The Competent Crew course offers students the training to
become a safe and valuable member of a yachts crew. After
successfully completing the course students will be awarded an RYA certificate.

These courses are run over five days and four nights, anchoring every night in one of the glorious anchorages found around the Whitsunday Islands. All meals and linen are provided for the duration of the course.

Course times are Thursday 0900 hours to Monday 1600 hours.

The course syllabus is as follows:

• Knowledge of Sea Terms and the Boat including:
  Knowledge of sea terms.
  Knowledge of the parts of a boat.
  Knowledge of the rigging and sails.
  Knowledge that allows an understanding of orders given concerning sailing and the running of the boat.

• Sail Handling including:
  Understands how to bend on, set, reef and handle sails
  Understands the use of sheets, halyards and associated winches.

• Rope Work including:
  The ability to tie a figure of eight, a bowline and a round turn and 2 half hitches, clove hitch, reef knot, single sheet bend and double sheet bend.
  Knowledge of handling ropes including coiling, stowing, securing to cleats, single and double bollards.
  Knowledge of handling warps.

•  Fire Precautions and Fighting including:
  Knowledge of the hazards of fire and the precautions required to prevent fire.
  Knowledge of the action to be taken in the event of a fire

•  Rules of the road including:
  Understands how to keep an efficient look out at sea.
  Basic knowledge of rules.

•  Meteorology including:
  Knowledge of where to obtain a weather forecast.
  Knowledge of the Beaufort Scale.

•  Man Over-Board Recovery including:
  An understanding of the action to be taken to recover a man over-board.

•  Clothing and Equipment including:
  Understands and can comply with the rules for wearing safety harnesses, lifejackets and personal buoyancy aids.

•  Emergency Equipment and Precautions including:
  Understands the hazards on board a yacht.
  Understands the actions to be taken in the event of an emergency.
  Can operate distress flares and when to use them.
  Understands how to launch and board a life raft.

•  Manners and Customs including:
  Understands accepted practice regarding: use of burgees & ensigns, prevention of unnecessary noise, wash or disturbance in harbour .
  Knowledge of the responsibility of skippers to protect the environment.

•  Dinghies including:
  Understands and complies with the loading rules.
  Is able to handle a dingy under oars.

•  Helmsmanship and Sailing including:
  Understands the basic principles of sailing.
  Is able to steer and trim sails on all points of sailing.
  Can steer a compass course under sail and power.

•  General Duties including:
  Is able to carry out general duties on deck and below deck in connection with the daily routine of the vessel.