13 Days to Go

admin Date , April 4, 2026 Sailing

What Does ‘Competent Crew’ Actually Mean?

With just under two weeks to go before Croatia, I thought it might be a good idea to work out what I’m actually supposed to be competent at… Because at the moment, I’m very competent at:
Making tea
Pointing at things I don’t understand
Looking confident while quietly panicking
Apparently, the Royal Yachting Association has slightly higher expectations.

So… what is “Competent Crew”?

The Competent Crew course is designed to turn you from:
“Passenger with enthusiasm”
into
“Useful human being on a yacht” You’re not expected to skipper the boat — thankfully — but you are expected to help make it sail properly and safely.

The Core Skills (That I’m Hoping to Master…)

Knots (Yes… they matter) You’ll need to tie a few properly — not just “that one that sort of works”. Expect things like:
Bowline
Clove hitch
Figure of eight
(And yes, I’ve written about these here)
Because nothing says “novice” like a knot that comes undone at the wrong moment…

Steering (Without zig-zagging like a drunk duck)

Helming a yacht is very different from a dinghy:
Slower response
Bigger consequences
More people watching
Keeping a steady course will be… interesting.

Sail Handling (Pull this… but not too much)

You’ll be expected to:
Hoist sails
Trim sails
Tidy ropes (apparently this matters a lot)
Timing is everything — something I’ve already discovered when messing up the jib on the Thames.

Living Onboard (The bit no one warns you about)

This is where it gets real. You’ll learn:
How to cook without launching the frying pan
How to sleep while the boat creaks
How to use a marine toilet without becoming that person
This might be the hardest part of the course…

So… will I be “Competent”?

By the end of the week, I should:
Know what’s going on
Be able to help properly
Not get in the way (as much)
Which, to be fair, is a solid upgrade.

Final Thought

“Competent Crew” doesn’t mean perfect. It just means:
You’re someone others are happy to have onboard. I’m aiming for that. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

Follow the Journey

I’ll be documenting everything: The learning
The mistakes (there will be many)
The successes (hopefully at least one)
And what it’s really like to learn to sail at 65+
📍 Follow along at: https://pmrsailing.uk
🎥 And on YouTube as the adventure unfolds