master 500 yacht

MCA Master (Yachts less than 500gt/3000gt) Certification & Requirements

Work towards your master (yachts <500gt/3000gt) certificate of competency.

To command vessels up to 500gt/3000gt commercially, you’ll need a Master (Yachts less than 500gt/3000gt) Certificate of Competency.

Proficiency for Persons in Charge of Medical Care on Board Ship

Celestial Navigation Refresher and Exam

• Human Element, Leadership and Management (Management Level)

• Stability (Master Yachts)

• Seamanship and Meteorology (Master Yachts)

• Business and Law (Master Yachts)

Navigation, Radar and ARPA Simulator (Master Yachts)

Orals Preparation Master (Yachts <500gt/3000gt)

Why master (yacht<500gt/3000gt), about the course.

Before you can obtain the Certificate of Competency, you will be required to complete a number of Master (Yacht) and MCA Ancillary courses before you can sit the Master (Yachts less than 500gt/3000gt) Certificate of Competency oral examination.

Required modules & certifications

Required certification course modules:.

• Navigation, ARPA and Radar Simulator (Master Yachts)

Required ancillary course modules:

• Proficiency for Persons in Charge of Medical Care on Board Ship (STCW A-VI/4-2)
• Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS)
• Celestial Navigation Exam (MCA Approved)

Recommended additional course modules:

• Orals Preparation Master (Yachts <500gt/3000gt)

To qualify for the Master (Yachts <500gt/3000gt) Certificate of Competency Oral examination you will be required to hold the pass certificates from the training courses above and also meet the following entry requirements.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for master (yachts <500gt) certificate of competency (coc) oral examination.

• Have a minimum of 12 months Onboard Yacht Service as a Deck Officer, including not less than 120 days Watchkeeping Service, in vessels of 15 metres or over in load line length whilst holding an accepted OOW STCW Reg. II/1 (Yachts <3000gt) CoC.
• Have fully met the education and training requirements for the issue of the MCA Chief Mate STCW Reg. II/2 (Yachts <3000gt) CoC.
• Hold all of the pass certificates for the training required to obtain the Master (Yachts <500gt) CoC (please find required training modules above).

Entry Requirements for Master (Yachts <3000gt) Certificate of Competency (CoC) Oral Examination

• Have a minimum of 24 months Onboard Yacht Service as a Deck Officer, including not less than 240 days Watchkeeping Service whilst holding an accepted OOW STCW Reg. II/1 (Yachts less than 3000gt) CoC. All of this service must be completed in vessels of 15 metres or over in load line length and include 12 months in vessel of 24 metres or over in load line length, or 6 months in vessels of 500gt or more.
• Hold a Certificate of Proficiency for Person in Charge of Medical Care on Board Ship (STCW A-VI/4-2)
• Hold either a MCA Master STCW Reg. II/2 (Yachts <500gt) or have passed all written examinations and short courses required for the issue of that certificate. Note : As training module pass certificates are valid for three years, candidates are advised to obtain the MCA Master (Yachts <500gt) CoC where circumstances may preclude them from attempting the Master (Yachts <3000gt) oral examination before the modules expire.
• Pass the Master (Yachts <3000gt) oral examination

Please Note: The above entry requirements are not required to attend the training courses for Master (Yachts <500gt/3000gt), However are required to apply for your Notice of Eligibility (NoE) and sit the final CoC Oral Examination. Full details can be found on the MCA Oral Examination Form  MSF 4343 .

For full Training and Certification Guidance of the UK requirements of Deck Officers on Large Yachts (over 24m) please refer to  MSN 1858 .

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• STCW Competency courses
• STCW Officer & Master 500gt

Officer of the watch and Master 500GT for Commercial Yachting

With a professional licence commercial yachting one is allowed to commercially sail with yachts up to 500 gt with a maximum of 12 paying passengers. NaviClass is recognized by the Belgian Maritime Administration to organize these courses ( according to Royal Decree 22/08/2020 amended april 2024).

