Example itineraries of 5 day and weekend Competent Crew courses

Monday

• 09.00h Arrive at Amsterdam
• 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
• 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 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. 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 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 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 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 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. 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 Amsterdam practising all aspects
• 1200 Early lunch on mooring buoy
• 1500 Arrive back at Amsterdam
• Clean up yacht  followed by debrief and issue of certificates
• 1600 Depart Amsterdam

Competent Crew course over weekend – note 3 weekends required

FRIDAY

• 20.00h Arrive at Amsterdam
• 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 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  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 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 Amsterdam learning the basic collision regulations on route
• Clean up yacht followed by debrief and issue of certificates
• 1600 Depart Amsterdam