Competent crew and Day skipper – what is involved?

A question we regularly get asked is what is involved in the Competent Crew or Day Skipper course? Or am I ready to take part in one of the above courses?

To answer these questions it is best to have an understanding what each course covers. Competent Crew is a course for those who haven’t sailed on yachts or very little. It is all about getting comfortable on board and learning the fundamentals well so you have a good understanding of what is going on and can be a useful member of the crew.

The Day Skipper course is a higher level and this is for someone who is already a useful member of the crew, who has done a little bit of navigation and theory already and wants to have the skills so they can safely take charge of a boat in favourable weather and keep those on board safe. It also teaches the skills required so that if you are delayed and end up getting caught out in the dark or if some weather comes in you have the skills required to get yourself safely to harbour.

Both of these courses are taught as a 5 day course on board our yacht InTuition from Largs. This course stays fairly local and allows you to enjoy the beautiful Firth of Clyde. There is a good chance of a visit to Arran, a trip through the Kyles of Bute and also up Loch Fyne during the week but the route taken will depend upon the weather forecast.

There will always be a night time element to the course. This is planned on an evening with fair weather and allows the students an opportunity to get their eye in and experience sailing at night for a short passage and a harbour entry. This is often the highlight of the course for many.

The other element that will always be included in this course is spending some time on anchor. Being able to navigate into a marina and berth up are important skills but so is the art of anchoring. Being on an anchor or mooring for the night allows students to experience the remoteness of some of Scotland’s most secluded anchorages. The course will be planned so that nights at anchor and nights in marina are spread out so that gaps between showers are never too long.

People often don’t realise that Competent Crew and Day Skipper can be done together. In fact, this work better. When learning to skipper a boat you need crew onboard to pull the ropes, helm the yacht and help with the boats chores. Likewise, when learning the ropes you need someone give the orders. This is therefore a perfect course to bring a friend on. Even if they have done more or less sailing than you, you can both work at your own levels and enjoy some of the best sailing in the world on Scotland’s beautiful West coast.