Commercial Endorsement for Motor Cruising

If you wish to take up to 12 paying passengers to sea or operate in a commercial environment, it is a legal requirement to hold an RYA/MCA Certificate of Competence with a Commercial Endorsement. It is an endorsement printed on your RYA Certificate of Competence or course completion certificate which shows that you have undergone additional training, a practical examination, and a medical fitness test, enabling you to work on commercial vessels.

All commercial vessels are surveyed and certified for different categories of use according to the type of vessel and the waters in which they operate. These categories of use are set according to the Maritime Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) codes of practice. It is this categorisation that determines which Commercially Endorsed Certificate of Competence you will need.

For example to operate commercially in catorgory 6 waters (within 3 miles from a nominated departure point, in favourable weather and daylight) you would need either a Power Boat level 2 certificate, Day Skipper Power or Day Skipper Sail certificate, depending on which type of boat you would like to work. To operate in category 1 waters (up to 150 miles from a safe haven) you would need a Yachtmaster Offshore Power or Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate.

Further information about the certificate you require for commercial purposes can be found on the RYA website. Alternatively, contact us and a member of our team can assist you.

In addition to your Certificate of Competence (such as the Day Skipper or Yachtmaster certificates) you will also need several complementary certificates to gain a commercial endorsement. These are the VHF Short Range Certificate , First Aid, Sea Survival, and Professional Practices and Responsibilities (PPR) qualifications. The final bit of paper you will need would be a medical certificate, such as the ML5 for coastal waters or ENG1 for further offshore.

Once you have all your certificates for the endorsement, you need to fill out an application form and send it with the fee and passport picture to the RYA.

The Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence is the most popular to commercially endorse. The Yachtmaster certificate opens up a wide range of jobs, both in the UK and abroad. These can range from being a delivery skipper, skipper on a charter boat, superyacht crew or skippering work boats. For further reading please have a look at the RYA website section on Yachtmaster.

Feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss what you would need to gain a commercial endorsement to work in the marine world. A member of our team will be happy to answer any questions.