yacht service record book

Sea Service Verification on Large Yachts: MIN 543 (M)

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has now published MIN 543 (M): Sea Service Verification on Large Yachts, outlining revised arrangements for the verification of Sea Service Testimonials (SST) for seafarers working on large yachts.

The MCA requires evidence of qualifying sea service in support of seafarer’s applications for a Notice of Eligibility (NoE) or for the renewal of a Certificate of Competency (CoC), and as well as direct applications to MCA, this formalises authority for verification via Nautilus International (Nautilus) and the Professional Yachting Association (PYA).

MIN 543 (M) formalises this arrangement whereby all seafarers employed in the large yacht sector, whether members or not, must have their sea service verified by either Nautilus or PYA before submitting this information to the MCA, otherwise you can expect processing delays of around 160 days.

MIN 543 (M): Sea Service Verification on Large Yachts

• When will the D-SRB be released to me?  The D-SRB is released only after new documents are uploaded, reviewed, verified, and approved by our SRB Officers (please read here to learn about the process). If you haven't uploaded any new certificates or testimonials since we've gone digital, you won't receive any D-SRB. You are entitled to a D-SRB for all files uploaded since the start of the Pandemic in 2020 and that were not entered into the SRB already. The physical SRB has since been discontinued and cannot be updated. You are also entitled to a D-SRB for all files uploaded since 22 February 2021 (the official launch of the D-SRB). We have completed releasing the D-SRBs for files handled during the Pandemic. If for any reason you haven't received yours, please contact us.
• What is the PYA's D-SRB? On 22 February 2021, the PYA launched its Digital Service Record Book (D-SRB), which replaced the well-established physical SRB, which goes along with a completely new digital procedure and is available to all Full members who need their sea service to be verified. The MCA has agreed to a permanent switchover that resulted in a huge increase in the efficiency of recording documents and the MCA application process. Crew can upload key information into their online profile and visualise their verified sea-time and qualifications into the D-SRB – anywhere, at any time. Watch a short video on the D-SRB here.
• Where will I find it? You will see an orange button at the very top of your Member's area, that you can click to immediately download your D-SRB. It will also be the first document listed in the documents list, in the Documents tab, in your PYA profile. 
• Do I still need to send my certificates to the MCA since they already are inside my D-SRB? Yes, the MCA currently accepts only the Sea Service section of the D-SRB, so the certificates listed are for your personal use only. We are working on getting the MCA to accept the Certificates section as well to prevent our members from having to send certificates to them in the future.
• What documents will be in the D-SRB?  Any certificates or testimonials that have NOT already been entered into the physical SRB and that have been verified and approved by an SRB Officer. Certificates and testimonials written in the old, physical SRB can be transferred to the D-SRB for a fee. Our fees are as follows: Transfer of records between 1 to 6 entries: 30 euros Transfer of records between 7 to 12 entries: 60 euros Transfer of ALL records: 100 euros If you are interested in this service, please contact [email protected] specifying the number of records and which documents you would like to have transferred to your D-SRB. Please note that files will be handled following the queue order and in low priority in relation to new testimonials, certificates and YRC applications.
• What are the requirements for the D-SRB to be issued successfully?  A passport photo uploaded to your profile The documents you upload (passport, certificates, testimonials) must be in pdf files Multiple pages of the same document need to be in ONE file, e.g. a two-page testimonial needs to be uploaded in ONE file Different certificates/testimonials need to be separated into different files (one certificate or testimonial per file) The text in the documents must be clear, visible, and legible Failure of complying with the requirements will lead to the documents being declined and your file being put into pending until the issue is solved.
• How do I apply for an NOE or Revalidation now? Most MCA applications (not the first MCA CoC) need to be sent by email. The D-SRB must be ready before you can apply so that you can download it and include it in your application email. Please do not copy PYA in the emails. If you are applying for your first MCA CoC, then you still need to send your original documents to the MCA by post, except for the D-SRB, which must always be sent by email. If all the required sea time (or part of it) is in a physical SRB, please contact us for a digitally stamped copy so you can send it by email instead.
• Is the D-SRB safe? The D-SRB is protected by a digital seal that safeguards the document from any changes and contains PYA information so that whoever receives the copy knows it is authentic and valid.
