Prerequisites
This is career guidance, not exam preparation. It assumes you have worked through the RYA ladder, or at least know what the Yachtmaster certificates are. The professional pathways lessons on the MCA yacht route are useful background. UK details follow the MCA's MSN 1856 (Amendment 1) for merchant officers and MSN 1858 (Amendment 1) for yacht officers.
Learning Objectives
- Explain what the merchant navy is and how it differs from the yacht industry.
- Compare the yacht and merchant certificate structures, and the STCW functions each covers.
- Explain why a yacht CoC, even Master (Yachts) 3000 GT, does not let you serve as an officer on cargo ships, tankers, ferries or cruise ships.
- Compare the entry routes and sea service rules of the two ladders.
- Know where to find official information in your own country.
Two Different Industries
The merchant navy (or merchant marine) is the commercial shipping fleet: container ships, bulk carriers, tankers, gas carriers, car carriers, ferries, cruise ships, offshore supply and service vessels, and tugs. Most world trade by volume moves by sea, on tens of thousands of large merchant ships crewed by well over a million seafarers.
The yacht industry runs private and charter yachts, from small sailing yachts up to superyachts of several thousand gross tonnes. It is a much smaller, more seasonal industry, and its focus is the owner and the guests.
| Merchant navy | Yachts | |
|---|---|---|
| Ships | Cargo, tankers, ferries, cruise, offshore | Private and charter yachts |
| UK deck certificates | STCW CoCs under MSN 1856: OOW, Chief Mate, Master, unlimited or limited by tonnage and area | STCW CoCs limited to yachts under MSN 1858, from Master (code vessels less than 200 GT) to Master (Yachts) less than 3000 GT |
| Usual entry | Cadetship with 12 months at sea, or 36 to 48 months as a rating | RYA Yachtmaster, then deckhand jobs; OOW (Yachts) needs 36 months of yacht service |
| Contracts | Fixed rotations, often a few months on and a similar time off | Seasonal or rotational, often long periods aboard |
| Employers | Shipping companies and crewing agencies | Owners, management companies, charter firms |
| Common to both | STCW basic training, ENG1 medical, MLC rights such as hours of rest and repatriation | Same |
Two Certificate Ladders Side by Side
| Level | Merchant (MSN 1856) | Yacht (MSN 1858) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry officer | OOW unlimited, II/1 (or OOW less than 500 GT near-coastal, II/3) | OOW (Yachts) less than 3000 GT, II/1 |
| Second in command | Chief Mate unlimited, II/2 | Chief Mate (Yachts) less than 3000 GT, II/2 |
| Command | Master unlimited, II/2, or less than 3000 GT or 500 GT | Master (Yachts) less than 500 GT, then less than 3000 GT, II/2 |
| Small-vessel command | Master less than 500 GT near-coastal, II/3 | Master (code vessels less than 200 GT), with or without a 150-mile limit |
| STCW functions | 1 Navigation; 2 Cargo handling and stowage; 3 Ship operation and care of persons; 7 Radio | 1, 3 and 7 only |
The missing function 2, cargo handling and stowage, is the clearest sign that the two ladders train for different jobs.
How the sea time rules differ
| Rule | Merchant | Yacht |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum vessel for service | Merchant ships of 24 m or 80 GT, proceeding to sea | OOW (Yachts): 365 seagoing days on yachts of 15 m or more in load line length, within 36 months of onboard yacht service |
| First officer CoC | 12 months as a cadet, with a TRB and 6 months on bridge watches | 36 months onboard yacht service, including at least 250 actual sea days |
| To Master (largest) | 36 months' watchkeeping as OOW, or 24 with 12 months as Chief Mate | Master (Yachts) less than 3000 GT: 24 months as a yacht deck officer, including 240 days of watchkeeping |
| Minimum age for OOW | 18 | 19 |
(Sources: MSN 1856, sections 3.2 to 3.4 and 9.3; MSN 1858, sections 3.3 to 3.6.)
Why a Yacht Certificate Is Not Enough
Both ladders sit under the STCW Convention (the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers), but each CoC carries limitations. A Master (Yachts) less than 3000 GT CoC is valid only on yachts. It does not cover a cargo ship or passenger ferry of any size, because the holder has not been trained or examined in cargo operations, loaded-ship stability and structure, or commercial ship operations.
The yacht certificates themselves also have limits. MSN 1858 says that yacht-restricted CoCs apply on training vessels only if they carry fewer than 50 trainees, or trainees and passengers combined. Above that, merchant navy STCW qualifications are required (MSN 1858, section 14.1). A Yachtmaster Offshore with a commercial endorsement allows you to skipper small commercial vessels under the UK small vessel codes, not merchant ships.