Target group 

• Officer of the watch coastal (< 200 NM)
• Master coastal (< 200 NM)
• Officer of the watch Ocean  (unlimited)
• Master Ocean (unlimited)

Prior knowledge

To participate, you must have a STCW Master 200GT certificate or equivalent.

* OOW module (<200NM)

5 days – Price € 1.515,- incl VAT

• Navigation (part 1)
• Seamanship & Meteorology ( part 1)
• Ship construction and stability (part 1)
• Regulations and documents (part 1 and part 2)
• OOW written exam

Minimum 4 students.  

* OOW Final assessment

1 day – Price € 375,- incl VAT

• OOW practical exam

* RADAR/ARPA module (II/2 management level)

3 days – Price € 1.450,- incl VAT

• Radar/Arpa theory – 1 day
• Practical exercises in bridge simulation (Antwerp Maritime Academy) – 2 days
• Practical evaluation

Minimum 4 students.

4 days – Price € 1.360,-  incl VAT

• Ship construction and stability (part 2)
• Regulations and documents (part 2)
• Crisis Management and Human Behaviour
• Passenger Ship Crowd management training
• Master written exam

Minimum 4 students.

* OOW/Master Ocean Upgrade module 

5 days – Price € 1.550, – incl. VAT

• Celestial navigation (part 2)
• Seamanship & Meteorology (part 2)
• Great circle navigation (part 3)
• Ocean upgrade exam

* Ocean Final assessment

1 day – Price € 485, – incl. VAT

• Ocean upgrade practical exam

Additional requirements

To apply for the Belgian COC you need to fulfil to following requirements:

– NaviClass OOW & Master modules (II/1 & II/2)

– STCW Basic Safety (VI/1-1,1-2,1-3,1-4)

• Personal Survival Techniques (VI/1-1) (to be refreshed every 5 years)
• Fire Fighting and Prevention (VI/1-2) (to be refreshed every 5 years)
• Elementary first aid (VI/1-3)
• Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (VI/1-4)

– STCW Security Awareness (VI/4-1)

– STCW Medical First Aid (VI/4-1)

– STCW Medical Care (VI/4-2) ( only for unlimited)

– STCW Advanced Fire Fighting (VI/3)

– STCW Rescue boats other than fast rescue boats (VI/2-1)

– GMDSS GOC (to be revalidated every 5 years)

– STCW Medical Fitness (doctors approved by Belgian Maritime Administration)

– Proof of seatime ( 1 year for OOW500 + training book, 3 extra years as OOW500 for Master500) (to be recorded on Certificates of Service)

Application and admission

After registering via the login button, we need to check if you fulfill to the minimum requirements. For that you need to send an e-mail to [email protected] This mail should contain your contact information, your certificates (in PDF) and a nautical CV.

Since there are similar certificates in several IMO countries, the NaviClass evaluation committee will decide whether you can start this program and / or you can obtain an exemption for a specific training module.

Certification

For each course you’ve completed, you will get a NaviClass certificate. This certificate, along with your STCW safety certificates, GMDSS certificate, certificates of service and medical fitness certificate must be delivered to the Belgian Maritime Administration (for more details please contact [email protected] ). They will assess your file and provide the STCW certificate of competence for commercial yachting.

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Theory courses

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• STCW Estuary Shipping
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Certification for Deck Officers on Commercial and Private yachts

Guidance for applying for a Deck CoC for Commercial and Private Yachts.

Applying for a Deck Commercial and Private Yachts CoC

To apply for a deck officer CoC specific to Yachts, please use form MSF 4343 .

Detailed information and guidance about yacht training and certification is available in MSN 1858 Amendment 1 .

Click here for the Yacht OOW less than 3000GT training record book . More information can be found in MSN 1858 Amendment 1 which details the sea service requirements for OOW Yachts that may grant an exemption from completing the TRB

Exam Syllabuses

Exam Syllabuses can be found on the MCA examination syllabuses page.