• What if I need to apply to the MCA and some of my testimonials/certificates are in my old physical SRB and some of them are on the D-SRB?  You will need to send your physical SRB by post or obtain a digitally stamped copy to email together with your D-SRB to the MCA. You can contact the office to obtain the digitally stamped copy.
• How will I know when it is ready for me to download? You will receive an email notification and you will see an orange button appear at the top of your Documents tab in your PYA profile.  You can download and save your D-SRB, on your device.
• What will happen to the physical SRB?  If you are in possession of your SRB, you can keep it and use it together with the Digital SRB when/if necessary. For those who stored their SRB in our office, we have contacted them to have it shipped out or picked up. If you haven't heard from us it might be because the contact details we had were no longer valid. You can contact [email protected] for more information.
• Will I have access to the D-SRB even if my membership expires? Yes, for the 5 years following the expiration date of your membership. By GDPR regulation we are allowed to retain copies of your documents on our system for a maximum of 5 years since your membership has expired. If you will require a copy of your D-SRB during that period, we can send you one by email by contacting [email protected]. After the deadline, all your records (the D-SRB as well) will be deleted. We advise you always download a copy of your most recent D-SRB, but you will be notified 30 days before your account and records will be deleted.
• If I already have a physical SRB, will I always need to use both SRB and D-SRB when applying to the MCA?  No, you will not. For those members who have not recently applied for a new CoC or Revalidation, they might have entries both in the SRB and D-SRB that are relevant to their next application, but once they have been used, all future relevant entries will be in the D-SRB only.
• When should I get a testimonial? The best would be to get a testimonial filled in and signed right before you leave a yacht. You can always ask for a testimonial afterwards but it may prove more complicated as people might move on to other jobs in the meantime. Should you find yourself in a situation where you don't have a testimonial and need to get one, since we don't require originals, you can fill in a new testimonial and email it to the signatory to have it signed and emailed back to you. It's always best if you fill it in first so they only need to put their own details in and sign it, but if you don't have all the information, you can ask for assistance from them. The boat stamp is not necessary. You can ask the Captain, Chief Officer, Chief Engineer (if you were working in an engineering role and weren't the Chief Engineer onboard), yacht manager, owner or owner's representative to sign your testimonial and verify it. You can find our templates here.
• Does the MEOL still exist? Yes, it is the new SV MEOL CoC. You can learn more about it by reading the MCA's MSN 1904 or contacting [email protected]
• How does the sea service verification work? Please read here.
• What is a TRB or Training Record Book? TRB stands for Training Record Book. For deck, the OOW 3000 Yachts MCA Training Record Book is a requirement that must completed before you can apply for an OOW 3000 Yachts CoC. You can download this online on the MCA website or ask us for a free bound copy when you are a PYA member. For engineers going through the Small Vessel Route, the Engineering TRB can only be obtained after you've registered into the Program and from Training Providers or Colleges that offer SV courses. To register, you have to prove you satisfy all the entry requirements.
• What happens if my Captain no longer works on the boat where I was employed? If you already have a Sea Service Testimonial, as long as the email address where we can contact the Captain is still valid, and he/she replies, this won't affect the verification process in any way. If you don't have a Sea Service Testimonial yet, you can still get one. As long as the Captain is willing to sign and verify your service, despite no longer being on board, you can get him/her to sign and use a personal email address instead. The boat stamp is not mandatory, so we can accept the testimonial without one.
• When can a testimonial be ‘declined’? This can happen for various reasons:  If the testimonial form used does not contain all the necessary information, i.e... signatory's contact details are missing or illegible, there is no breakdown of service time (days at sea, standby, shipyard and watch keeping - where applicable)  If the testimonial form has missing dates or dates overlapping with another testimonial submitted. If the definitions of sea service have been disregarded, i.e... standby time exceeds days at sea, sea service totals are higher than employment period etc.  If the testimonial is not in English If the testimonial is self-signed Please read our guidelines to avoid this. 
