Maritime Training Sail & Power
What is a commercial endorsement?
It is an endorsement printed on your RYA certificate of competence to show that you have undergone additional training and a medical fitness test, enabling you to work on commercial vessels. There are two types of commercial endorsement:
The standard commercial endorsement allows you work on board British flagged vessels subject to the MCA’s codes of practice for small commercial vessels. The following wording would appear on your certificate:
- For Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean Certificates of Competence: This certificate is valid for use as a Master of yachts of up to 200gt on commercially and privately registered yachts until (date of expiry).
- For Powerboat Level 2, Powerboat Advanced, Day Skipper and Yachtmaster Coastal Certificates of Competence: Valid for vessels of up to 24 metres in length used for commercial purposes subject to the codes of practice issued by the MCA until (date of expiry).
The STCW endorsement is for holders of the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Ocean Certificates of Competence working under non-UK maritime authorities. It requires you to take 4 additional courses:
- Personal Survival techniques (STCW A-V1/1-1)
- Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (STCW A-V1/1-4)
- Elementary first aid (STCW A-V1/1-3)
- Fire fighting and fire prevention (STCW A-V1/1-2)
The following wording would appear on your certificate: The certificate holder has completed training under the STCW code A- VI/1 Para 2.1. This certificate is valid for use as Master of yachts of up to 200gt on commercially and privately registered yachts until:(date of expiry).
Which certificates can be commercially endorsed?
The following certificates can receive the standard commercial endorsement:
I) Course completion certificate:
- RYA National Powerboat Certificate – Level 2
- RYA National Powerboat Certificate – Advanced (only if issued before January 1, 2005)
- RYA Day Skipper (tidal) practical course completion certificate.
- RYA Day Skipper (non-tidal) practical course completion certificate, only if supported by a Day Skipper shorebased course completion certificate.
II) Certificate of competence (exam passed):
- RYA Advanced Powerboat Certificate of Competence
- RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence
In addition, the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean Certificates of Competence can receive the STCW endorsement.
Which certificate do I need?
The MCA’s codes of practice categorise British flagged commercial yachts according to the type of yacht and the waters in which they operate. It is this categorisation that determines which of the above certificates you will need. See the MCA’s table of manning requirements below.
The RYA is a certifying authority for the codes of practice and can give advice on the coding and categorisation of commercial yachts. See the requirements for commercial boats link below.
How do I apply for a standard commercial endorsement?
Send the following items to RYA Certification, RYA House, Ensign Way, Hamble, Hampshire SO31 4YA:
- Your original certificate – see list above
- Your Professional Practices and Responsibilites certificate – more information
- A commercial endorsement application form – see link on the right
- An ML5 or ENG1 medical fitness certificate – download the MCA’s ML5 form from the link on the right. Skippers working in category 1 or 0 waters will need the ENG1 medical. Contact the MCA for a list of approved doctors.
- A copy of your RYA Basic Sea Survival certificate or STCW Personal Survival Techniques
- A passport sized photo with your name on the back
*From April 2012 applicants for the commercial endorsement will also have to complete an online course and assessment, as detailed in the ‘What is a commercial endorsement?’ section above.
How do I apply for a STCW endorsement?
- Your original RYA Yachtmaster Offshore or Yachtmaster Ocean certificate of competence
- A commercial endorsement application form – see link below
- Evidence of completion of STCW courses – see list above
Revalidating your commercial endorsement
All commercial endorsements must be revalidated every five years by proving at least 150 days of actual sea service on appropriate vessels during the previous five years, and be in possession of a valid medical fitness certificate.
If you are unable to prove the requisite sea service but are able to demonstrate that during at least half of the five year period you have been employed on duties closely associated with the management and operation of one or more of the appropriate types of vessels, you may have your certificate considered for revalidation.
*April 2012 onwards applicants for the commercial endorsement also have to complete an online PPR course and assessment, as detailed here .
Once you have taken your first PPR course, at subsequent renewals of your commercial endorsement you will need to take a reduced version of the course and a short test to make sure you are still up to speed with the subject.
