Competent Crew – Practical Course
This course introduces the complete beginner to cruising and teaches personal safety, seamanship and helmsmanship to the level required to be a useful member of the crew of a cruising yacht.
There are 14 syllabus subjects as follows:-
- Knowledge of sea terms and vessel components
- Sail handling
- Ropework
- Fire precautions and fighting
- Personal safety equipment
- Man overboard drill
- Emergency equipment
- Manners and customs
- Rules of the road
- Dinghies
- Meteorology
- Seasickness
- Helmsmanship and sailing
- General duties.
The RYA Competent Crew course is a 5 day practical course on board the yacht sailing the superb warm waters of the Caribbean. Combining a valuable training experience with a holiday in the sun has to be an ideal that many aspire to.
If you are the type that wishes to take charge of a yacht by progressing to the skills of crew, vessel and passage management that make a good skipper, this course is an essential prerequisite. Good skippers lead by example and without the knowledge gained from the RYA Competent Crew course, examples cannot be set.

