If you hold an OOW (Yachts) <3000gt or Chief Mate (Yachts) <3000gt CoC, you can move on to the Master (Yachts) <500gt or Master (Yachts) <3000gt CoC.
If you hold a Master (code vessels <200gt), OOW (Yachts <500gt) CoC you will need to achieve the OOW (Yachts <3000gt) CoC before moving on to these two Master CoCs.
In order to gain a Master (Yachts) <500gt or <3000gt CoC, you will need to do some classroom training, some yacht and watch keeping service, and finally an oral exam.
Required Service:
The main difference between the Master (Yachts <500gt) and the Master (Yachts <3000gt) is Yacht Service and Watchkeeping Service.
For Master (Yachts <500gt) you must be able to prove the following service:
A minimum of 12 months Onboard Yacht Service as a Deck Officer, including at least 120 days Watchkeeping Service, in vessels of 15 metres or over in loadline length. (starting from the date your OOW CoC was issued)
For Master (Yachts <3000gt) you must be able to prove the following service:
A minimum of 24 months Onboard Yacht Service as a Deck Officer, including at least 240 days Watchkeeping Service. All of this service must be completed in vessels of 15 metres or over in loadline length and include 12 months in vessels of 24 metres or over in load line length, or six months in vessels of 500gt or more. (starting from the date your OOW CoC was issued)
Onboard Yacht Service is being signed onto a yacht, whether you are on passage or not, and does not include leave, or time when you are undertaking your courses.
Watchkeeping service is Actual Sea Service spent as a Watchkeeping Officer in full charge of a navigational watch for not less than 4 out of every 24 hours whilst the vessel is engaged on voyage.
Sea Service Verification Process – please click here to read about new regulations.
The course certificates that you must have for Master are:
(the first 3 only apply if you hold an OOW <3000gt CoC, and do not need to be re-submitted if you already hold a Chief Mate <3000gt CoC)
Advanced Fire Fighting Certificate
Medical First Aid Aboard Ship Certificate
RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased & Practical Certs (commercially endorsed) or IYT Master of Yachts 200 tonnes (Unlimited) Certificate
Master Seamanship & Meteorology Course Completion & Pass Certs
Master Stability Course Completion & Pass Certs
Master Business & Law Course Completion & Pass Certs
Master Navigation, Radar and ARPA Simulator Course Completion & Pass Certs
Proficiency in Medical Care Aboard Ship Certificate
Human Element Leadership & Management (Management Level) certificate (if this wasn’t submitted with your Chief Mate CoC application)
MCA Celestial Navigation Exam Pass Certificate (after 1st January 2014 – NOTE: this is NOT the YM Ocean cert. This certificate expires after 1 year)
ECDIS certificate (after 1st January 2014, and if this wasn’t submitted with your OOW or Chief Mate CoC application)
Master <500gt: if you are yet to receive any of these certificates but have enough service, you can still apply for the Master <500gt NoE, but you will need to submit the certificates to the MCA before the CoC can be issued.
Master <3000gt: when applying for this you must either have the Master <500gt CoC already, or all of the above certificates before you can apply for the NoE, as stated in MSN 1802. If you hold the Master <500gt CoC and wish to upgrade to Master <3000gt, you do not need to resubmit any of the above certificates, unless they have been added to the requirements since your Master <500 CoC was issued.
Candidates who were issued an NoE for Master <3000gt prior to 31st December 2013, who do not hold a Master <500gt CoC already, MUST have completed all of the modules etc before attending the oral examination, otherwise they will receive an automatic fail. Read more here
NOTE: Updating Training for CoC applications– anyone serving on board ship, who holds any of the following certificates must, as of 1st January 2017, have documentary evidence of either completing the training course or updating training within the last 5 years:
- Personal Survival Techniques
- Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boats (CPSC & RB)
- Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boats (PFRB)
- Basic Fire Fighting
- Advanced Fire Fighting
Applying for an NoE:
To do the final oral exam for Master Yachts <500/3000gt, you will need a Notice of Eligibility. This document is issued once the MCA have assessed your eligibility, and an oral exam cannot be booked until the NoE is issued.
Your service needs to be proved with 2 forms of evidence for each vessel on which you are claiming service time. Usually a Testimonial and a Certificate of Discharge. If you have a discharge book, this can be used with a testimonial for each vessel, or if you are a member of the PYA they will attest your PYA logbook.
You must send a form of ID with your application. You can send a copy of your passport, signed by your Captain and with their CoC number noted, but you can also send any form of National ID – birth certificate or Discharge Book are usually easier to cope without!
It should be noted that written exam pass certificates have a validity of only three years. If your module pass certificates are more than 3 years old when you apply for an NoE you will have to submit new pass certificates to the MCA before they will issue an NoE.
Click here to view MSN 1858 (the testimonials and certificate of discharge can be found as annexes of the M Notice on pages 33-37)
Update to Electronic NoE application process & online oral exams
You will need to download the application form. You must complete the form and send all of your original certificates and testimonials to the MCA.
The NoE will be processed in about 28 days. Once the NoE is issued you are deemed eligible to take the oral exam.
JPMA offers oral preparation courses for the Master oral exams. Click here for details.