Moving across is possible, and yacht service on yachts of 24 m or 80 GT can count in full towards a merchant CoC. You will still need the extra study and exams covered in the final lesson.
Unlimited vs Limited
Merchant certificates are unlimited (any size, any area) or limited by tonnage (less than 500 GT or 3000 GT) and area (near-coastal, or a specified domestic area) (MSN 1856, section 2.1). Most cadets aim for OOW unlimited, because every rung above it is open to them. A limited certificate can be the right choice if you plan to work on coasters, ferries or workboats.
Same Sea, Different Bridges: a Case
MAIB Safety Digest 2/2007, Case 25. A high-speed craft at about 34 knots was the give-way vessel to a motor yacht crossing from starboard. The master first altered 15 degrees to starboard. Then, at about 1 nm, he changed his mind and turned to port across the yacht's bow, passing 2.5 cables ahead. The yacht's skipper stopped his engines and his crew braced against the wash. The merchant bridge had two radars running but no targets acquired, and was judging the situation by eye. The master believed he was in control. Only the Voyage Data Recorder showed the yacht crew's view of it.
The MAIB's lessons: even high-speed craft must obey the COLREGs; take early, clear action and stick to it; think about how your manoeuvre looks from a small craft; and challenge each other on the bridge, since the chief officer was present and said nothing. The case is from 2007, but the lessons hold. Yacht officers who move to ships bring exactly the small-craft perspective that was missing.
Where to Get Official Information
- UK: the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) issues CoCs. MSN 1856 covers merchant deck officers and MSN 1858 covers yacht deck officers. Careers information is available from the Merchant Navy Training Board (Careers at Sea).
- France: the Direction des Affaires Maritimes issues titres de formation professionnelle maritime. Officer training is mainly at the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime (ENSM) and the lycées maritimes.
- US: the US Coast Guard National Maritime Center issues Merchant Mariner Credentials. Officers train at the federal and state maritime academies.
- Elsewhere: your national maritime administration. Under STCW, another flag state can endorse your certificate through a Certificate of Equivalent Competency or flag state endorsement, so that you can serve on its ships.
Common Mistakes
- Thinking "3000 GT" on a yacht CoC covers any 3000 GT ship. It covers yachts only.
- Thinking yacht sea time is worthless for the merchant navy. On yachts of 24 m or 80 GT it counts in full, with caps on standby and yard days.
- Comparing salaries without comparing rotations, leave and career length. Merchant rotations and progression are more structured.
Summary
- The merchant navy carries world trade and passengers. Yachting is a separate, smaller industry.
- Both use STCW, the ENG1 and MLC protections, but yacht CoCs are limited to yachts and lack function 2, cargo handling and stowage.
- The merchant ladder runs OOW (II/1), Chief Mate and Master (II/2). The yacht ladder mirrors it with "(Yachts)" limits.
- Yacht CoCs cover sail training ships with fewer than 50 trainees. Larger ones need merchant STCW qualifications.
- Check with your own maritime administration: the rules vary by country.
Check Your Understanding
- Name four types of merchant ship.
Answer: Any four of: container ship, bulk carrier, tanker, gas carrier, car carrier, ferry, cruise ship, offshore supply vessel, tug.
- Why can a Master (Yachts) 3000 GT holder not command a 2000 GT cargo ship?
Answer: The CoC is limited to yachts and does not include STCW function 2, cargo handling and stowage. Cargo ships need a merchant CoC.
- Which STCW functions does a UK yacht deck CoC cover?
Answer: Function 1 (navigation), function 3 (controlling the operation of the ship and care for persons on board) and function 7 (radiocommunications).
- What is the minimum age for OOW unlimited, and for OOW (Yachts)?
Answer: 18 for OOW unlimited, and 19 for OOW (Yachts) less than 3000 GT.
- When do sail training vessels need merchant navy qualifications rather than yacht ones?
Answer: When they carry more than 50 trainees, or trainees and passengers combined (MSN 1858, section 14.1).
- What does STCW stand for?
Answer: The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.
- In MAIB Case 25, what bridge-team failure did the MAIB highlight besides the late alteration?
Answer: No radar targets had been acquired and plotted, and the chief officer did not question the master's actions. Good teamwork requires cross-checking.
- Who issues certificates in the UK and in France?
Answer: The MCA in the UK, and the Direction des Affaires Maritimes in France.
Sources
- MCA, MSN 1856 (M) Amendment 1: UK requirements for Master and deck officers (merchant)
- MCA, MSN 1858 (M) Amendment 1: yacht deck officer certificates of competency
- MAIB Safety Digest 2/2007, Case 25 (an older case; the lessons remain current)