For Oral Exam Syllabuses please refer to UK seafarer careers: Training provision, information and examination syllabuses - Oral exam syllabuses

For written Exam Syllabuses please refer to UK seafarer careers: Training provision, information and examination syllabuses - written exam syllabuses .

New Sea Time Requirements

All seagoing service on board Yachts should be approved by either;

• Nautilus International (Nautilus)
• Professional Yachting Association (PYA)

Failure to do this can cause severe delays of around 160 days. Further information can be found in MIN 543

Conversions to a Yacht CoC

These conversions are subject to change, however your requirements will be listed on your NOE.

If you would like to obtain a Master yachts, less than 3,000 GT, II/2, Certificate of Competency, with the exception of ‘Celestial Navigation’, all IAMI written examinations must be passed prior to the issue of your Notice of Eligibility (NOE).

‘Celestial Navigation’ training module passes are valid for 1 year. All other yacht training module and examination certificates are valid for 3 years. The training module pass certificate must be in date at the time of the issue of the Certificate of Competency.

Seagoing service definitions for this conversion section can be found in MSN 1858 Amendment 1 .

The Ancillary Course Certificate Table on this page lists the ancillary and safety courses applicable to each yacht CoC .

All the references to a CoC or FSE pertain to those issued by the MCA unless otherwise started.

Conversions from a Fishing CoC

Conversion a.

If you hold a United Kingdom (UK) Class 1 (fishing vessel) CoC you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Master (code vessels less than 200 GT unlimited area) Officer of the Watch (yachts less than 500 GT) CoC :

• Hold the applicable ancillary technical and safety course certificates listed in Table A;
• Hold a valid ENG1 (Medical Fitness Certificate) or accepted equivalent.

Conversion B

If you hold a UK Class 1 (fishing vessel) CoC you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Master (yachts less than 500 GT) CoC :

• Business and Law (Master Yachts);
• Navigation, Radar and ARPA Simulator (Master Yachts);
• Pass the IAMI Celestial Navigation written examination;
• Hold a valid ENG1 (medical fitness certificate) or accepted equivalent;
• Pass the Master (yachts less than 500 GT) oral examination (to include command elements of Oral examination for Master Code Vessel less than 200 GT).

If you hold an Irish Deck Class 1 or Class 2 (fishing vessel) CoC you will be eligible to apply for the United Kingdom Fishing Class 1 (fishing vessel) CoC , provided that you meet the relevant sea time requirements. After you complete all of the requirements to obtain a UK Class 1 (fishing vessel) CoC , you will eligible to apply for conversions A and B.

Conversion C

If you hold a UK Class 2 (fishing vessel) or Second Hand Full (fishing vessel) CoC you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Master (Code vessels less than 200 GT not more than 150 miles from safe haven) Officer of the Watch (yachts less than 500 GT) CoC :

Conversions from an OOW II/1 CoC or FSE

Conversion d.

If you hold a UK OOW unlimited, regulation II/1 CoC you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Master (code vessels less than 200 GT unlimited area) CoC :

• 3 months’ seagoing service on vessels of between 15 metres and 24 metres or under 200 GT.
• Hold a valid ENG1 (Medical Fitness Certificate) or accepted equivalent;
• Pass MCA oral examination for the Master (Code vessels less than 200 GT) oral examination.

Seagoing service for the Master code less than 200GT CoC can be in the form of seagoing service testimonials or a company letter signed by the owner or operator. This cannot be self-certified.

Conversion E

If you hold an OOW unlimited, Regulation II/1 that is eligible to obtain an FSE you must meet the following requirements to obtain a UK Officer of the Watch (yachts less than 3000 GT) CoC :

• Hold the applicable ancillary technical and safety course certificates listed in Table A.
• Hold a valid ENG1 (Medical Fitness Certificate) or accepted equivalent
• Pass the OOW (yachts less than 3000 GT) oral examination.