• What is Seaman's Discharge Book (SDB)? What is the difference between the SDB and the PYA D-SRB (Digital Service Record Book)? A Seaman's Book / Seaman's Discharge Book / Discharge Book is a physical booklet, issued by the maritime authorities all around the world, which, traditionally, has two purposes: Identity document, and Record of your employment history Additionally, a Seaman's Book can be useful when passing through an airport or when taking shore leave. You can read more about SDBs here. A D-SRB (Digital Service Record Book) is a PYA-generated electronic document that replaces the PYA's physical Service Record Book (SRB). The PYA's SRB (now D-SRB) was introduced to make it easier for yacht crew to prove to the MCA their experience and that they held the relevant qualifications required to apply for a Certificate of Competency (CoC). It is recognized by the MCA and Transport Malta but not necessarily by the maritime authorities of other countries. We recommend that you have BOTH. Your D-SRB will be fine for MCA courses and training but, one day, you might want to apply for a CoC from another country. You can read more about the PYA D-SRB by going back to the FAQs here.
• What is the procedure to issue/update my D-SRB? How do my testimonials get verified? How do I know the status of my testimonials’ verification? Log into your PYA profile and upload your testimonials/certificates to ‘your documents’. The documents will then go through our verification process. You can verify the status of your documents in your profile under ‘your documents’.
• How can I get certified copies of documents? Who can certify documents that I need to submit to the PYA? Do they all (testimonials and certificates) need to be certified? The certification of your documents for PYA use can be done by anyone holding a CoC, a management company, a training provider, or other professionals such as doctors, lawyers or teachers, who declare that the copies are true copies of the originals. Only the certificates need to be certified as true copies, not testimonials. We cannot process your testimonials without confirming your identity so your file will remain pending until you upload a certified copy of your passport. Text sample: ----- "I certify that this/these is a/are true copy/ies of the original/s." Full name, COC number and issuing authority (if available), stamp (if available), signature. ----- Whoever is certifying your documents can: - write the declaration on each copy; - send an email to [email protected] with the above text, mentioning each certificate, while you upload simple copies of your certificates to your profile; - write the declaration in a Word/PDF document and mention each certificate and upload it together with the simple copies of your documents to your profile. The MCA accepts certified copies of your documents in place of the originals. Please note that for us to issue certified copies that are accepted by the MCA we must see the originals first. We cannot make certified copies from certified copies unless they come from one of our Agents. If you are in the Antibes area, we can arrange an appointment for you to come with your certificates. Alternatively, you can go to one of our Agents listed in the Contacts section, or any notary public, or MCA-approved nautical colleges, or IYT, or Your Maritime Administration, or MCA Surveyors, or other MCA-approved organisations (you must contact the MCA directly for these).
• What is a testimonial? Why can’t Reference Letters or Seaman Discharge Books be accepted instead?  A testimonial is documentary proof of your onboard yacht service and sea service. It contains the details of the yacht, your position, and your detailed sea service, with days at sea, standby, shipyard, and watchkeeping (whichever applicable). Most of the time, letters do not contain all the necessary information related to your sea service, so even if they can serve as a reference, they will not qualify as a testimonial as well. The same applies to Seaman Discharge Book (SDB) entries. They refer only to your dates and role on board but do not specify the sea service you acquired. Testimonials must be signed by the Master of the vessel in which the qualifying service has been performed, or can also be signed by the Chief Officer or Chief Engineer (where engineers are concerned). In the case of service as Master, the testimonials must be signed by the owner or a responsible person from the Yacht Management Company such as a company director or yacht manager. Testimonials can be in different formats. We accept them all, not only PYA ones, as long as all the necessary information is provided. If not, the process may be delayed. You can find our testimonial templates here.
• How does the PYA D-SRB work? Please go back to the D-SRB FAQ here.
• What is an NOE or Notice of Eligibility? NOE stands for Notice of Eligibility. The MCA issues this document and it means you have met all the requirements to sit an oral examination with the MCA for a Certificate of Competence (CoC). Before you can book a date for an oral exam, you must have obtained an NOE. It will come with instructions on how to book an oral and details on how the oral exam works.
• Is the Y route still available to engineers? No, the Y route was closed at the end of December 2022. Now, the route has been completely replaced by the Small Vessel Program. To learn more about it you can read MCA's MSN 1904 or contact us at [email protected].