Note: If you are over 65 and subject to more regular medical fitness examinations, you do not need to take the PPR course each time you renew your medical. You will simply need to take it when your commerical endorsment is due for renewal (normally every five years).
Contact details
- Back to Training Support Home
Commercial endorsements
Rya cruising and yachtmaster instructors must hold a commercial endorsement or an australia endorsement prior to attending an instructor training course..
They must continue to hold a valid commercial/Australia only instructor endorsement for their instructor award to remain valid. Please note that the Australia only endorsement does not allow commercial work on UK or Australian Flagged vessels.
Powerboat Advanced Instructors must hold a current commercial endorsement when teaching the Powerboat Advanced or Tender Operator courses.
Find our more information about
- Gaining a commercial endorsement
- Insurance for freelance commercial skippers
- Australia endorsements
- Commercial Endorsment
National Yachting School » Commercial Endorsment
Commercial Endorsment for professional skippers
Commercial endorsment, authorizing the management of vessels up to 200gt for commercial uses, may be obtained for all types of RYA certificates – RYA Day Skipper, RYA Coastal Skipper, RYA Yachtmaster Coastal, RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and RYA Yachtmaster Ocean. Commercial endorsment is issued by the British government's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Certificates to RYA Yachtmaster Coastal with commercial endorsement are valid for recreational and commercial vessels up to 24 meters length, permissions differ in navigation and distance from shore.
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificates with commercial endorsement are valid for recreational and commercial vessels up to 200gt, distance of 150 miles from a safe haven, respectively indefinitely. This certificate is then used as a basis for further qualification levels (MCA Officer of the Watch, MCA's Chief Mate, Master 500GT and 3000GT) that allow you to work professionally on vessels up to 3000gt.
This is the British system, officially valid on ships under the British flag. Higher certificates (Yachtmaster Offshore and Ocean) with commercial endorsement are commonly recognized as sufficient qualification in many other states. To obtain internationally recognized commercial endorsement it is necessary to complete STCW courses. But it is always necessary to ask the local authorities about specific conditions of the flag state and the territorial waters.
Commercial endorsement is valid generally for 5 years (skippers over 65 years must renew their medical certificate more often). Toobtain the commercial endorsement you will need:
- Completed application RYA / MCA
- A certificate of medical examination according to the standards of MCA
- Survival at sea course. Recognised courses are RYA Basic Sea Survival, ISAF Sea Survival Training or standard STCW courses.
- „Professional Practices and Responsibilities“ online course ( more infoabout the online course )
If you are interested in obtaining the Commercial endorsment please contact us. For more detailed informations about the Commercial endorsment visit the RYA website
Winter courses on Canaries
In NYS we believe that there’s no such a thing as winter in sailing and you can always find a good place to enjoy your hobby any time throught the year. So we started a cooperation with another RYA Training Center - Canary sail, which will be running all the RYA scheme on this beautiful archipelago for you.
RYA Sailing Accreditation Rated as the World’s Best
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) sailing qualifications have been voted the premiere sailing accreditation for excellence and global reputation following a recent survey targeting 200 professional yacht and motorboat charter companies. The professional charter companies that were surveyed own and manage in excess of 6,000 charter boats across the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Asia.
- Sail Cruising courses
- Rent a boat
- Sailing equipment
- Yachting publications
National Yachting School Skola jachtingu s.r.o. Makovskeho namesti 3147/2, Brno, Czech Republic
Phone: +420 731 745 273 Phone: +421 902 896 099
Web: www.skolajachtingu.cz E-mail: [email protected]
(c) 2011-2024 National Yachting School - Sailing Courses, Skipper Licences
Links exchange | Site map | Top designed by čekit.cz
Online Courses
- What is RYA?
- NYS Instructors
- RYA Training Centre
- Terms and Conditions
- RYA Sail Training Ladder
- RYA Competent Crew
- RYA Day Skipper
- RYA Coastal Skipper
- RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal Preparation & Exam
- RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation & Exam
- Shorebased Theory Courses
- RYA Basic Sea Survival / World Sailing Personal Offshore Survival course
- Short Range Certificate
IMAGES
VIDEO