Short answer: If you’ve never sailed before, start with RYA Competent Crew. If you’ve already got some time on the water and want to skipper your own boat, go straight to RYA Day Skipper. Not sure which camp you fall into? Read on — we’ll walk you through both courses so you can choose with confidence.
What Is the RYA Competent Crew Course?
The RYA Competent Crew course is designed for complete beginners — people who have little or no sailing experience and want to get their first real taste of life on the water. Over seven days liveaboard in the Greek islands, you’ll learn how a yacht works, how to handle sails, take the helm, keep watch, and become a useful and confident member of a sailing crew.
You won’t be expected to navigate or take charge of the boat — that’s not the point of this course. The goal is to make you competent, safe, and enjoyable to sail with. By the end of the week, you’ll have the foundations that every good sailor builds on.
What you’ll learn on Competent Crew:
- How to handle sails and control the boat under sail and engine
- Basic rope work: knots, cleating, coiling, winch handling
- Watchkeeping, lookout duties, and crew safety awareness
- Man overboard procedures
- Introduction to navigation, charts, and the Rule of the Road
- Anchoring and basic harbour manoeuvres
- Living and working on a liveaboard yacht for a week
No prior experience required. No theory exam. Assessment is practical and continuous throughout the week.
What Is the RYA Day Skipper Course?
The RYA Day Skipper is the first qualification that puts you in command. It certifies you to skipper a yacht on short coastal passages in familiar waters, by day. That’s a meaningful step — it’s the qualification most charter companies and sailing clubs recognise as the entry point for independent sailing.
The practical course is also seven days liveaboard, but the expectations are significantly higher. You’ll be expected to plan and execute passages, navigate using charts and instruments, make decisions under pressure, and lead your crew through a range of conditions and manoeuvres. The Day Skipper practical course assumes you already have a basic grounding in sailing — either from a Competent Crew course or from equivalent time on the water.
Note: To sit the Day Skipper practical, RYA also strongly recommends completing the Day Skipper Shorebased Theory course beforehand. We can advise you on timing.
What you’ll learn on Day Skipper:
- Passage planning: tides, weather, waypoints, contingencies
- Chart work and navigation to skipper level
- Pilotage: entering and leaving harbours, marina berthing
- Skippering a crew: briefings, watch systems, decision-making
- Night sailing (at least one overnight passage)
- Emergency procedures: fire, flooding, man overboard as skipper
- Meteorology: reading forecasts and responding to changing weather
Side-by-Side Comparison
| RYA Competent Crew | RYA Day Skipper | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Complete beginners with little or no sailing experience | Sailors with some experience who want to skipper a yacht |
| Duration | 7 days liveaboard | 7 days liveaboard |
| Role on the boat | Crew member under instruction | Skipper in command, with instructor guidance |
| Theory requirement | None | Day Skipper Shorebased Theory recommended beforehand |
| Night sailing | Not required | At least one overnight passage included |
| Assessment | Continuous practical, no exam | Continuous practical, no exam |
| What it qualifies you to do | Sail as a competent crew member on any yacht | Skipper a yacht on short coastal passages by day |
| Recognised by charter companies? | As crew, not as skipper | Yes — widely recognised for bareboat charter |
| Next step up | Day Skipper | Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster |
| Price (from) | €1,350 p.p. | €1,350 p.p. |
Which Course Is Right for You?
Here’s a simple way to decide:
Start with RYA Competent Crew if…
- You’ve never sailed before (or only been a passenger)
- You want to try sailing seriously before committing to a full qualification
- You’re planning to sail regularly as crew and don’t need to skipper yet
- You want to build confidence and vocabulary before taking on more responsibility
Go straight to RYA Day Skipper if…
- You’ve already completed a Competent Crew course (or equivalent)
- You have at least 5–10 days of sailing experience and can handle basic manoeuvres
- Your goal is to charter a yacht independently or skipper your own boat
- You want the qualification that opens the door to the next steps on the RYA ladder
What if you’re somewhere in between?
Many of our students arrive with a few sailing holidays under their belt — some dinghy experience, a flotilla or two, or weekends crewing for a friend. That experience counts, but the question is whether it’s enough to hit the ground running at Day Skipper level. The honest answer: it depends on how much you were actually involved in sailing the boat, not just enjoying the view from the cockpit.
If you’re unsure, the best thing you can do is have a conversation with us. A quick 20-minute chat is usually all it takes to work out exactly where you should start.
Can You Do Both Courses Back to Back?
Yes — and some students choose to do exactly that. Completing Competent Crew in one week and Day Skipper the following week is a fast-track route from zero experience to skipper qualification in a fortnight. It’s intensive, but the Aegean is a very good place to absorb a lot of sailing very quickly.
If that’s something you’re considering, talk to us first. We can advise on realistic expectations, theory preparation, and how to get the most out of both weeks.
Why Train in Greece?
Both courses take place liveaboard in the Saronic Gulf and Aegean Sea, operating out of Alimos Marina in Athens. You’ll sail between islands, anchor in secluded bays, and spend evenings in traditional harbour villages. The sailing conditions in Greece — reliable summer winds, sheltered anchorages, moderate swell, and long days — make it one of the best training environments in the world.
At Seven Seas, we keep groups small — a maximum of five students per yacht — so you get real time at the helm and genuine progression, not just observer hours. Every course is run by qualified RYA instructors with deep knowledge of the local waters.
Still Not Sure? Let’s Talk.
Choosing the right starting point makes a real difference to how much you get out of your week on the water. If you’re weighing up Competent Crew vs Day Skipper — or wondering whether your existing experience is enough — book a free 1:1 video chat with one of our team members. We’ll ask you a few questions, give you an honest recommendation, and answer anything else on your mind.
No pressure, no sales pitch. Just good advice from people who sail for a living.
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