Want to get personalised support? Choose the plan that fits you the most.

Frequently asked questions Crew Training

Do i need stcw basic safety training to get a job, which parts of my stcw need refreshing, i have got my yachtmaster and want to do oow. which course should i do first, i have lost my certificates, what can i do, how do i register on the sv route, what is the difference between psa & pdsd, how do i apply for a yacht rating, how long are my certificates valid for, when do my medical certificates run out, how do i revalidate an mca certificate of competency (coc), how do i revalidate my gmdss after 5 years, how do i revalidate the commercial endorsement on my rya certificate, how do i download mca application forms, how long is my notice of eligibility (noe) valid for, can i work on british flag vessels with a coc issued by another country, how do i apply for a flag state endorsement, how can i contact the mca, who can issue me a eng1 medical certificate, how do i apply for a british seaman’s discharge book, how long before i can do a resit after a "fail" result, how do i fill in my oow training record book, how do i verify my sea time, am i exempt from the sv workshop skills training, i have an iyt master of yachts 200gt - can i do the rya ocean theory course, will my online food hygiene certificate be accepted.

Yes! You will not get a job on a charter yacht without a STCW basic safety training, and it is required by the vast majority of private yachts. Any MCA coded yacht over 500gt will require all crew to hold a STCW basic safety training certificate.

Unfortunately, there are some training providers that issue STCW basic training certificates with expiry dates even though the qualification doesn’t technically expire. The new regulations are that the Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting module and the Personal Survival Techniques modules need revalidation. Elementary First Aid and PSSR do not actually expire or require revalidation though, and this is where the difficulty lies. If there is an expiry date on your Elementary First Aid and PSSR certificates (or on your STCW Basic Training certificate if all on one certificate), then were your vessel to have a control by the Port State authorities, this may well be an issue as officially speaking, the certificates look as if they are no longer valid. Therefore, many crew members in this position are choosing to take the complete STCW Basic Training again. In the end it is your choice whether to take the refreshers only or the full course again, but you may find some yacht management companies will enforce this. For the ’Updating Training’ for the STCW Basic Safety Training, we offer the Updated Proficiency in Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting and Personal Survival Techniques. As these two modules, A-VI/1-1.1 and A-VI/1-1.2, are the only two modules required to be updated by the STCW Manila Amendments. However, please note that if your First Aid and PSSR Certificates have expiry dates, they will be accepted by the MCA but, past that date, they may not be accepted by Flag State, Port State, Management companies or Insurance companies, so please check with your vessel if they have any issues.

We advise you to start with the Efficient Deckhand module as you need to hold this certificate for 18 months before you can apply for your NoE. You can then take the other courses in whichever order ou prefer. Please don’t forget your Training Record Book as this takes a minimum of 12 months to complete and cannot be backdated.

Please contact the training office you took your courses at and the Training Coordinators will be happy to help.

To register for the SV programme, please bring, or scan and send, the following documents to a Bluewater training centre : • Course completion certificates for MCA Approved Engine Course part 1 & part 2 • Valid Seafarer’s medical certificate (e.g. ENG1) • STCW basic safety training certificate (plus updated training certificates if required) • Proof of sea-time of at least 24 months service, including minimum 6 months actual sea service (this sea time MUST be verified by the PYA or Nautilus), and no more than 90 days in a shipyard. All is required to be accumulated in an engineering capacity. • Purchase an SV Second Engineer Training Record Book (€100 from a Bluewater training centre, this also includes the registration letter). • A passport-sized photo and a form of photo ID A member of the training team will check the above documents, and date and stamp your training record book accordingly. We will need to sight all elements before we can do this. Your date of registration is the date that we received all of your documents and enter this into the training record book. From this point, you can start to accumulate the remaining 11 months service required, 4 of which is actual sea-time, start the SV written modules (Marine Diesels, Operational Procedures, and Auxiliary Equipment part 1), complete the workshop as well as complete the tasks listed in the training record book. You cannot begin to have the tasks in the book signed off until you have registered onto the SV route.

