RYA Competent Crew: What to Expect, How to Prepare, and Is It Worth It

Competent Crew is where you stop being a passenger and start being useful. It's a practical, liveaboard week that gets you comfortable with steering, sails, ropes, and the onboard routines that keep everything safe and calm.

If you're speedrunning toward Day Skipper, Competent Crew can help, but only if you plan it deliberately. Some parts of the Day Skipper experience requirements might fall out of the week. Some might not.

Competent Crew is designed for beginners. You learn by doing, rotating roles, making small mistakes safely, and repeating the same manoeuvres until they stop feeling mysterious.

You should expect to cover:

• Helming under power and sail
• Sail handling basics (hoist, trim, reef, drop)
• Rope handling and basic knots
• Winches and clutches, plus safe hand placement around loaded lines
• Leaving and coming alongside, plus fenders and spring lines
• Anchoring basics and what crew actually do during the process
• Man overboard routines as crew
• Safety routines (lifejackets, harnesses, moving on deck, basic emergency habits)
• Living aboard basics (galley safety, tidiness, shared space)
• Crew etiquette and teamwork

The exact order depends on weather and the yacht, but the building blocks are consistent.

Every provider will shuffle the schedule, but this is the usual shape.

Arrival Evening (Often "Day 0")

• Meet the instructor and crew
• Boat orientation and safety overview
• Stow gear properly and learn where wet gear lives
• Set expectations for the week

Your job: unpack fast, keep your kit compact, ask where things go.

Day 1: Stop Being a Passenger

• Basic deck movement and safety habits
• Ropes, cleats, fenders, simple roles during manoeuvres
• First helming under power, and often under sail
• First exposure to winches and sail handling

Success looks like: you follow instructions cleanly and keep hands away from loaded lines.

Day 2: Sail Handling Becomes Normal

• More helming time
• More sail reps
• Reefing basics if conditions allow
• Terminology starts sticking because you're using it

Success looks like: you can do a task twice the same way, safely.

Day 3: Close Quarters and Anchoring

• More coming alongside and leaving reps
• Spring lines and communication
• Anchoring role basics

Success looks like: you know your job during manoeuvres and you do it without drama.

Day 4: Put It Together

• Longer passage if conditions allow
• Watch routine habits and lookout discipline
• Man overboard drill or review
• Instructor starts asking for more independence, still supervised

Success looks like: you start anticipating what happens next.

Day 5: Consolidation and Next Steps

• Repeat weak areas
• Recap and practical sign-off
• Clear guidance on what to do next

Success looks like: you leave knowing what you can do safely, and what you need to practise next.

Join Crew the Boat

Free logbook, RYA theory prep, and shore-contact alerts. Everything you need from first sail to Yachtmaster.

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Learn Four Knots

You don't need twelve. You need a small set you can tie under mild stress.

• Cleat hitch
• Bowline
• Round turn and two half hitches
• Figure eight

If you only master one, make it the bowline.

Learn the Words That Unlock Instructions

You'll learn onboard, but it helps if these aren't alien:

• Port, starboard
• Bow, stern
• Windward, leeward
• Tack, gybe
• Sheet, halyard, reefing line
• Winch, clutch, cleat

If you want to get these terms into your head before you arrive, our Competent Crew Prep course works like those language learning apps – short questions you can do on the train or over coffee. It covers nautical terms, knots, safety basics, and what to expect living aboard. Not required, but it means less "wait, which one's the halyard?" on day one.

Decide Your Seasickness Plan Now

If you're prone to motion sickness, don't gamble.

• Sleep properly
• Eat small and steady
• Hydrate
• Avoid turning up hungover
• Bring what works for you and use it correctly

Pack for Being Wet and Cold

Comfort makes learning faster.

Minimum useful kit:

• Waterproof jacket and trousers
• Warm mid-layer
• Base layers
• Non-marking deck shoes
• Soft bag, not a hard suitcase
• Headtorch
• Dry bag for phone and valuables

Join Crew the Boat

Free logbook, RYA theory prep, and shore-contact alerts. Everything you need from first sail to Yachtmaster.

Join Free

Day Skipper Practical expects you to have a baseline of experience. The commonly stated experience targets are:

• 5 days onboard
• 100 miles
• 4 hours night sailing

Plus basic sailing ability and theory knowledge to Day Skipper shorebased level. See the full breakdown in our RYA Day Skipper guide.

Competent Crew is usually 5 days onboard, so it often helps with the "days" part.

Miles and night hours are not automatic. They only count if they actually happen.

If you're aiming for Day Skipper soon, ask these before you book Competent Crew:

1. Roughly how many miles does your Competent Crew week usually cover?
2. Do you ever plan a short sail after dark to give students night hours?
3. If weather prevents night sailing, what typically happens?

If they can't give you a straight answer, assume you'll need to build miles and night hours separately. Check out how to find crew positions without experience for ways to build those miles after the course.

Even if you're not chasing Yachtmaster, logging early saves you time and money later. Every passage you record now is one less you'll scramble to remember when you need it.

Record for each trip:

• Date
• Boat
• Skipper or instructor
• Miles
• Night hours
• Notes on what you practised

The question of digital vs paper logbook comes down to personal preference, but having a backup you can't lose to salt spray is worth considering. Crew the Boat's logbook takes about 60 seconds per passage and automatically tracks your progress toward RYA qualifications.

Before you step onboard:

• I can tie a bowline and a cleat hitch without a video
• I have waterproofs and warm layers
• I have a seasickness plan
• I know joining time, meeting point, and what's included vs extra
• If I care about Day Skipper soon, I asked about typical miles and whether we'll be underway after dark
• I've run through the Competent Crew Prep questions so the terminology isn't completely new

Do I need experience before Competent Crew?

No. It's designed for beginners.

Is it an exam?

It's practical coaching with sign-off based on what you can do safely, not a written exam.

Will I definitely get miles and night hours toward Day Skipper?

You'll almost certainly get some miles. You might get enough miles, and you might get zero night hours. It depends on the course plan, season, and weather. Ask before you book, and log what actually happens.

Can I go straight to Day Skipper after this?

Often yes, if your theory is in place and you meet whatever experience the Day Skipper provider expects. Plan it, don't guess it. Our Day Skipper fast-track guide breaks down exactly what you need.

What if my family worries about me being out at sea?

If you're doing a longer passage or your family wants peace of mind, you can set up shore contact alerts. Set your expected return time before you sail, and your shore contact gets an SMS if you're overdue. Simple safety that works anywhere.

How do I find more sailing after the course?

The best way to build miles is with crew who understand where you are in your journey. Find crew positions without experience covers yacht clubs, racing opportunities, and mile-building passages. Crew the Boat also has groups of sailors working toward the same qualifications where you can find opportunities that match your experience level.