Yacht crew certificates — which ones you need, how long they last and when to renew
7 min read
A plain guide to the certificates a professional yacht crew carries — STCW basic training, ENG1, licences and endorsements — with their validity periods, what triggers renewal, and how to keep a fleet's paperwork from expiring.
Every commercially operated yacht carries a stack of crew certificates, and every one of them has a date. Miss one and the boat cannot legally sail, the insurance may not respond, and a Port State inspection becomes a detention. This guide lists the certificates most yachts need, how long each lasts and what renewing it involves. It is general guidance — the flag state, the yacht's tonnage and the operating area decide the exact requirement, so check the flag's manning rules for your boat.
The basics every crew member holds
| Certificate | What it is | Validity | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| STCW Basic Safety Training (PST, FPFF, EFA, PSSR) | The four mandatory safety courses | 5 years (PST and FPFF refreshers); EFA and PSSR usually do not expire, check the flag | Refresher courses for sea survival and fire fighting before the 5-year date |
| Medical fitness (ENG1 or flag equivalent) | Seafarer medical | 2 years (or less if restricted); 1 year under 18 | New examination by an approved doctor |
| Security awareness (PSA / PDSD) | ISPS security training | No expiry (most flags) | None |
| Seafarer discharge book / SEA record | Sea-time record | Ongoing | Keep entries signed by the master |
| Passport and visas | Travel documents | Per document | Renew 6 months before expiry for most cruising areas |
Deck department
- Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean (RYA/MCA) with commercial endorsement — the endorsement is what expires, typically every 5 years, and needs a current ENG1, STCW and sea service to renew.
- OOW (Yachts) 3,000 GT, Master (Yachts) 200 GT / 500 GT / 3,000 GT — certificates of competency are revalidated every 5 years against sea service, medical and refresher training.
- GMDSS radio: Short Range Certificate (small yachts) or Long Range / GOC — SRC and LRC do not expire; GOC revalidates with the CoC.
- Powerboat Level 2 and PWC for tender and jet-ski operation; commercial endorsement where required by the flag.
- Advanced training required from certain tonnages: AFF (advanced fire fighting), PSCRB (survival craft), MFA / MCP (medical), ECDIS, HELM, GMDSS GOC.
Engineering department
- MCA Approved Engine Course (AEC 1 and 2) — small yacht engineering; no expiry but the AEC is a training certificate, not a CoC.
- MEOL (Yachts), Y4 / Y3 / Y2 / Y1 Chief Engineer (Yachts) — revalidated every 5 years against sea service and medical.
- Refrigeration handling certificates (F-gas) where the engineer services A/C and fridges.
- Electrical safety and high-voltage training on yachts with HV systems.
Interior department
- STCW basics and ENG1 as above; Food Safety Level 2 for anyone preparing food; Food Safety Level 3 for chefs in charge of a galley.
- Ship's cook certificate where the flag requires it (MLC yachts with 10 or more crew).
- Wine, service and hospitality qualifications are not statutory but are what charter guests notice.
The boat's own certificates
The crew are not the only ones with dates. Registration, the safety certificate or MCA coding, the radio licence, the liferaft service, EPIRB battery and registration, fire equipment, insurance and the MLC certificate all expire on their own schedule, and a lapsed boat certificate grounds a compliant crew just as surely as the reverse.
How certificates actually get missed
- The certificate is in the crew member's bag or their email, not with the boat, so nobody ashore knows the date.
- The renewal needs a course with a waiting list — an STCW refresher in high season can be a month away — and it is noticed the week before.
- A crew change: the new engineer's papers were checked at hiring and never again.
- The medical lapses on a boat far from an approved doctor.
- Someone assumes a certificate "doesn't expire" and it does, or the flag changed its rule.
A system that works
- One list per boat of every certificate on board, crew and vessel, with issue date, expiry date, issuing authority and a scan of the document.
- Reminders at 90, 60 and 30 days before expiry, going to the crew member and to the manager ashore.
- A renewal plan for every 5-year item: book the refresher six months out, not six weeks.
- Check the list at every crew change and every Port State call; sign it off by name.
- Keep the scans with the boat so they survive the crew member leaving.
Do all of this in iVessel — and more
iVessel keeps every certificate — crew and vessel — on the boat's account with its expiry date and a scan, and tells you before anything lapses.
- Add each crew member's certificates with issue and expiry dates and a photo or PDF of the document; they stay with the boat when the crew member moves on.
- Automatic reminders before expiry to the crew member and to the manager ashore, with the expiring items listed on the boat's dashboard and across the fleet.
- The boat's own documents — registration, coding, radio licence, insurance, liferaft and EPIRB dates — tracked in the same place with the same reminders.
- Assign the renewal as a task to a named person, with a due date, so a 5-year refresher is booked in time; every task records who did what and when.
- Works offline at sea and syncs when you are back in range. iOS, Android and web.
Your first boat is free for 30 days.
Frequently asked
How long does STCW basic safety training last?
The sea survival (PST) and fire fighting (FPFF) elements need a refresher every 5 years. Elementary first aid and PSSR generally do not expire, but some flags and employers require refreshers, so check the flag's requirement and your contract.
How long is an ENG1 medical valid?
Two years for most seafarers, one year if under 18, and sometimes less if the doctor restricts it. It must be renewed by an approved doctor and is a prerequisite for revalidating deck and engineering certificates.
What certificates does a yacht deckhand need?
At minimum STCW basic safety training, an ENG1 medical, security awareness, and usually Powerboat Level 2 for the tender; on larger yachts, a Yachtmaster or OOW route and a GMDSS radio certificate as they progress. The flag state and the yacht's tonnage set the exact requirement.
How do I keep crew certificates from expiring?
Keep one list per boat with every certificate's expiry date and a scan of the document, send reminders at 90, 60 and 30 days to both the crew member and the manager, book 5-year refreshers six months ahead, and check the list at every crew change.
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