Conversion F

If you hold a UK OOW unlimited, Regulation II/1 CoC you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Chief Mate (yachts less than 3000 GT) endorsement on your CoC :

Conversion G

If you hold a UK OOW unlimited, Regulation II/1 CoC you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Master (yachts less than 500 GT):

• 12 months’ seagoing service whilst holding an OOW Unlimited II/1 CoC ;
• Pass the Master (yachts less than 500 GT) oral examination.

Conversion H

If you hold a UK OOW unlimited, Regulation II/1 CoC you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Master (yachts less than 3000 GT) CoC :

• 24 months’ seagoing service whilst holding an OOW CoC ;
• Pass an MCA approved Celestial Navigation examination;
• Pass the Master (yachts less than 3000 GT) oral examination.

Conversion I

If you hold an OOW unlimited, regulation II/1 that is eligible to obtain an FSE you must meet the following requirements to obtain Master (yachts less than 500 GT) CoC :

• 12 months’ seagoing service whilst holding OOW II/1 CoC ;
• Seamanship and Meteorology (Master Yachts);
• Stability (Master Yachts);

Conversion J

If you hold an OOW unlimited, Regulation II/1 that is eligible to obtain an FSE you must meet the following requirements to obtain Master (yachts less than 3,000 GT):

• 24 months’ seagoing service whilst holding OOW II/1 CoC ;
• Pass the Master (yachts less than 3,000 GT) oral examination.

Conversions from a Chief Mate or Master CoC or FSE

Conversion k.

If you hold a Chief Mate unlimited, Regulation II/2, that is eligible to obtain an FSE you must meet the following requirements to obtain Master (yachts less than 3000 GT):

• 12 months’ sea going service whilst holding Chief Mate CoC ;

Conversion L

If you hold a Master unlimited, Regulation II/2, that is eligible to obtain an FSE to you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Master II/2 (yachts less than 3000 GT) CoC :

Conversion M

If you hold a Master less than 500 GT or 3000 GT unlimited area, Regulation II/2 that is eligible to obtain an FSE you must meet the following requirements to obtain a Master (yachts less than 3000 GT):

• 12 months’ seagoing service whilst holding a Master II/2 CoC ;

Conversions from a French, Italian or New Zealand Yacht CoC

Conversion n.

If you hold an OOW Yacht, less than 3000 GT, Unlimited area Regulation II/1, CoC issued by the French, Italian or New Zealand Maritime authority you must meet the following requirements to obtain Master II/2 (yachts less than 500 GT) CoC :

• 12 months’ onboard service and 120 days watchkeeping service whilst holding an OOW CoC ;
• Navigation and Radar ( OOW yachts);
• General Ship Knowledge ( OOW yachts);
• Business and Law (Master Yachts) ;
• Navigation, Radar and ARPA Simulator (Master Yachts)

Conversion O

If you hold an OOW Yacht restricted, less than 3000 GT, unlimited area regulation II/1, CoC issued by the French, Italian or New Zealand Maritime authority you must meet the following requirements to obtain Master II/2 (yachts less than 3,000 GT) CoC :

• 24 months’ onboard service and 240 days watchkeeping service whilst holding an OOW CoC ;

Conversion P

If you hold a Master Yacht restricted, less than 500 GT regulation II/2, CoC issued by the French, Italian or New Zealand Maritime authority you must meet the following requirements to obtain Master II/2 (yachts less than 3000 GT):

• 12 months’ onboard service and 120 days watchkeeping service whilst holding a Master Yacht II/2, Yacht CoC ;

Conversion Q

If you hold a Master Yacht restricted, less than 3,000 GT unlimited area, regulation II/2 CoC issued by the French, Italian or New Zealand Maritime authority you must meet the following requirements to obtain Master II/2 (yachts less than 3000 GT):

Ancillary Course Certificate Table

For the MCA’s acceptance of certificates from foreign Flag States for various certificates, please see Section 5 of MSN 1858 Amendment 1 or Section 4 of MIN 643

For the issue of a CoC :

A - For these Certificates the MCA will accept certificates issued under the authority of any IMO White List country.

