Course comparison
Day Skipper vs Competent Crew — Which Course?
Published · Last checked October 2026
Competent Crew is for people who want to be useful crew; Day Skipper is for people who want to be in charge. Competent Crew is a 5-day practical course with no prerequisites, aimed at complete beginners. Day Skipper practical is also about 5 days, but the RYA expects you to arrive with basic sailing ability, at least 5 days, 100 miles and 4 night hours on a sailing yacht, and navigation knowledge to Day Skipper theory level. If you have never sailed, start with Competent Crew. If you have that experience, go to Day Skipper.
At a glance: Competent Crew vs Day Skipper
| Competent Crew (practical) | Day Skipper (practical, sail) | |
|---|---|---|
| Role you are trained for | Active crew member | Skipper of a 30–45ft yacht on day trips in familiar waters |
| Length | 5 days, often 3 weekends or 3 days + a weekend | 5 days, 3 weekends, or 3 days + 2 days |
| Prerequisites | None | Basic sailing ability; 5 days, 100 miles and 4 night hours aboard a sailing yacht |
| Theory expected | None | Navigation and theory to Day Skipper shorebased level |
| Age | Recommended age 12 | Minimum age 16 |
| Assessment | Continuous, on board | Continuous, on board; no separate exam |
| Leads to | Day Skipper (theory and practical) | Coastal Skipper, then Yachtmaster exams |
What Competent Crew covers
The RYA calls Competent Crew “the essential starting point” for its cruising scheme. It is fully practical: you live aboard a yacht with an instructor and learn by doing. The syllabus covers sea terms and parts of the boat, rigging and sail handling, ropework, helming, fire and personal safety, man overboard procedures, basic meteorology, coping with seasickness and life on board. No previous experience is needed, and people who have done the RYA Start Yachting course may finish in 3 or 4 days.
At the end you should be able to take a full part as crew, but you are not trained to make skipper-level decisions. You can preview the knowledge side in our free Competent Crew theory course, the Competent Crew study notes and the Competent Crew practice exam. Good lessons to start with are knots and ropework, points of sail and man overboard recovery.
What Day Skipper covers
Day Skipper is split into two separate courses, and you can take them in either order, although the RYA recommends doing the theory first so you can apply it on the water.
Day Skipper theory (shorebased)
About 40 hours plus exam time, available in a classroom, online or by distance learning. The RYA sets no minimum age and says only that some practical experience is desirable. Topics include chartwork, position fixing, tidal heights, buoyage and lights, collision regulations, weather forecasting and passage planning. If you are wondering how that exam is marked, see our guide to the RYA theory exam pass mark.
Day Skipper practical
A 5-day course on a sailing yacht where you take turns as skipper. The RYA describes the outcome as being able to safely take charge of a 30–45ft yacht and its crew on day trips in familiar waters. Expect pilotage, berthing, anchoring, night sailing, passage making and emergencies with you in charge. A Day Skipper practical certificate also lets you apply for the International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft (ICC).
Revise with our free Day Skipper theory course and the Day Skipper practice exam, plus the tide calculator and COLREGS lights and shapes quiz.
Which one should you book?
Choose Competent Crew if…
- you have never sailed a yacht, or only dinghies;
- you want to crew for friends or on charters without being responsible for the boat;
- you need to build the days, miles and night hours required for Day Skipper.
Choose Day Skipper if…
- you already have at least 5 days, 100 miles and 4 night hours on a sailing yacht;
- you can helm, handle sails and know basic ropework;
- you want to charter a yacht yourself, or need a certificate for an ICC.
Experience gained outside an RYA course counts towards the Day Skipper prerequisites. The RYA does not list Competent Crew as a formal requirement, so experienced crew who log their sea time can skip it. Your training centre may ask to see a logbook; our digital logbook helps you keep track.
Working on commercial boats
Neither certificate on its own lets you work as paid skipper. The RYA allows a Day Skipper practical certificate to be commercially endorsed, but for category 5 waters you need both the shorebased and practical Day Skipper certificates, plus the other endorsement requirements (medical, sea survival, Professional Practices and Responsibilities, and a radio licence). Even then the endorsement is limited to small commercial vessels in category 5 and 6 waters, within 20 miles of a departure point, in daylight and fine weather. Competent Crew is not on the RYA’s list of certificates that can be commercially endorsed.
What comes after Day Skipper
The next step is Coastal Skipper (practical) and the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore theory course, followed by the Yachtmaster exams. See how long Yachtmaster takes for sea-time requirements, and our Coastal Skipper course to get a head start on the theory.