RYA Competent Crew

FUN | SAFE | CONFIDENCE | BEGINNER

5 days 850 Max 5 students

For beginners and those who would like to become active crew members rather than just passengers.


Upcoming Course Dates

Boarding location

The RYA Competent Crew Course is a effective and efficient way to become active and useful crew on board. The course is designed to provide as much fun and enjoyment as possible in a safe and reassuring environment.

The course introduces the absolute beginner to the delights of sailing aboard a cruising yacht. It is also an ideal stepping stone for dinghy sailors to try yachting and for those who have already done some crewing but wish to learn the right way.

Experience living onboard and really get to know the boat. Virtually all the course is hands on. You are the crew - without you the sails won't go up and the boat won't be steered.

By the end of the course you should be able to prepare a yacht for departure, some basic navigation, steer, handle sails, handling lines for berthing and leaving a berth, keep a lookout, row a dinghy, MOB (Man Overboard) drills, handling the anchor, Making fixes and keeping a shipĀ“s log and assist in all the day to day duties on board.

You will also have had a fantastic holiday and will have visited some great marinas, harbours and anchorages along the way.

The course lasts 5 days. Each day the course starts at 09:30 and ends at around 17:00. It usually run from Monday to Friday or can be run over 3 weekends or 3 days plus a weekend.

You can book the course directly on our website and make the course fee payment by credit card. Just click Book Now button and you will be lead to a page where you can choose dates, number of participants, and fill other necessary information.

Alternatively, you can charter the whole yacht for yourself and take your RYA Competent Crew course in a more private and relaxed way with your friends or family (up to total 5 onboard). The cost for that is shown in the course dates section above.

No experience needed ā€“ just enthusiasm! You will be trained to be a useful crew member on any cruising yacht.

No assumed knowledge ā€“ We teach you everything you need to know for this course onboard.

Minimum recommended age is 12.

Course Syllubus includes: knowledge of sea terms and parts of a boat, her rigging and sails, sail handling, ropework, fire precautions and fighting, personal safety equipment, man overboard, emergency equipment, meteorology, seasickness, helmsmanship, general duties, manners and customs, rules of the road, dinghies:

Terminology

  • Yacht parts and sea terms – So you know where to be when asked!
  • Terms of sails and rigging.

Handling Sails

  • Set and learn to reef sails – Reefing the sail stops the boat healing over too far!
  • Use of ropes that adjust sails.

Other ropes that do other things

  • To hold the boat, tie knots and tidy or coil the lines afterwards.

FIRE!

  • Prevention & Hazards – Learn what to do if it happens!

Life jackets etc

  • How they work, how to check they work – the rules.

MOB

  • How to prevent a man over board is the key. If it happens, how to get them back on board.

Emergency

  • How to use distress equipment and (in the unlikely event of) to abandon ship.

Customs & Manners

  • Environmental issues plus what to do with your ensign and when!
  • How to arrive into harbour when late – as quietly as possible!

General Duties

  • Keep the yacht in order and share the duties with your fellow crew – always!

Weather

  • Where to find the forecast and to learn your Beaufort scale!

Rules of the sea

  • How to keep a look out at sea – at all times!

Dinghies

  • How to get in and out without getting wet.
  • How to row in a straight line. Great photo opportunity!

Sea Sickness

  • Some of us are, some of us are lucky – Stay with us if you are, give it a couple of days and you will have great fun!

Steering & Sailing

  • Learn to steer in a straight line and to handle the yacht under sail and power.

Basic Plotting

  • Plot your position on the chart
  • Take bearing on objects and approaching shipping
  • Improve your knowledge of ships lights and buoys and other lights
  • Keep a ships log
  • Understand weather forecasts in more detail

Learning more advanced boat crewing skills, such as:

  • Boat handling skills
  • Use the knots you have mastered
  • More anchoring and picking up a buoy
  • Set and trim sail effectively
  • ā€œMan ā€“ Over Boardā€ practice

Recomended course book links: RYA Competent Crew Skills

Rya competent crew skill book

The yacht you will be sailing is called ā€œLookfarā€, a Bavaria 44 Cruiser, and is moored in Manoel Island Marina, pontoon D, near the Paparazzi restaurant. She will be ready for you to join at 9:30 am on the first day of the course.

Accommodation onboard during the course can be arranged if needed, usually from Monday to Friday. The accommodation is included in the course price. Sunday evening boarding and Friday night sleep onboard may be possible by agreement.

Some night sailing maybe covered during the course if weather permits. Most of the times, we come back to the home port every day.

From our base in Manoel Island we will be sailing around the Maltese Archipelago including the picturesque sister Islands of Comino and Gozo (if weather permits). There will also be plenty of time to go ashore in the evenings to relax and spend time visiting historical landmarks and having the opportunity of tasting local cuisine.

Great winds in beautiful, sunny surroundings 52 weeks of the year! Join us! You will be made very welcome and will be awarded the RYA Competent Crew Certificate on successful completion of the course and become an asset to any crew you join.

bavaria44 bavaria44-galley bavaria44-cabin

If you choose for accommodation onboard, full bedding is supplied, sheets, pillows and blankets. Also, we provide towels for use on the yacht but not beach towels. If you should require more than one towel during the week, please do bring your own additional towel.

  • Packed lunch
  • Sunglasses
  • High factor sun cream
  • Deck shoes if possible, otherwise soft shoes with a non marking sole, or just barefoot
  • Shorts (Please be aware that these are liable to get dirty, so not your bestones!)
  • T-Shirts
  • Wash Kit
  • Fleece or jumper for the evenings and windy days at sea
  • Soft bag as opposed to a hard suitcase (we can store luggage if you are staying on)
  • Light long sleeved shirt if you need to cover up in the sun
  • Baseball/sun hat (preferably with a clip to stop it blowing overboard!)
  • Sea sickness tablets should you need them
  • Phone/ Ipod / lap top chargers ā€“ 12V (cigarette style chargers) if needed
  • Travel Insurance recommended
  • And above all, enthusiasm!

Please note that the temperatures in Malta are normally very warm during the day but it can be cold in the evenings and windy days at sea. It is a good idea to bring a small light rain mac if you have one and also a pair of long trousers and a warm fleece, just in case.

  • Experienced instuctors who speak English as mother tongue.
  • Port fees, mooring fees, fuel, tourist tax, and gereral maintenance.
  • We will provide teas and coffees, etc. We do not provide alcohol.
  • We can have three double cabins and one bunk bed cabin available for students' accomodation.
  • We would sugguest you have some light breakfast in the cafeteria nearby the marina (BusStop Lounge, 200m away) and organise a packed lunch.
  • External marina facilities such as showers and toilets are onshore by the marina gate.
  • Shops and restaurants are plentiful and all within walking distance. Our base marina is located in the most popular tourist and business area of Malta.
  • RYA Competent Crew certificate upon successful completion of the course.

If you need a flight to Malta International, the airport code is MLA. There is only one airport.

On arrival at Malta airport, there is a kiosk at the exit from the airport where you can pre pay the taxi to the boat. The cost of this is usually 25 Euro.The taxi drivers speak good English.

Cheaper transport option would be use taxi app such as: Bolt, Ecab, Cool. There are plenty of taxi connected to these apps.

You will have a short safety brief on arrival to familiarise yourself with the boat and meet your crew mates!

For more details about course, logistics, accommodation, booking, and certificate, please refer to the FAQ's section.

Recommended videos to watch before course:

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