Proficiency in Security Awareness (PSA) is required for every crew member on board ISPS-compliant vessels (which for yachts means every commercial yacht over 500 gross tonnes – approximately 50m+) and Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD) is for those who have security duties as outlined in the Ship’s Security Plan. We would strongly advise you go straight to Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD). This 1-day course includes the PSA syllabus and is the course many yacht crew would need if they have designated security duties on board. PSA and PDSD are available as e-learning courses or you can contact our training department for more information on the classroom schedules.

To obtain your Yacht Rating, please refer to MSN1862 Section 3 and Annexe B , then fill out form MSF4340 . You will need to show proof of 6 months’ yacht service, 2 months’ sea service and have a valid STCW and ENG1.

As of 1st January 2017, if your STCW basic safety training certificate is 5 years old or over, you must update your training for your certificate to remain valid. Specifically, this applies to the Proficiency in Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting and Proficiency in Personal Survival Techniques modules of your STCW basic safety training. This directive doesn’t apply to the other modules. You can update your training by completing the full STCW basic safety training course again, or by completing a refresher course. The refresher courses are called ‘Updated Proficiency in Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting and Personal Survival Techniques’ and we offer them at all our training centres. This directive also applies if you hold Proficiency in Advanced Fire Fighting and/or Proficiency in Advanced Sea Survival (OR Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (Other than Fast Rescue Boats)). We run refresher courses for both of these (note: we run the refresher for the Advanced Sea Survival, now known as the Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (Other than Fast Rescue Boats) RESTRICTED. For medical certificate validity, see the next question. All IAMI (deck) exam pass certificates last for 3 years from the date the examination took place. You must have sat your oral exam and have applied for your CoC before they expire. If you fail to apply for the CoC before your exam pass certificates expire, you would need to obtain a new exam pass certificate by resitting the exam only. If, however you fail the exam, you would be required to complete the full course again for another opportunity to take the exam. SQA (engineering) pass certificates last for 3 years, and you can retake the exam as many times as necessary to obtain an exam pass. On successful pass of an SQA exam, the exam pass certificate is valid for 3 years from the date the examination took place, during which you would need to apply for the appropriate CoC.

The Medical Care at Sea certificate is valid for 5 years, after which you would need to update your medical training. This can be done with a Medical Care at Sea course or an Updated Proficiency in Medical Care course. As Captain, or the designated medical person in charge, your medical certificates should always be in date. However, you do not need to send this certificate when you revalidate your MCA CoC. Elementary First Aid and Medical First Aid do not expire. The RYA requires a certificate of updated medical training within the last 5 years to revalidate a commercial endorsement. Please refer to the question ‘How do I revalidate the commercial endorsement on my RYA certificate?’ to find out how to revalidate a commercial endorsement.

Send the following to: MCA (Seafarer Training & Certification), Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1EG, U.K. • application form MSF 4201 (to download the form, refer to the question ‘How do I download MCA application forms?’) • original certificate of competency • 2 x passport photos (One certified, the other with your name and date of birth) • sea service testimonials and discharge book, or PYA/Nautilus Service Record Book (indicating 12 months on board yacht service in the last five years or 3 months on board yacht service in the last 6 months). • Masters: If you do not submit a PYA/Nautilus Service Record Book then you must provide a company letter verifying at least 12 months of your sea service. • courier fee of £56.00 (EU) or £66.00 (Rest of the World) • Evidence of having completed the basic (and advanced if applicable) updated proficiency safety courses in the last 5 years • valid ENG1 medical certificate (or accepted equivalent) • deck officers only: GMDSS GOC/ROC (as applicable) • deck officers only: ECDIS certificate (if not supplied, you will receive a negative endorsement) • engineer officers only: High voltage course completion certificate (if not supplied you will receive a negative endorsement) Additional information can be found in MSN 1861(M)