B - For these Certificates the MCA will accept certificates issued under the authority of any EU/EEA Member State, and may accept those issued under the authority of Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

C - For these Certificates the Certificates must be MCA-approved.

D - For these Certificates the MCA will accept certificates issued under the authority of any EU Member State and those listed on the approved list available from our website: www.gov.uk and search “GMDSS”.

Updating Training

You will be required to provide documentary evidence of either completing the training course or updating your training within the preceding 5 years for these certificates for all CoC applications. To satisfy Port State Control requirements you will need to hold evidence onboard your vessel of completing or updating your training within the last 5 years. For further information relating to STCW course certificates, including their validity, please refer to [MSN 1865 amendment 1]https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/msn-1865-m-amendment-1-uk-requirements-for-emergency-occupational-safety-security-medical-care-and-survival-functions).

Proficiency Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (Other than fast rescue boats) - (Restricted)

Proficiency Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (Other than fast rescue boats) - (Restricted), previously Non-STCW Advanced Sea Survival, may be accepted in lieu of Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats for Yacht CoCs. Your CoC will be endorsed with the following limitation: “Not for use on ships equipped with davit launched lifeboats”

Non-STCW Advanced Sea Survival and Proficiency Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (Other than fast rescue boats) - (Restricted) must be updated every 5 years in line with Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats. The MCA would recommend that all seafarers hold an STCW Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats Certificate of Proficiency. This is due to potential problems of Port State Control Officers outside of the UK, not accepting non-STCW Advanced Sea Survival.

Any person operating any radio equipment must be appropriately qualified. The GMDSS course forms part of the education and training required to obtain a UK CoC . To obtain a UK CoC you must hold a valid GMDSS certificate issued by the UK or an administration recognised by the MCA. The certificate must have an STCW endorsement. For further information about the GMDSS and how to obtain an STCW endorsement, please refer to MSN 1864 amendment 1 or search our website www.gov.uk for “GMDSS”.

Medical Care

The Medical Care certificate is valid for a period of 5 years. This must be valid when you apply for your Certificate of Competency. If you serve on an EU-registered vessel as a Master or are the person in charge of medical care on a vessel operating in the unlimited area, you will need to have undertaken approved Medical Care training or a refresher course within the previous 5 years. This is the requirement of Article 4(1) (b) of Directive 92/29 EEC.

MCA Approved ECDIS Training is a mandatory requirement for OOW (yachts less than 3000GT), Chief Mate (yachts less than 3000 GT), Master (yachts less than 500 GT and 3000 GT).

If you are applying for a Master Code Vessel, less than 200 GT, CoC and do not complete an MCA-approved ECDIS course you will receive the following limitation:

“From the 1 January 2017 this certificate is not valid for service on ships fitted with ECDIS.”

Updates to this page

Clarified Conversions D, F, G, H are from UK CoCs only.

Update to reflect new M Notices.

Updated Sea Time requirements for French, Italian and New Zealand Yacht Licence holders.

MIN 520 replaced with MIN 535, Medical Care guidance added

New sea time requirements added

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Master 500GT, Domestic Certificate

Program overview, program prerequisites, program requirements, employment outcomes, responsibilities.

A Master or Captain of a vessel is in charge of a vessel, its crew members, and passengers and/or cargo while the vessel is at sea or in the port. The Master controls and manages all aspects of the vessel’s operation and his/her responsibilities include ensuring:

• the safe operation of the vessel at all times,
• the vessel complies with local and international law,
• the safety of all personnel on board,
• the safe carriage of cargo or tow, and
• preparing voyage plans and recording all the vessel’s activities

Accelerated Marine Certification

Did you know that at WMI, you can complete your Master, 500GT, Domestic courses in just 11 back-to-back weeks?* That means you’ll finish school faster, get back to work faster,and start earning earlier.

