merchant marine rating vs yacht rating

Hi,

There is nnot really any comparison between merchant navy and yacht qualifications.

Most merchant Navy certificates can be endorsed for yacht use but NO Yacht ones can be used on Merchant Navy vessels.

STCW is not about your engineering skills it stands for Standards in Training and Certified Watchkeeping and requires seafarers be provided with "familiarization training" and "basic safety training" which includes basic fire fighting, elementary first aid, personal survival techniques, and personal safety and social responsibility. This training is intended to ensure that seafarers are aware of the hazards of working on a vessel and can respond appropriately in an emergency. STCW, as amended, will require all training and assessment activities to be "continuously monitored through a quality standards system to ensure achievement of defined objectives, including those concerning the qualifications and experience of instructors and assessors." The 1995 amendments require those responsible for instruction and assessment of the competence of seafarers to be qualified for the type and level of training or assessment involved. Persons performing these roles are expected to have received guidance in instructional techniques and assessment methods.

Does Romania issue any STCW 95 Certificates?

Hi,

I understand your frustration with what the MCA will and will not accept.

The MCA does not accept UK Navy qualifications for direct change to Yacht or Merchant Navy qualifications.

Can you give evidence of your sea time sufficient to allow you to enter and sit for the MEOL or Y4?

You should also be aware that the yacht business is changing rapidly, there are now more qualified people than jobs in the wake of the global economic slowdown. Movie Star wages and conditions are no longer de rigueur amongst the masses.

Hi,

I suggest that you apply for a Notice of Eligibility to the MCA For Y4 and get started.

Vicky, you don't say which Romanian certificate you hold but since Romanian certificates are STCW certificates and Romania is on the UKMCA white list for Certificates of Equivalent Competency you can either appy for an MCA CeC or, since you want to sail on yachts, and the majority of yachts are Cayman flagged, apply to Cayman Islands for an endorsement on your Romanian CoC.

While the MCA might like everyone to believe a Y rating is the only piece of paper worth holding, professional mariners holding certificates of competence issued by the maritime authority of an STCW white listed nation may apply to have that certificate endorsed by the flag state, and in the case of yachts, since few are UK flagged you don't need anything from the MCA. That is the value of a real certificate, you don't have to play the MCA game. To paraphrase K1W1, your commericial certificate can take you anywhere but a Y ticket is only good on one tram.

Hi,

MARMOT- I get the idea that any certificate held by this poster is NOT an STCW 95 CoC from this post. http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/70940-post2.html

If the Carnival Cruise Lines service is recent I would say that there must have been some STCW Certs required to even sail with them so it remains to be seen exactly what position this poster is trying to start from.

Yes, it is very murky. If vicky has a current Romanian certificate it is an STCW certificate and should be acceptable to apply for an endorsement. What the certificate is is the question. It sounds like it might be a motorman rating rather than a CoC or license. With the years of seatime mentioned, if it is a motorman rating it would make more sense to upgrade to a Romanian engineering license and be done with it.

In any event I would not waste time or money on an MCA ticket of any sort, it isn't required to work on a yacht.

Hi,

For once you are wrong here with your knowledge of the rules and regs.

On my Merchant Navy UK Certificate of Competency it says The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland certifies that (Name of CoC Holder)has been found to be duly qualified in accordance with the regulations.

The CoC's themselves and all correspondence relating to them is through the MCA. It says so right inside the back cover

Your CoC says that because it is an MCA CoC.

Mine is US and I, like a CoC holder of any other white listed flag can obtain a Cayman, Marshall Islands, or other flag state endorsement and serve aboard a vessel registered under that flag.

I can assure we don't have to have any dealings with the UK MCA.

"An MCA licence allow me to find a job ..."

Yes it would but you don't have one and for you to acquire one is as you have discovered a lengthy and expensive process. Besides that once you have one you will find out it is worthless in the real world.

Regardless of what you believe the Romanian III/4 engine rating should be equivalent to, it is whatever the vessel flag state decides it is. If you have years of sea time as a motorman, I suggest you submit that time to Romania and try to acquire a Romanian engineer license. That will provide you with a license you can use anywhere on any vessel, yacht or commercial.

Now, read this carefully ... If you have a Romanian certificate, the flag state of the yacht you work on (which will probably be Cayman) will issue an endorsement based on your Romanian license. They may issue you an endorsement to sail as chief engineer on Cayman yachts right now, based on your current documentation and experience. Submit an application to Cayman and find out what they will do.

If they consider your rating and experience adequate then you will have all the papers you need. You do not have to get an MCA license.

But, and read this very very carefully - you will still be cleaning filters and far worse ... no matter what.