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intikee · 27-02-2022, 02:22

We're completely new to sailing and would like to learn what all these ropes etc are for, so we're looking at the RYA Competent Crew course.

We live in Europe so we'd like to train there (preferably somewhere sunny and warm).

The prices for 5 days and 4 (or sometimes 5?) nights seems to be around 700--800 EUR anywhere I've looked. The lowest was 500 EUR in Poland and in Romania.

I suppose the course's contents and learning outcomes are the same for a given course no matter where you take it. Is the learning boat's size also mandated by the course or is it up to the course center?

For context, we live in the mountains right now in a country with no sea; so we'd have to travel someplace for the course anyway. We're exploring the idea of getting a 40--50ft sailboat down the line and eventually go cruising around the world if it turns out we enjoy it.

Are there any centers fellow members can recommend for our first ever sailing course?

Thanks!

**GordMay** · 27-02-2022, 04:41

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, intikee.

intikee · 27-02-2022, 05:13

Thank you!

Dogscout · 27-02-2022, 06:37

Costa Blanca Sailing in Alicante Spain. Walter and Mike are the best. Go for the full RYA day skipper in one shot.
https://www.costablancasailing.co.uk/

grantmc · 27-02-2022, 06:51

Welcome to CF and I hope you enjoy the experience. RYA is a brand that originated in the UK. It has turned in to a money making franchise corporation. It's based on the concept that people will sign up for their first course and then get 'sold' on retuning again and again for more advanced courses and to gain more experience. RYA courses are great for theory like navigation, rules of the road etc.

In respect to practical courses, in my view, most Clubs provide a better course for far less cost. They're not motivated by getting 'clients' as a revenue stream. Club courses typically also open up opportunities to sail with members on their own boats. You might be able to find something suitable locally here: SUI Sailing

And to gain experience and competence, get yourself a trailer sailer you can use in local lakes. Sailing is like all sports, So repetition gives rise to competence and understanding so practice, practice, practice. You'll make friends with like minded people.

The idea that you can have a nice holiday and learn sailing in a week or so is just that, a nice holiday and you will learn the basics. But beware 90% of people that learn to sail never go sailing again. Why? Many answers, lack of a boat is a big limiting factor.

intikee · 27-02-2022, 06:52

Thanks. Don’t I need the competent crew before the day skipper? It requires 5 days/100 miles at sea and 4h at night. I currently have a big fat 0 in all these areas. Or is the day skipper a superset of the the competent crew? They’re the same price too.

intikee · 27-02-2022, 06:55

We were thinking going with RYA or ASA would help if we ever needed to charter a boat in the future or get insurance on our own future boat. Since it’s a known quantity, I suppose it’s more readily recognized than “some school’s homebrew program”. Not saying these are bad, only about credential recognition. They sure are much cheaper though (at least half the cost from what I saw)

Dogscout · 27-02-2022, 12:52

You can do the Competent Crew and Day Skipper in one shot. https://www.costablancasailing.co.uk...undle-courses/

In the end you will have the RYA Day Skipper and can pick up a ICC card. The ICC is great for chartering in the Med. I have no commercial interest in Walter's business I'm just a satisfied customer.

goeasy123 · 27-02-2022, 13:46

This is what me and the wife did.... and what we learned.

First, we did a one week skippered charter in the Ionian. We then completed a 5 day RYA Day Skipper (DS) course in tidal waters and converted that to an ICC. We also did the RYA VHF SRO qualification. We did the theory sections of both courses on-line. Wherever you do your DS, do it in tidal waters. The qualification carries more weight when you bare-boat charter. The Med is not tidal. the rest of the European coast is. You mention 'warm and sunny'. Try the Algarve or Gibraltar.

We then joined the Cruising Association and the UK's Civil Service Sailing Club and used their crewing services to get 3 weeks of free and friendly time on experienced cruisers boats. After that we did a self sail flotilla week in the Ionian immediately followed by a week bare boat around the same route.... on the same boat.

We bought a 40ft blue water boat in Lymington and set sail across the Channel to start a very slow circumnavigation.

Prior to this we had no sailing experience.

In summary: You should get an ICC and VHF SRO license. These allow you to bare-boat charter and sail your own boat almost anywhere.