*Back-to-back for students who hold a Master 150GT Certificate of Competency. Students with a Watchkeeping Mate certificate can complete these courses in 5 weeks, but with breaks in between.

After successfully completing the courses at WMI and Transport Canada oral exam, you can act as:

• Master on board a vessel that is 500 gross tonnage or less engaged on a Near Coastal Voyage, Class 2 (or class 1 if certificate is endorsed for a limited, contiguous waters, voyage),
• Chief Mate on board a vessel of 3000 gross tonnage or less engaged on a Near Coastal Voyage, Class 2 (or class 1 if certificate is endorsed for a limited, contiguous waters, voyage), or
• Master on board a vessel of 3000 gross tonnage or less engaged on a Sheltered Waters Voyage.

Master 500GT, Domestic applicants must hold one of the following Certificate of Competency:

• if you hold a Master 150 you will also need to take SEN-Electronic Positioning System and SEN-Operational 
• Watchkeeping Mate

The applicant for the Master 500GT, Domestic Certificate of Competency must acquire (after successfully completing one of the certificates listed above) 12 months of sea time performing watchkeeping duties on a vessel(s) of at least 25 gross tonnage while the vessel is engages on voyages outside of sheltered waters.

According to the Marine Personnel Regulations, sea service is not a pre-requisite for enrolling in any certificate courses, but students are required to have the appropriate sea service in order to sit the General Seamanship oral exam at Transport Canada as the last step leading to certification.

Transport Canada-accredited Courses

• MED STCW Basic Safety Training
• MED STCW Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boat
• MED STCW Advanced Firefighting
• STCW Marine Advanced First Aid
• Communications, Level 1 **
• Meteorology, Level 1 **
• Ship Management, Level 2
• Engineering Knowledge, Level 1
• Restricted Operator Certificate – Marine Commercial
• Ship Construction & Stability Level 3
• Cargo, Level 1*
• SEN at the Management Level (Former SEN, Level 2). Students are required to hold valid SEN-EPS & SEN-O certificates.

* WMI offers Cargo, Level 2, which is an acceptable alternative for Cargo, Level 1 and prepares the student for the Master, 3000GT CoC. ** If not already obtained as part of the Master, 150GT or Watchkeeping Mate, Near Coastal CoC.

The Master, 500GT Certificate of Competency is a minimum requirement for entry into the Pacific Pilotage Authority’s  Marine Pilot Familiarization Program .

This program does not require approval by the Private Training Institution Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training. As such, PTIB did not review this program.

Register May 1st   We offer the following courses towards the Master 500GT certificate

Start your Journey in the Marine Industry Today!

A New Pathway To Master 500 And 3000

The MCA has set up a new working group with several superyacht stakeholders to discuss the Master 500 and 3000 (Yacht).

Master 500 and Master 3000

Contact information

Femke Bowman

MCA Master (Yachts) <500gt & <3000gt Training | Certificates of Competency

These certificates of competency (coc’s) are required in order to command a vessels up to 500 gross tons or 3000 gross tons respectively. although the entry requirements for the two qualifications differ, they both require pass certificates for the same mca (yacht) course modules., mca master (yacht) modules are:.

