Example itineraries of 5 day and weekend Competent Crew courses

MONDAY

  • 0900 Arrive at Hamble and check in at the school reception building.
  • Receive wet weather gear and pillows if required. Meet the instructor, collect food and move onto the yacht.
  • Stowe away all provisioning and personal kit
  • Instructor's safety briefing and yacht familiarisation talk
  • Recap safety procedures on deck. Introduction to deck gear, ropes and rigging and various parts of the yacht
  • Engine start controls and rigging/slipping of mooring lines and fenders
  • Slip mooring and motor down the River Hamble giving everyone a chance to steer the yacht under power
  • Practice coming alongside and leaving various pontoons with everyone rotating jobs
  • Short sail to an anchorage or mooring buoy giving everyone the chance to raise sails and control them using the sheets
  • 1300 Lunch at a mooring buoy or anchorage. Discuss the use of liferafts
  • Practice the basic points of sail with each person having the opportunity to helm or control sheets
  • Practice putting in and shaking out reefs
  • Practice headsail changes or furling
  • Sail to overnight destination practising what a crew member should do in the event of a Man Overboard situation
  • 1830 Enter a new harbour in the Solent and moor up. Stow sails and tidy up on and below deck
  • 1900 Debrief on day's events whilst dinner is cooking in oven
  • 2000 Supper followed by a trip ashore to a local pub

TUESDAY

  • 0800 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
  • 1000 Prepare the yacht for sea and undertake a passage to an anchorage for lunch. On route each crew member will experience helming the yacht on different points of sail
  • Learn how to tie the basic 6 knots used by sailors and when they are used
  • Prepare to enter anchorage. Learn how to prepare the anchor and foredeck in anticipation of arrival
  • 1400 Lunch at anchor
  • Set sail for evening destination learning the basic collision regulations on route
  • 1730 Arrive at a new harbour in the Solent and prepare supper
  • Debrief the day's events
  • 1900 Depart for night sail exercise which will familiarise each crew member with light characteristics of buoyage and ships and additional safety procedures needed at night
  • 2300 Arrive at destination

WEDNESDAY

  • 0900 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
  • 1030 Carry out some more manoeuvring under power using pontoons and mooring buoys
  • 1200 Lunch at nearby mooring buoy
  • 1300 Depart mooring buoy for sail to evening destination. Practice tacking, gybing and general sail trim on route
  • Practice steering a compass course and maintaining a lookout
  • 1700 Arrive at new harbour and learn how to secure to a town wall. General discussion about emergency procedures
  • 1830 Dinghy rowing drills followed by debrief on the days events
  • 1930 Supper followed by a trip ashore

THURSDAY

  • 0800 Showers ashore, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
  • 1000 Practice pile moorings in harbour
  • 1130 Set sail for lunch time destination practicing Man Overboard on route. Practice taking sights with the hand bearing compass and keeping a look out
  • 1330 Lunch at anchor
  • 1500 Depart for evening destination with discussion on route about weather and some more information on collision regulations
  • 1900 Arrive at destination and anchor for the night
  • Supper followed by row ashore

FRIDAY

  • 0900 Wash onboard, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
  • 1000 Sail back to Hamble practising all aspects
  • 1200 Early lunch on mooring buoy
  • 1500 Arrive back at Hamble
  • Clean up yacht, return wet weather gear followed by debrief and issue of certificates
  • 1600 Depart Hamble

Competent Crew course over weekend - note 3 weekends required

FRIDAY

  • 1830h Arrive at Hamble and check in at school reception cabin
  • Receive wet weather gear, sleeping bags and pillows if required. Meet the instructor, collect food and move onto the yacht to settle in
  • Stowe away all provisioning and personal kit
  • Instructor's safety briefing and yacht familiarisation talk
  • If the weather is good and everybody is on time you will set sail for a short trip to a nearby harbour such as Cowes or Southampton otherwise go ashore for evening meal and drink. A good chance to break the ice and have a relaxing evening before setting sail the next day. It's a good idea to have a late afternoon snack before coming down as you may not be eating until later on the first evening

SATURDAY

  • 0800 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
  • Recap safety procedures on deck. Introduction to deck gear, ropes and rigging and various parts of the yacht
  • Engine start controls and rigging/slipping of mooring lines and fenders
  • Slip mooring and motor down the river giving everyone a chance to steer the yacht under power
  • Practice coming alongside and leaving various pontoons with everyone rotating jobs
  • Short sail to an anchorage or mooring buoy giving everyone the chance to raise sails and control them using the sheets
  • 1300 Lunch at a mooring buoy or anchorage. Discuss the use of liferafts
  • Practice the basic points of sail with each person having the opportunity to helm or control sheets
  • Practice putting in and shaking out reefs
  • Practice headsail changes or furling
  • Sail to overnight destination practising what a crew member should do in the event of a Man Overboard situation
  • 1830 Enter a new harbour in the Solent and moor up. Stow sails and tidy up on and below deck
  • 1900 Debrief on day's events whilst dinner is cooking in oven
  • 2000 Supper followed by a trip ashore to a local pub

SUNDAY

  • 0800 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
  • 0900 Prepare the yacht for sea and undertake a passage to an anchorage for lunch. On route each crew member will experience helming the yacht on different points of sail
  • Learn how to tie the basic 6 knots used by sailors and when they are used
  • Prepare to enter anchorage. Learn how to prepare the anchor and foredeck in anticipation of arrival
  • 1200 Lunch at anchor
  • Set sail for Hamble learning the basic collision regulations on route
  • Clean up yacht, return wet weather gear followed by debrief and issue of certificates
  • 1600 Depart Hamble

Please note: All course itineraries are examples and do not form any part of the contract

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