The Competent Crew Course is one of the useful marine practical courses for beginners, designed by the RYA. This course mainly focuses on equipping candidates with basic sailing-related abilities, such as steering, managing sail, rowing, keeping a lookout, and miscellaneous assistance with day-to-day tasks onboard. In this article, we will talk about taking a competent crew course in Cape Town and what you can expect from it.
The Competent Crew Course – Who can take it?
This is one of the absolute beginner courses that anybody can take. In fact, this course would make the best choice for someone who wants to understand what working on a boat may feel like. The only requirement you have is the minimum age of 12. If you are 12 and above, you are good to take this course; no prior knowledge is required whatsoever.
This course is practical in nature, meaning you will be have to on the vessel all the time for the whole duration of this course. The total duration is of five days, which you can divide into two consecutive weekends (2 days one weekend, and 3 days the other). Or you can just take this course for five days straight. The total sailing done during this course is about 100 miles, give or take. Also includes four hours of night sailing.
What are the contents of the Competent Crew Course?
As mentioned previously, the course is supposed to give you the most basic knowledge regarding sea service and handling a boat (such as a dinghy or a smaller vessel).
In this course, you will learn the basic day-to-day tasks, including how to handle sails, steer the vessel, and keep a watch.
If you are brand new to the industry wanting to get a taste of what it is like to work, this course is excellent for you. According to some experts in the industry, this course is a must for all newcomers. However, there are other ways to begin your career in the marine industry.
Who should take this course?
As answered previously, anyone can take the course. It’s a beginner course that can be a great introductory course for you or a refresher course in case you want to rekindle the sea-going adventurer within you.
However, we’ve already covered that, right? However, this course holds a special place for those who wish to enrol on the superyacht industry or Yachtmaster courses. Along with the deckhand/stewardess course, this course will prove to be useful for you in the long run.
Competent Crew Course in Cape Town
The competent crew course is an RYA course. That means any RYA-accredited marine institution should be able to teach you this course in Cape Town. This is where we, Sail and Power SA come into the picture.
Sail and Power SA is an RYA-accredited and SAMSA-recognised marine training institution in Cape Town, South Africa. We provide complete training with our Competent Crew Course with extensive teaching and supervision by our industry veteran team.
What’s next?
Done with the competent crew course? Don’t worry, you are just getting started. How about starting by getting a skipper’s license? South Africa has been blessed with the Atlantic and Indian oceans and a lot of beautiful inland waterbodies.
You can get a skipper’s license, and upgrade it further as you like. Or you can even enrol on the deckhand or stewardess course and begin your career journey working on a yacht.
Conclusion
The RYA Competent Crew course in Cape Town is not only a great beginner course, but it can also give you actual sea-time due to its practical nature. It is a great course to learn the ropes of handling a vessel and other sea service-related tasks. It is also a great all-around beginner’s course for your children of age 12 and above, to introduce them to the wonders of watersports.
If this piques your interest, your heart is in the right place. How about you give us a call for more information and allow us to take it from there? We look forward to hearing from you soon.