• Business and Law
• Navigation and Radar with ARPA Simulator
• Seamanship and Meteorology
• Celestial Navigation Examination
• Proficiency for Persons in Charge of Medical Care on Board Ship

Additional Requirements for the Issue of the Master (Yachts) <500gt Certificate of Competency (CoC)

• A minimum of 12 months onboard yacht service as a Deck Officer, including not less than 120 days watch-keeping service, in vessels of 15 m or more in load line length whilst holding an accepted OOW CoC.
• Valid ENG1 certificate

Additional Requirements for Master (Yachts) <3000gt) Certificate of Competency (CoC)

• A minimum of 24 months onboard yacht service as a Deck Officer, including not less than 240 days watch-keeping service whilst holding an accepted OOW Certificate of Competency (CoC). All of this service must be completed in vessels of 15 m or over in load line length and include 12 months in vessel of 24 m or over in load line length, or 6 months in vessels of 500gt or more.
• Certificate of Proficiency for Person in Charge of Medical Care on Board Ship.

Although the course modules may be attended before the above requirements are met, it must be noted that exam pass certificates expire after three years (celestial navigation one year) and, before committing to the training, candidates should be reasonably sure that they will be able to achieve the qualifying experience in time.

Please Note:

• For further particulars please refer to  MSN 1858 .

MCA Sea Service Definition

• Onboard Yacht Service is the time spent signed on a yacht, irrespective of the vessel’s activity.
• Actual Sea Service is time spent at sea, which may include time at anchor or river and canal transits associated with a passage.
• Stand-by Service is time immediately following a voyage while the vessel is under preparation for a subsequent voyage. A maximum of 14 consecutive days may be counted at one time, but on no occasion may a period of standby service exceed that of the previous voyage. Therefore, under no circumstances can your total standby service exceed your actual sea service.
• Yard Service is time when standing by a build, refit or repair.
• Sea Service includes a combination of actual sea service, stand-by service and/or yard service
• Watchkeeping Service is actual sea service spent as a watchkeeping officer in full charge of a navigational watch for not less than 4 out of every 24 hours while the vessel is engaged on voyage. Watchkeeping service may be recorded on a cumulative basis.This means that every 4 hours watchkeeping accrued may be counted as 1 day of watch keeping service and does not need to be completed in a 24 hour period. Time spent at anchor associated with a passage, whilst the Officer is engaged in a bridge watch and if this passage is part of the same 24 hour voyage, can also be accepted.Completing more than 4 hours watchkeeping within a 24 hour period cannot be counted as more than 1 day watchkeeping time, e.g. a 12 hour watch within a 24 hour period can only be counted as 1 day of watchkeeping time.

• +44 151 632 4000 [email protected]
• 86a Market Street, Hoylake Wirral, CH47 3BD, UK

JPMA & Hoylake Sailing School

(john percival marine associates), what are the requirements for a master (yachts less than 500gt or 3000gt) coc.

If you hold an OOW (Yachts) <3000gt or Chief Mate (Yachts) <3000gt CoC, you can move on to the Master (Yachts) <500gt or Master (Yachts) <3000gt CoC.

If you hold a Master (code vessels <200gt), OOW (Yachts <500gt) CoC you will need to achieve the OOW (Yachts <3000gt) CoC before moving on to these two Master CoCs.

In order to gain a Master (Yachts) <500gt or <3000gt CoC, you will need to do some classroom training, some yacht and watch keeping service, and finally an oral exam.

Required Service:

The main difference between the Master (Yachts <500gt) and the Master (Yachts <3000gt) is Yacht Service and Watchkeeping Service.

For Master (Yachts <500gt) you must be able to prove the following service:

A minimum of 12 months Onboard Yacht Service as a Deck Officer, including at least 120 days Watchkeeping Service, in vessels of 15 metres or over in loadline length. (starting from the date your OOW CoC was issued)

For Master (Yachts <3000gt) you must be able to prove the following service:

A minimum of 24 months Onboard Yacht Service as a Deck Officer, including at least 240 days Watchkeeping Service. All of this service must be completed in vessels of 15 metres or over in loadline length and include 12 months in vessels of 24 metres or over in load line length, or six months in vessels of 500gt or more. (starting from the date your OOW CoC was issued)

Onboard Yacht Service is being signed onto a yacht, whether you are on passage or not, and does not include leave, or time when you are undertaking your courses.