After the DS practical you won't learn much sailing in and out of a marina for a day. It's better (and more fun) to passage make and spend days at a time crewing on other peoples boats. We found the CA excellent for that.

The Comp Crew isn't worth considering. It doesn't add any value.

goboatingnow · 27-02-2022, 15:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by grantmc

Welcome to CF and I hope you enjoy the experience. RYA is a brand that originated in the UK. It has turned in to a money making franchise corporation. It's based on the concept that people will sign up for their first course and then get 'sold' on retuning again and again for more advanced courses and to gain more experience. RYA courses are great for theory like navigation, rules of the road etc.

In respect to practical courses, in my view, most Clubs provide a better course for far less cost. They're not motivated by getting 'clients' as a revenue stream. Club courses typically also open up opportunities to sail with members on their own boats. You might be able to find something suitable locally here: SUI Sailing

And to gain experience and competence, get yourself a trailer sailer you can use in local lakes. Sailing is like all sports, So repetition gives rise to competence and understanding so practice, practice, practice. You'll make friends with like minded people.

The idea that you can have a nice holiday and learn sailing in a week or so is just that, a nice holiday and you will learn the basics. But beware 90% of people that learn to sail never go sailing again. Why? Many answers, lack of a boat is a big limiting factor.

The RYA make comparatively little revenue from its training activities. They cover the costs of training materials and so forth. The main financial beneficiaries are the schools themselves. The RYA makes most of its income from its members subscriptions.

The RYA is by far the worlds most recognised pleasure and semi commercial sail and power training and certification body. It’s yachtmaster offshore has huge recognition world and presents the pinnacle of leisure certification.

As a RYA instructor , I don’t now where you pulled that 90 % out of. We are not talking about shorebased courses here , we are talking about on water courses. Most people that do on water courses tend to have very specific goals , partners of sailors seeking more skills , beginners looking for charter tickets , experienced skippers looking to cement their knowledge and acquire suitable accreditation

If you like warm weather sailing , Jim grey in canary club sail on la gomera runs a tight ship and is RYA accredited. Several RYA schools in the Ionian and Spain also

Uricanejack · 01-03-2022, 16:33

I guess you could got to any RYA school. Or.

If you are Swiss, why not get a Swiss Sea License? Which is a Swiss ICC. Which will give you an internationally recognized certificate you can use.
There is a Swiss Cruising Club who do courses. Cruising Club Suisse(CSS)

Voile Evasion have also have partnered with RYA schools all over Europe. Listing Greece South Of France Corsica as places where RYA partners can offer both RYA and Sea License.

Might be worth while contacting them. I don’t know anything about them just came up on google for Swiss ICC.

Google ICC got me the international criminal court.

You want the International Cruising Certificate which google tells me in Switzerland is the Sea Licence.

intikee · 01-03-2022, 23:31

Thanks. I’d rather go abroad because the cost of the program in Switzerland is as much or more than the cost travel + training in an abroad facility. So why not also make a vacation out of it.

Time2Go · 02-03-2022, 05:41

Shearwater Sailing School in the UK
Do theory first, either on-line or in classroom
First rate and sailing the English Channel is top flight training

Tudorsailor · 02-03-2022, 07:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by intikee

We're completely new to sailing and would like to learn what all these ropes etc are for, so we're looking at the RYA Competent Crew course.

We live in Europe so we'd like to train there (preferably somewhere sunny and warm).

The prices for 5 days and 4 (or sometimes 5?) nights seems to be around 700--800 EUR anywhere I've looked. The lowest was 500 EUR in Poland and in Romania.

I suppose the course's contents and learning outcomes are the same for a given course no matter where you take it. Is the learning boat's size also mandated by the course or is it up to the course center?

For context, we live in the mountains right now in a country with no sea; so we'd have to travel someplace for the course anyway. We're exploring the idea of getting a 40--50ft sailboat down the line and eventually go cruising around the world if it turns out we enjoy it.

Are there any centers fellow members can recommend for our first ever sailing course?

Thanks!

I would recommend doing Day Skipper in the Canaries. Lots of wind and warm too. Tidal certificate. Friends recommend Canary Sail

TS