COMPETENT CREW

• Perfect for beginners – no previous experience required.
• Fun course, with RYA certification at the end.
• Visit beautiful harbours and anchorages.
• Expert tuition to give you the best start.

• All meals and snacks on board
• Life jackets
• All mooring fees

What’s not Included

• Sleeping bag
• Waterproof boots
• Personal sailing insurance
• Oilskins

You spend the full course living on the yacht, with all meals provided. One of the expert Julio Verne Nautica instructors will work through the full syllabus with you, covering everything you need to know to be a competent and useful crew member on any future yachts you sail on.

A training holiday

Each day, you will sail to somewhere new, visiting the wonderful harbours and anchorages of the Rias Baixas. You will finish each day both on the mainland and on beatiful anchorages, and there’s usually the chance to head into one of the local pubs for a well earned beer and chat about the day’s training.

In one of the best places to learn to sail

The Rias are easily one of the best sailing grounds in the world, with its huge variety of locations, sheltered water, smooth tides, and lots of fishing ships moving by. As we describe in our Rias Baixas overview, this really is the only place to learn to sail.

Safety is absolutely paramount when heading out onto the water. We choose Rias Baixas for teaching because is one of the safest places to sail in Europe.

90% of crew join solo, so these are excellent courses if you are coming alone. There is nearly always a 50:50 mix of men and women, of all ages. It’s a small, fun group of like-minded people, all working toward the same goal.

You can expect four other crew on board, giving a maximum of five.

Do not go and spend lots of money on sailing clothing. Especially when you are first starting out, you really don’t need it. The main consideration is to bring layers, so that you can adjust your temperature accordingly.

• Warm clothes including hat, scarf, gloves and thermal underwear.
• Sleeping bag
• Polarised sunglasses
• Sun block
• Wash kit
• Towel
• Flip flops (great for shower blocks)
• Swimming gear
• Phone charger
• Sailing boots and some deck shoes or non-marking trainers

Everything must be packed into a soft holdall that can be rolled away

The RYA Competent Crew course introduces the complete beginner to cruising and teaches personal safety, seamanship and helming skills to the level required to be a useful member of the crew of a cruising yacht.

General Knowledge

• Knowledge of sea terms and parts of a boat, her rigging and sails
• Sufficient knowledge to understand orders given concerning the sailing and day to day running of the boat.

Sail Handling

• Bending on, setting, reefing and handling of sails
• Use of sheets and halyards and their associated winches

Ropework

• 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

Fire precautions and fighting

• Awareness of the hazards of fire and the precautions necessary to prevent fire. Knowledge of the action to be taken in the event of a fire.

Personal safety equipment

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

Casualty overboard

• Understands the action to be taken to recover a casualty who has fallen overboard

Emergency equipment

• Can operate distress flares and knows when they should be used
• Understands how to launch and board a liferaft

Manners and customs

• Understands accepted practise with regard to use of burgees and ensigns, prevention of unnecessary noise or disturbance in the harbour including courtesies to other craft berthed.
• Aware of the responsibility of yacht skippers to protect the environment

Rules of the road

• Is able to keep an efficient lookout at sea

Dinghies

• Understands and complies with the loading rules.
• Is able to handle a dinghy under oars

Meteorology

• Awareness of forecasting services and knowledge of the Beaufort scale

Seasickness

• Understands to what degree their working efficiency is unaffected/partially affected/severely affected by seasickness

Helming and sailing

• 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

General duties

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