Send the following scanned documents to [email protected] : • completed application form MSF 4354 • original GMDSS licence • proof of 12 months’ sea service (testimonials/log book) within the last 5 years • courier fee of £10.00 (UK), £20.00 (EU) or £30.00 (Rest of the World) • valid ENG1 medical certificate (or accepted equivalent)

Send the following to: Royal Yachting Association, RYA House, Ensign Way, Hamble, Southampton, SO31 4YA, U.K. Tel: +44 2380 604 100 • commercial endorsement revalidation form (can be obtained from the RYA website ) • original RYA certificate (Yachtmaster Offshore/Ocean, Powerboat Level 2, etc.) • 1 passport photo • valid ENG1 medical certificate (or accepted equivalent) • proof of sea-time (at least 150 days of actual sea service during the last 5 years) • Professional Practice and Responsibilities (PPR) online test or MCA issued deck CoC • fee of £35.00 (plus £25.00 for fast track service) • Elementary First Aid certificate from the last 5 years (or accepted medical equivalent)

On the UK government services website: www.gov.uk , use the large search box to find the relevant application code.

It is valid for 5 years or 3 years following successful completion of an oral exam. The examination pass certificates must be less than 3 years old for issue of the CoC.

Yes, the MCA recognises STCW endorsed certificates from other countries, provided that they have inspected and approved the training system in that country. You should check the MCA website for an updated list of countries currently recognised. If your country is recognised, you can apply for a Flag State Endorsement (formerly Certificate of Equivalent Competency (CEC)). The MCA should issue a Flag State Endorsement with the same limitations as the original certificate. Information on how to apply for a Flag State Endorsement can be found here .

Email scans of the following documents to [email protected] : • completed application form MSF 4203 • non-UK Certificate of Competency • deck officers only: GMDSS certificate • passport or discharge book • evidence of competency in English language (see the guidance notes in the application form for details on this) • 2 x passport photos (One certified, the other with your name and date of birth) • fee of £109 (UK), £129 (EU/EEA) or £139 (rest of the World)

Helpline: +44 2380 329 231. You don’t need to wait for the operator to ask your questions, you can just select 1 for Deck/GMDSS, select 2 for Engineering or Safe Manning, or select 3 for Certificates of Equivalent Competency. Alternatively, you can email the MCA on [email protected] , [email protected] , or [email protected] .

You can call any of the doctors below and try to get an appointment to see them whilst you are here in Antibes. For a full list of MCA approved ENG1 doctors for the UK please click HERE and for overseas doctors click HERE . Dr Christopher Besse 74 avenue de la Liberté, 2nd floor, 06220 Golfe Juan. Tel: +33 (0)6 47 45 22 88 Dr Jolanda Weerts 55 place de la Vignasse, 06560 Valbonne. Tel: +33 497 25 71 16, direct line: +33 492 92 13 84 Dr Bruno Lavagne “Le Vendome” C, 4 Chemin du Tanit, Juan Les Pins 06160. Tel: +33 493 67 03 07 Dr N Weiss Cabinet d’expertises Medicale, 21 Avenue Desambrois, 06000 Nice. Tel: +33 6 13 50 53 40 Dr Simon Gordon 1913 Route de Cannes, 06560 Valbonne [email protected] In Spain you can go to; Dr Amit Bajpai British Medical Centre, Carrer ses Planas, 7, 07181 Palma Nova, Calvia, Mallorca, Tel: +34 971 683 511 - Email Dr Johanna Clark Club de Mar Medical, Carrer Les Rafaletes, 1A, Edificio Torremar B, Planta Primera, Local 2 IZQUIERDA, 07015 Palma de Mallorca, Tel: +34 971 703 391 - Email

