RYA COMPETENT CREW COURSE

The RYA Competent Crew course is an entry-level course for beginner sailors. Enjoy a fun 5 days sailing around the Solent, learning the parts of the boats, how to tie knots, sail trim, and much other nautical seamanship skill.

HOW TO BOOK

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RYA Competent Crew Course
RYA Competent Crew Course
from £745.00
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Please see our Terms and Conditions

THE COURSE

The RYA Competent crew course is 5 days long and at the end, you will have a basic overview of the workings of the yacht to allow you to be a valuable member of the crew. During the course, you will be taught seamanship, personal safety, beginner sail trim and helming techniques.

By sleeping & living onboard during the course, you will naturally pick up on the workings of the interior and domestic workings of boat life.

The course will be taken with up to 5 students and the instructor on the boat, we do offer courses for private groups, however. Many see the course as a holiday in that while learning new skills, you are also exploring different harbours and locations around the Solent and South Coast.

During the course, we aim to sleep in different harbours or anchorages each night, but the weather and tides sometimes make these decisions for us!

WHY SAIL WITH LSS

Why do it if it’s not going to be fun? At LSS we make sure everyone is having the best possible time at all times. Shouting is a no go and we just ask that you are enthusiastic and willing.

Everyone gets a go at all the jobs, sailing is a team sport and everyone needs to get stuck into the jobs above and below deck.

Connect with your skipper and crew to build new relationships that go beyond the course.

We learn the most about sailing and ourselves when we are being pushed out of our comfort zone.

Senses of humour, no sense of tempers, please…. We believe that people perform best, especially when learning, without a barrage of “encouragement” about how they could be doing it “better”, being hurled their way.

Being Free of Ego is the only way to learn, teach, and improve at sailing. We ask that to sail with us you come with a coachable and relaxed mindset

FAQs & IMPORTANT NOTES

    • All meals and refreshments while onboard

    • Accommodation onboard

    • All mooring fees

    • All fuel costs

    • Rental of oilskins/waterproofs is £5pd

    • Any food or drinks ashore are at everyone own expense

  • Please contact us at info@londonschoolofsailing.co.uk to discuss payment options

  • Please see our BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS for details about changing your course once booked

  • For the competent crew course, no prior experience is required, although it may be beneficial, particularly any dinghy sailing.

  • The Competent Crew course is 5 days and 4 night s long.

  • You will be sailing on one of LSS’s training Yachts kept on the River Hamble. They are able to sleep 8 people comfortably but will have a maximum of 5 plus the instructor.

    The boats are

    Kindred Spirit - Sigma 38

    Laita - Bavaria 37

    Kotari - Jeanneau 49

  • The boats are based on the River Hamble.

    Kindred Spirit is at Deacons Boatyard, in Bursledon.

    Laita is in Port Hamble Marina in the Hamble Village.

  • The Solent, which the River Hamble is on the Northern edge of, is the perfect training area between Southampton Water and the Isle of Wight.

    Notorious for consistent winds, wicked tides, and a gorgeous variety of harbours, rivers and anchorages to visit.

    An average week will see you visit any of the below:

    • Cowes

    • Yarmouth

    • Beaulieu river

    • Lymington

    • The Needles & Alum Bay

    • Newtown Creek

    • Portsmouth

    • Wooton Creek

    • Osbourn Bay

    • Langstone Harbour

    • Chichester Harbour

      and many other little anchorages.

  • During the event, accommodation on the boat is provided.

    If travelling from afar, it might be advisable to book accommodation the night before or after the event dates.

  • After completing the RYA Competent Crew course, it is the perfect stepping stone to either, complete your Day Skipper Theory course, or just any experience getting out on the water as crew to build your miles and sea time by racing, or cruising with friends.

  • We will be in marinas and harbours every day most likely so you won’t need to shower on the boat. The boats are fitted with a functional toilet, sink, showers and kitchen (galley) for cooking.

  • Please take a look at our kit list here.

  • The aim of this course is to introduce the complete beginner to cruising and to teach personal safety, seamanship and helmsmanship to the level required to be a useful member of the crew of a cruising yacht.

    • Knowledge of sea terms and parts of a boat, her rigging and sails

    • Sail handling

    • Ropework Fire precautions and fire fighting

    • Personal safety equipment

    • Man overboard

    • Emergency equipment

    • Manners and customs

    • Rules of the road

    • Dinghies

    • Meteorology

    • Sea sickness

    • Helmsmanship and sailing

      General Duties

    • Sufficient knowledge to understand orders given concerning the sailing and day-to-day running of the boat

    • Bending on, setting, reefing and handling of sails

    • Use of sheets and halyards and their associated winches

    • Handling ropes, including coiling, stowing, securing to cleats and single and double bollards

      Handling warps

    • Ability to tie the following knots and to know their correct use: figure-of-eight, clove hitch, rolling hitch, bowline, round turn and two half hitches, single and double sheet bend, reef knot

    • Awareness of the hazards of fire and the precautions necessary to prevent fire

    • Knowledge of the action to be taken in event of fire

    • Understands and complies with the rules for the wearing of safety harnesses, lifejackets and personal buoyancy aids

    • Understands the action to be taken to recover a man overboard

    • Can operate distress flares and knows when they should be used

    • Understands how to launch and board a liferaft

    • Understands accepted practice with regard to the use of burgees and ensigns, prevention of unnecessary noise or disturbance in the harbour including courtesies to other craft berthed alongside

    • Aware of the responsibility of yacht skippers to protect the environment

    • Is able to keep an efficient lookout at sea

    • Understands and complies with the loading rules

    • Is able to handle a dinghy under oars

    • Awareness of forecasting services and knowledge of the Beaufort Scale

    • Working efficiency is unaffected/partially affected/severely affected by seasickness

    • Understands the basic principles of sailing and can steer and trim sails on all points of sailing

    • Can steer a compass course, under sail and power

    • Has carried out general duties satisfactorily on deck and below decks in connection with the daily routine of the vessel.