RYA Competent Crew
Syllabus

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

• 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 fireb. Knowledge of the action to be taken in the event of fire
• Personal safety equipment
  Understands and complies with rules for the wearing of safety harnesses, lifejackets and personal buoyancy aids
• Man overboard
  Understands the action to be taken to recover a man 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 practice with regard to: use of burgees and ensigns, prevention of unnecessary noise in harbour including courtesies to other craft
  Aware of the responsibility of yacht skippers to protect the environment
• Rules of the road
  Is able to keep and 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
  Working efficiency is unaffected/partially affected/severely affected by seasickness
• Helmsmanship
  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