Crewing on commercial yachts

Make sure you've got the qualifications to stand out from the crowd.

Yachts up to 24m in length
In most cases, no formal crew qualifications are required. However, many skippers will prefer to take crew who have undergone training to at least Day Skipper level. Asking Skippers to take you on without any formal training is unlikely to succeed - they will often require that you hold a Day Skipper certificate, preferably supported by training such as the Diesel Engine and Radar courses.

Superyachts
You may need an MCA Yacht Rating Certificate as a certain number of crew on board are required to be qualified. For this, you should hold the RYA's Day Skipper or Watch Leader and Competent Crew certificates. You will also need additional STCW training in sea survival, fire fighting and prevention, first-aid, personal safety and social responsibilities.

Full details of Yacht Rating training can be found in the Guidance & Regulations section of the MCAs website.

Qualifications, experience, endorsements and other aspects of this information can change on a regular basis - for the very latest information consult:

www.rya.org.uk/coursestraining/careersadvice
www.gov.uk/topic/working-sea/training-certification

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