RYA Competent Crew Course: Cost, Syllabus and 6 Schools
What is the RYA Competent Crew course?
The RYA Competent Crew course is the Royal Yachting Association's entry-level sailing course. It runs for five days, normally living aboard a cruising yacht, and you need no experience at all. By the end you can steer, handle sails and lines, keep a lookout and help with the everyday jobs on board. It doesn't qualify you to skipper.
Think of it as a week as working crew on a 35 to 45-foot yacht, with an RYA instructor as skipper and four or five other students. There's no exam. Your instructor assesses you all week, and if you reach the standard you get an RYA course completion certificate.
What do you learn on a Competent Crew course?
The RYA's course page lists the syllabus. In practice that means:
- Ropework and knots: bowline, clove hitch, round turn and two half hitches, cleating off, coiling and throwing a line.
- Sail handling: hoisting, reefing, furling, trimming, and working the winches without trapping your fingers.
- Helming: steering a course under sail and engine, and learning how the wind shapes everything you do.
- Safety: lifejackets and harnesses, fire precautions, the man overboard drill (you'll practise this a lot), and the emergency kit on board.
- Seamanship basics: sea terms, parts of the boat, an introduction to the rules of the road, keeping watch, and handling the dinghy.
- Living aboard: galley duty, crew manners and coping with seasickness.
Most schools run it over five days in a row. The RYA also allows weekends (for example three weekends, or three days plus a weekend), and if you've done the two-day RYA Start Yachting taster first, you can finish in three or four days.
On a breezy Competent Crew day the boat heels like this, and you'll learn to move around the deck, sit out on the rail and stay clipped on. Photo: U.S. Navy / Chad Runge, public domain.
How much does a Competent Crew course cost?
In the UK, a five-day Competent Crew course costs about £700 to £825 per person, with a bunk aboard and most food usually included. In the Med, Palma Sea School charges €995 to €1,395 depending on your berth. Marina fees, some dinners and bedding are often extra.
Here's what six RYA training centres list on their own websites (checked November 2026):
| School | Base | Price (per person) | Days | Live-aboard & food? | Source (checked Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rubicon 3 | Solent (start marina varies) | £699 | 5, or two weekends | Live aboard. All meals on board, mooring fees and oilskins included; two dinners ashore extra | rubicon3adventure.com |
| Prometheus Sailing (Sunsail's UK school) | Port Solent, Portsmouth | £735 (Dec–Mar) / £785 (Apr–Nov); 2+3-day split £750 / £800 | 5, or 2+3 | Live aboard. Breakfast and lunch included; dinners, marina fees (about £10–15 a night) and bedding not | sunsail.com |
| Hamble School of Yachting | Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble | £760–£825 (£995 at 3:1 ratio); weekend formats £835–£989 | 5, or weekends | Live aboard. Food included except joining night; budget about £20 for mooring fees | hamble.co.uk |
| First Class Sailing | Shamrock Quay, Southampton | from £797 | 5, or two weekends | Live aboard. All meals except joining-night supper; marina fees extra (about £40 for the week); waterproofs provided | firstclasssailing.com |
| UKSA | West Cowes, Isle of Wight | from £810 | 5 | Residential. All food and accommodation included | uksa.org |
| Palma Sea School | Marina Naviera, Palma de Mallorca | €995–€1,395 by berth (saloon, shared or private cabin); the page header shows up to €1,990, so confirm when booking | 5 | Live aboard a Bavaria 46. Bedding, basic breakfasts and lunches plus two dinners included; nights in other marinas shared | palmaseaschool.com |
Before you book:
- "From" prices are the cheapest date. Summer and smaller-ratio courses cost more.
- Ask exactly what's included: marina fees, evening meals, waterproofs, bedding and the RYA logbook. Marina fees alone run from nothing to about £60 for the week at the UK schools above.
- Berth type matters. The cheapest place is often a saloon berth or a shared cabin with someone you've just met. That's normal, and good practice for crew life.
Most UK Competent Crew courses start and finish at a Solent marina like this one. Nights at other marinas along the way are where the mooring fees come from. Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Should you do Competent Crew or Day Skipper first?
If you've never sailed, start with Competent Crew. If you already sail dinghies or have a week or two on yachts, you can usually go straight to Day Skipper.
Day Skipper is the next rung up. It teaches you to skipper a yacht in familiar waters by day, in two parts: theory (navigation, tides, weather, often done online) and a practical week. The RYA's Day Skipper practical page asks for basic sailing ability and 5 days, 100 miles and 4 night hours on a sailing yacht. A Competent Crew week often covers most of that, which is why many people do the two back to back.
A sensible order for a complete beginner:
- Competent Crew (or Start Yachting, then a shortened Competent Crew)
- Day Skipper theory
- Day Skipper practical
- Coastal Skipper, then Yachtmaster once you've built the sea miles
Do you need a Competent Crew course to work on a superyacht?
No. Competent Crew isn't required for any superyacht job. The mandatory tickets are STCW Basic Safety Training and an ENG1 medical, and without both you can't legally work on a commercial yacht at all.
Where it does help:
- Sailing yachts. On a sailing superyacht, a deckhand who knows a sheet from a halyard, can helm and understands why the boat heels is easier to train. Sailing-yacht captains notice that on a CV.
- Confidence on deck. A week living aboard a small boat teaches you watches, tight spaces and seasickness before you're doing it for a paycheck.
- The first rung of a ladder. Competent Crew leads to Day Skipper and on to Yachtmaster, which matters if you want to become a mate or captain one day.
But if you're spending limited money on your first junior deckhand job, RYA Powerboat Level 2 comes up far more often in deck job ads, because most yachts run tenders and deckhands drive them. A VHF/SRC radio course is another cheap, useful add-on. Put STCW and ENG1 first, then Powerboat Level 2, then Competent Crew if you're aiming at sailing yachts or love sailing anyway.
For the full picture, read how to break into the superyacht industry. Once you've got your STCW, ENG1 and a CV, you can sign up free on Radius so captains and recruiters looking for crew can find you.
What should you bring on a Competent Crew course?
Schools send a full kit list with your joining instructions, but expect to pack:
- A soft holdall, not a suitcase. There's nowhere to stow a hard case.
- Sleeping bag, pillow and towel (some schools supply bedding, most don't).
- Warm layers: thermals, fleece, hat, gloves. It's cold on the water even in a British summer.
- Non-marking deck shoes or trainers, plus sailing boots if you have them.
- Sun cream and sunglasses.
- Seasickness tablets if you're prone to it. Start them before you leave the marina.
- Wash kit and a little cash for evenings ashore.
Most schools lend waterproofs and lifejackets, but check, because some charge to hire them.
Training yachts are small and storage is tight, which is why schools ask for a soft holdall. Photo: W.carter, public domain (CC0).
Competent Crew course: FAQs
Is the Competent Crew course worth it?
Yes, if you want to sail for fun or you're aiming at sailing yachts. For a first deck job on a motor yacht, Powerboat Level 2 is better value.
Does the Competent Crew certificate expire?
No. RYA course completion certificates don't expire, so it stays on your CV for good.
Do you need a minimum number of miles or nights?
Not for Competent Crew itself. Log your miles and night hours in an RYA logbook anyway, because they count towards the Day Skipper practical.
Can you do Competent Crew over weekends?
Yes. Hamble School of Yachting, First Class Sailing, Rubicon 3 and Prometheus all offer split or weekend formats.
What's the minimum age?
The RYA recommends 12. Most schools only take under-18s with a parent or as part of a family or group booking.
What if I get seasick?
Lots of people do on day one. Seasickness is part of the syllabus, and tablets taken before you sail help most people.