RYA COMPETENT CREW
The RYA Competent Crew course with Academy Sailing is the most popular starting point for most people. The course welcomes beginners and those without experience with cruising yachts, and provides tuition around personal safety, seamanship and helmsmanship enabling students to become confident cruising yacht crew members. This means gaining sufficient knowledge to understand and the skills to carry out tasks concerning the sailing and every day running of the boat.
On this course run over a total of 5 days, either consecutively or over two split-weekends, you will be hoisting and trimming sails, taking the helm, anchoring, picking up mooring buoys, rigging and slipping mooring lines, doing engine checks and much more. You will enjoy stopping in different anchorages and/or marinas. Most importantly also having fun with other people who are also learning to sail.
The RYA Competent Crew course is combined with candidates doing their RYA Day Skipper course as this benefits those doing Competent Crew, who get to crew for prospective Day Skippers and gaining valuable insight in to the next step up. Most groups seem to stay in contact with each other as a result of the friendships made and adventures had.
Whether your ambition is to become a fully-fledged skipper or simply a confident and competent member of a crew enjoying sailing holidays, Academy Sailing's RYA Competent Crew course provides the solid foundation needed to safely enjoy sailing aboard cruising yachts.
From our base in Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, we are close to London and easy to reach from across the east of England.
Pre-Course Requirements
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Minimum age of 12. All Under 18's to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
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No sailing experience required.
What's Included?
There are no hidden extra costs to any of our courses. Your course fee covers:-
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Accommodation (yacht has central heating throughout)
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All meals - delicious breakfasts, lunches and evening meals on board
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Tea / coffee / snacks all day
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Free parking at the marina
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Your own allocated bunk
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Use of state-of-the-art GoreTex sailing jacket and salopettes (new every season)
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All safety equipment including personal issue lifejacket
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Your RYA Instructor & hire of the yacht
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RHIB training session (you get to helm) *most other schools do not include this*
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All mooring fees
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Fuel and gas
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RYA certificate
Cost; See Below for Course Specifics
The cost of each course is shown below. There are absolutely no hidden extras. A non-refundable deposit reserves a place on your chosen course with the balance being due 7 weeks before the start of the course. See full terms and conditions for more information including cancellation policy and refunds. We recommend holiday insurance to cover for cancellations (costs around £10 from reputable insurance companies).
Maximum student to instructor ratio 4:1.
Course Syllabus
By the end of your RYA Competent Crew course with Academy Sailing you will have covered the following:-
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Knowledge of sea terms and parts of a boat, her rigging and sails.
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Sufficient knowledge to understand orders given concerning the sailing and day-to-day running of the boat.
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Bending on, setting, reefing and handling of sails.
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Use of sheets and halyards and their associated winches.
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Handling ropes, including coiling, stowing, securing to cleats and single and double bollards.
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Handling warps.
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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.
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Awareness of the hazards of fire and the precautions necessary to prevent fire.
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Knowledge of the action to be taken in event of fire.
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Understands and complies with rules for the wearing of safety harnesses, lifejackets and personal buoyancy aids.
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Understands the action to be taken to recover a man overboard.
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Can operate distress flares and knows when they should be used.
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Understands how to launch and board a liferaft.
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Understands accepted practise with regard to: use of burgees and ensigns, prevention of unnecessary noise or disturbance in harbour including courtesies to other craft berthed.
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Aware of the responsibility of yacht skippers to protect environment.
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Is able to keep an efficient lookout at sea.
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Understands and complies with the loading rules.
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Is able to handle a dinghy under oars.
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Awareness of forecasting services and knowledge of the Beaufort scale.
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Working efficiency is unaffected/severely affected by sea sickness.
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Understands the basic principles of sailing and can steer and trim sails on all points of sailing.
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Can steer a compass course under sail and power.
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Has carried out general duties satisfactorily on deck and below decks in connection with daily routine of the vessel.
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