Watchkeeping service is Actual Sea Service spent as a Watchkeeping Officer in full charge of a navigational watch for not less than 4 out of every 24 hours whilst the vessel is engaged on voyage.

Sea Service Verification Process – please click here to read about new regulations.

The course certificates that you must have for Master are:

(the first 3 only apply if you hold an OOW <3000gt CoC, and do not need to be re-submitted if you already hold a Chief Mate <3000gt CoC)

Advanced Fire Fighting Certificate Medical First Aid Aboard Ship Certificate RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased & Practical Certs ( commercially endorsed ) or IYT Master of Yachts 200 tonnes (Unlimited) Certificate

Master Seamanship & Meteorology Course Completion & Pass Certs Master Stability Course Completion & Pass Certs Master Business & Law Course Completion & Pass Certs Master Navigation, Radar and ARPA Simulator Course Completion & Pass Certs Proficiency in Medical Care Aboard Ship Certificate Human Element Leadership & Management (Management Level) certificate (if this wasn’t submitted with your Chief Mate CoC application) MCA Celestial Navigation Exam  Pass Certificate (after 1st January 2014 – NOTE : this is NOT the YM Ocean cert. This certificate expires after 1 year) ECDIS certificate (after 1st January 2014, and if this wasn’t submitted with your OOW or Chief Mate CoC application)

Master <500gt : if you are yet to receive any of these certificates but have enough service, you can still apply for the Master <500gt NoE, but you will need to submit the certificates to the MCA before the CoC can be issued.

Master <3000gt : when applying for this you must either have the Master <500gt CoC already, or all of the above certificates before you can apply for the NoE, as stated in MSN 1802. If you hold the Master <500gt CoC and wish to upgrade to Master <3000gt, you do not need to resubmit any of the above certificates, unless they have been added to the requirements since your Master <500 CoC was issued.

Candidates who were issued an NoE for Master <3000gt prior to 31st December 2013, who do not hold a Master <500gt CoC already, MUST have completed all of the modules etc before attending the oral examination, otherwise they will receive an automatic fail. Read more here

NOTE: Updating Training for CoC applications – anyone serving on board ship, who holds any of the following certificates must, as of 1st January 2017, have documentary evidence of either completing the training course or updating training within the last 5 years:

• Personal Survival Techniques
• Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boats (CPSC & RB)
• Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boats (PFRB)
• Basic Fire Fighting
• Advanced Fire Fighting

Applying for an NoE:

To do the final oral exam for Master Yachts <500/3000gt, you will need a Notice of Eligibility. This document is issued once the MCA have assessed your eligibility, and an oral exam cannot be booked until the NoE is issued.

Your service needs to be proved with 2 forms of evidence for each vessel on which you are claiming service time. Usually a Testimonial and a Certificate of Discharge. If you have a discharge book, this can be used with a testimonial for each vessel, or if you are a member of the PYA they will attest your PYA logbook.

You must send a form of ID with your application. You can send a copy of your passport, signed by your Captain and with their CoC number noted, but you can also send any form of National ID – birth certificate or Discharge Book are usually easier to cope without!

It should be noted that written exam pass certificates have a validity of only three years. If your module pass certificates are more than 3 years old when you apply for an NoE you will have to submit new pass certificates to the MCA before they will issue an NoE.

Click here to view MSN 1858 (the testimonials and certificate of discharge can be found as annexes of the M Notice on pages 33-37)

Update to Electronic NoE application process & online oral exams

You will need to download the application form . You must complete the form and send all of your original certificates and testimonials to the MCA. The NoE will be processed in about 28 days. Once the NoE is issued you are deemed eligible to take the oral exam.

JPMA offers oral preparation courses for the Master oral exams. Click here for details.

Master (Yachts) - Less than 500GT/3,000GT

Country: - all - Croatia  (1) Malta  (3)

The following 4 courses were found: