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Which Commercial Course?

The level of qualifications you need will depend on the type of work you want to do, how far offshore you will be working, the size of the vessel and whether the job you apply for is in the UK or abroad.

A table indicating the manning scale and minimum qualifications of UK registered vessels can be found by clicking on the Resources box on the left.

If you intend to work on British Flagged vessels there are two Certificates of Competence which allow you to skipper vessels under 200gt and under 24m

  1. RYA Yachtmaster Offshore – this limits you to 150nm from the shore
  2. RYA Yachtmaster Ocean – this has no limitations

If you want to skipper a commercial vessel abroad you will need to obtain STCW95 and may need to upgrade your Yachtmaster qualification to MCA master 200gt which requires the completion of an oral examination by an MCA official.

You may find it useful to look at some of the specific questions / work areas listed below,

Working on Wind Farm Support Vessels

The offshore wind farm industry is growing fast and there is increasing demand for suitably qualified skippers and crew. A review of some of the vacancies on offer indicated that places are available as engineers holding the MCA Approved Engine Course 1 & 2 (AEC 1 & AEC 2)  and jobs for skippers who have Masters 200gt or Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence with the MCA Approved Engine Course (AEC) and Radar course certificate.

Workboats and other Commercial Craft up to 24m

The level of qualification you require will depend on how far offshore you wish to operate and whether you will be going out during the day or night.
A table indicating Manning scale and Qualifications can be found by clicking here
There are also roles as engineers on board vessels, the starting qualification usually being the MCA Approved Engine Course 1 (AEC 1)

I want to skipper a charter fishing boat – what qualifications do I need?

The level of qualification you require will depend on how far offshore you wish to operate and whether you will be going out during the day or night.

A table indicating Manning scale and Qualifications can be found by clicking here

I want to be a delivery Skipper

To work as a delivery Skipper or Mate you would usually need to have a minimum qualification of MCA/ RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Commercially Endorsed and you will often be required to have a good knowledge of boat systems and marine diesel engines

I want to be a flotilla Skipper

To work as a flotilla Skipper in the Med you would usually need to have a minimum qualification of MCA/ RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Commercially Endorsed with STCW95 and you will often be required to have a good knowledge of boat systems and marine diesel engines.

I want to be a Charter Yacht Skipper

The following qualifications will allow you to skipper a Charter Yacht up to 24m and up to 200gt

Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence - you can skipper yachts up to 24m, operating up to 20 miles from a safe haven,

Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence enables you to skipper yachts up to 200gt, 150 miles from a safe haven.

Yachtmaster™ Ocean Certificate of Competence - allows you to work worldwide.

All of the above qualifications need to be commercially endorsed which requires you to complete a one-day sea survival course and hold a medical fitness certificate..
Skippering Commercial yachts (over 24m and up to 200GT)

Any skipper of a British flagged private or commercial yacht of this size, operating in UK and many non-UK ports, must hold an RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore or Ocean Certificate of Competence with a commercial endorsement.

To enable your qualifications to be valid worldwide and on non-British yachts, the following MCA courses will be required to obtain an STCW endorsement

fire fighting,
first aid and
social responsibilities.