live and stay on board the yacht for the duration of the course. All students will get their own bed on board. In some instances sharing a cabin may be required.

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Course formats & details:

Courses run in a choice of three formats:

  • 5 consecutive days: (Monday to Friday)
  • 5 consecutive days: (Wednesday to Sunday)
  • 2 consecutive Weekends: (First weekend incl a Friday)

During your RYA Competent Crew course you will cover practical navigation, pilotage, boat handling, seamanship and watch skippering techniques as well as the skills mentioned previously.

We sometimes combine students taking their Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper courses alongside students on the Competent Crew course, so you will get to experience a wider range of sailing. The course includes free accommodation aboard our immaculate, well-maintained yachts with breakfast, lunch and snacks and two evening meals onboard with the remaining evening meals taken ashore at the students cost. We also include all fuel, mooring fees and safety kit such as lifejackets and waterproofs. All Students are able to live and stay on board the yacht for the duration of the course. 

Fancy going VIP and having your own exclusive private course for you and your friends or family? You can book the whole yacht just for your own exclusive course from only £575 per person. Enjoy the course in style, with up to five persons on the boat being taught by one of our friendly, experienced Yachtmaster Instructors! What a way to start your sailing adventure and learn to sail the right way!

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Our Chief Instructor says this about the RYA Competent Crew Course:

This course is a fantastic entry into the world of sailing, enabling you to become a safe and helpful member of any yacht crew. You’ll learn to sail in the vibrant and varied waters of the Solent, the heart of sailing in the UK, you’ll get to visit lots of different marinas and experience yacht sailing at its best. You’ll be in safe hands throughout the course with one of our Yachtmaster Instructors on hand to ensure you get the best out of your five days with us. So what are you waiting for? 

Booking details

Please select your preferred start date below.

Related courses

RYA Day Skipper Practical

The RYA Day Skipper Course runs over five days and brings students with at least the RYA Competent Crew qualification and some sailing experience, up to skipper level.

Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Day Skipper Practical course!

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RYA Day Skipper Theory

The RYA Day Skipper Course is the most popular sailing course in the UK. Running over five days, this course brings students with at least the RYA Competent Crew qualification and some sailing experience, up to skipper level (Theory only).

Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Day Skipper Theory course!

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RYA VHF/SRC Radio

The RYA SRC/VHF Radio Course is minimum qualification required by law to operate the VHF or VHF Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment on any British flagged vessel carrying a radio.

 

 

 

Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA SRC/VHF Radio course!

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Customer reviews

Fantastic experience. These guys go out of their way to make sure you have a good sailing holiday. Chartered a boat for the first time which was a daunting experience. But we were made to feel totally at ease. Had a great week

Andy York Avatar Andy York
30th October 2021

Great team of instructors with a huge range of knowledge, and experience. Lovely yachts, and a stylish floating class room. The place to expand your sailing life.

Richard Renson Avatar Richard Renson
30th September 2021

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