Visit www.gov.uk and apply by post. It costs £55 to apply for a British seaman’s card and £55 to apply for a discharge book. You can also apply through the 24-hour premium service, that costs £105 for a British seaman’s card and £105 for a discharge book, or £160 for both. The form downloaded on the website explains how to pay and where to send your application. A seaman’s discharge book is a full record of a seaman’s career experience and certification. You need a discharge book if you are either: • a British citizen who works on ships or large yachts • not a British citizen but employed on a UK-registered ship or large yacht

For externally moderated OOW 3000gt and Master courses, you may resit the failed exam as soon as you can organise a date with your training provider. You must resit any failed exam within 12 months of sitting the original. If you fail a second time, you must retake the whole course before re-attempting the exam. For externally moderated Engineering courses, you are able to resit the exam as many times as necessary without having to retake the course, up to 3 years following the date of the course completion certificate.

Carefully! All tasks are to be completed and signed off by your Captain. None of the tasks should be signed off at the same time. If you are the Captain, you can sign the tasks off yourself, but the MCA will require, with your application for OOW 3000gt, a letter from someone higher up than yourself, i.e. owner, management company or PYA, explaining why you have self-assessed. TRBs should be filled in over a one to three year period. Dates must correspond to time on vessels, with corresponding testimonials. Don’t sign off tasks all on the same date. See page 89 of the Crew Training Manual for further details.

The PYA is authorised by the MCA, through the PYA ISO quality management standards, to verify sea service using the PYA Service Record Book (SRB). Your certificates and sea time (both present and retrospective experience) will be carefully checked and approved before being stamped into the SRB by the PYA.

You may be able to get an exemption if you have had workshop skills training in the past, such as for qualifying in a mechanical trade (diesel mechanic, fitter, etc.) They are not easy to get though and do require the previous training to have some marine content. If you think you might qualify, you should contact IAMI to apply for the exemption. If you are following the Alternative Route, you will still need to contact the MCA for a Letter of Initial Assessment, outlining your qualifications and sea time/yacht time.

Unfortunately, no, even though the MCA recognises both RYA and IYT qualifications, the RYA will not accept the IYT Yachtmaster Offshore as a pre-requisite for obtaining the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course. You would have to complete the IYT equivalent.

The MCA does not accept Food Safety certificates where the course has been delivered solely by computer-based training. If in any doubt, please consult MIN689 which has a list of accepted courses.

• Guided tour

River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat

• Description
• Choose date

Equipped with ice-breaking technology, these huge fancy yachts are the only river cruisers running all year around. The round trip journey takes two and a half hours and floats past all the big sights like the White House, Novodevichy monastery and the Kremlin. There’s a large open air observation deck up top, while the main body of the ship houses a restaurant with a dance floor for a romantic post dinner dance. For a particularly romantic experience take one of the evening boats and admire the bright lights of the city skyline at night.

The most relaxing and picturesque tour that Moscow can offer: a great way to see the city center and its main attractions. This is a perfect alternative to exploring the city by car, if you only have time to do sightseeing during weekday rush hours.

Your English-speaking guide is eager to share every bit of their knowledge about the surrounding landscape, the architecture and historical details.

We conduct Moscow river tour on Radisson Flotilla boats all year around!  It’s warm inside during winter months, while there’s air conditioning during hot summer days. You may also treat yourself to drinks, lunch or dinner on board (drinks and food are not included in tour price).

The cost of an excursion with a personal guide for 1 person

Quay at Radisson Collection Hotel

Government Headquarters ("the White House")

Kievsky Railway Central

Novodevichy Convent

Luzhniki Stadium

Academy of Sciences

Monument to Peter I

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow Kremlin

St.Basil's Cathedral

Novospassky Monastery

U-turn and back to Quay at Radisson Royal Hotel

Choose your dates

Who's going.

• Excursion River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat
• Date and time:
• Who's going:

See photo of the meeting point

Flotilla Radisson Royal

• See all photos

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Flotilla Radisson Royal - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)