5-Day RYA Competent Crew Course on the Solent

Spend five days learning essential sailing skills while living and working on a cruising yacht. This course introduces beginners to seamanship, helming, sail handling, safety, and life on board. Sailing around the Solent and South Coast harbours, you’ll gain confidence while enjoying a week immersed in the routines of yacht life.

⛵ Key Details

• Duration: 5 days and 4 nights
• Skill level: Beginner
• Group size: 2-4 participants
• Location: Solent and surrounding harbours
• Training onboard: Live-aboard yacht

🧭 Key Skills

• Understanding boat terminology and rigging
• Sail handling, trimming, and reefing
• Helming a cruising yacht
• Ropework and knot tying (figure-of-eight, bowline, clove hitch, sheet bend, reef knot)
• Personal safety, man overboard, and emergency procedures

📖 What to Expect

The course begins with an onboard safety briefing and familiarisation with the yacht’s layout. You’ll learn about the parts of the boat, ropework, sail handling, and helming techniques before taking these skills onto the water. Daily tasks are structured to give you hands-on experience while sailing in the Solent.

Each day, you’ll practise manoeuvres, docking, anchoring, and lookout duties, with guidance from the instructor at every stage. Weather and tides determine the route, giving experience across different conditions and harbours. Evenings are spent in marinas or quiet anchorages, allowing time to rest and consolidate skills.

Living and sleeping on board provides a practical understanding of the interior workings and domestic routines of a yacht. By the end of the course, you’ll be capable of taking part in general duties, handling sails and ropes, steering under sail and power, and contributing meaningfully as a member of the crew.

📍 Location

The course sails from Port Hamble Marina in Hamble Village, located on the northern edge of the Solent. This area offers sheltered waters, consistent winds, and a variety of tidal conditions ideal for beginners.

You’ll visit a mix of harbours and anchorages, including Cowes, Yarmouth, Beaulieu River, Lymington, The Needles & Alum Bay, Newtown Creek, Portsmouth, Wooton Creek, Osbourne Bay, Langstone Harbour, and Chichester Harbour. Each location offers opportunities to practise manoeuvring, mooring, and anchoring while enjoying the scenic Solent and South Coast waters.

🛏️ Accommodation

Accommodation is provided on board the yacht for the full five nights. The yachts used are Cougar and Panther, Reflex 38’s, which sleep up to 8 but carry a maximum of 5 students plus the instructor. Sleeping arrangements are in basic but comfortable bunk style cabins, with access to a functional galley, sink, toilet, and shower.

If travelling from afar, it may be advisable to arrange accommodation the night before or after the course. Onboard accommodation allows you to live the routines of sailing fully, from watchkeeping to meal preparation, giving a real feel for life on a cruising yacht.

⚓ Prerequisites

No prior sailing experience is required, though some familiarity with yachts or dinghies can be helpful. Participants should have a reasonable level of fitness and be confident in water.

You must be prepared to live aboard a yacht in close quarters, take part in daily sailing and domestic tasks, and work as part of a team to manage the boat safely and efficiently.

🌊 Why Choose Us

We are all about creating memorable sailing experiences that can be shared with a growing community of seafaring adventurers. Our focus is on practical, hands-on learning in a friendly environment, so you gain real skills that last rather than just short-term theory. We help sailors build confidence from the ground up, whether that’s learning knots, helming for the first time, or contributing as a crew member.

With over a decade of teaching and racing experience, our instructors bring real-world insight from sailing across the UK, Channel Islands, France, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Malta, Turkey, and the Caribbean. They thrive on helping students overcome fears, develop competence, and become capable, confident crew members. The team is committed to making sailing approachable, social, and rewarding, giving you the skills and confidence to enjoy life on the water safely.