IYT Master of Yachts courses have been recognised by the British Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) since 1998 for use on board all Red Ensign registered Yachts up to 200 gross tons. Although the courses were specifically designed for use on Red Ensign Yachts, they are now accepted by many other flag states because of their prestigious MCA recognition.

It is imperative that holders of IYT certificates check with the flag state for which they wish to work or the port authority/maritime authority in which they wish to operate to ensure they will accept your certificate.

As of December 2024, the IYT Master of Yachts Limited “Sail” or “Power & Sail” CoC is also accepted by the Australian Maritime Safety Administration (AMSA) as part of the prerequisites to obtain the AMSA “Sailing Master Offshore (NC) CoC”.  Please refer to this link for more information.

It is important to understand that an IYT certificate is a qualification that can be used across the globe. Unlike other training organisations, IYT insists on an understanding of IALA Regulations in Areas A & B, weather systems in the northern & southern hemispheres, tidal calculations for the Mediterranean and North America and the effects of tropical revolving storms.

Note: To obtain a power certificate/endorsement, training and examination may not take place on a sailboat under auxiliary engine.

Critical Information – Please do not disregard this note: MCA/IYT no longer certifying candidates who are color blind.

The MCA are no longer allowing Deckhands, Officers of the Watch, Mates or Masters who have color blindness to hold MCA certification. In the past, those who were diagnosed with color blindness were issued certificates with the endorsement” no solo watch” or “dual watch only”.

Because the IYT/MCA Master of Yachts certificates are commercial in nature, IYT will be complying with the same MCA requirements and will be unable to issue any commercial certificates to those who have color blindness.  It is imperative that students undertake a color blindness test BEFORE they enroll in any IYT/MCA commercial courses as we will not be able to certify them.

Also, it is important to note that a ‘lantern test’ for color blindness is no longer accepted.  The test must be an Ishihara or CAD test.

Those who already hold IYT/MCA commercial certificates with a color blindness endorsement “no solo watch” will be able to renew with the same endorsement”.

If you hold this certificate you are qualified for work as;

• Master of 200 ton vessel up to 150 nautical miles offshore
• Chief Mate of 500 ton vessel up to 150 nautical miles offshore
• Chief Mate of 200 ton vessel all oceans
• OOW (Officer of the Watch) of a 500 ton vessel all oceans.

Minimum entry requirements are;

• Candidates should be 18 years of age or older.
• One must hold or obtain a Marine Communications VHF-SRC Radio Operators certificate.

Please note that we do not accept ISSA VHF qualifications.

(If you are unsure if your radio license will be accepted, please send a scanned copy of the front and back of your license to [email protected]. We will verify that your license is sufficient to receive the IYT Master of Yachts Limited license).

• One must hold or obtain all Basic STCW certificates.
• STCW certificates must be valid (not expired).
• STCW certificates must be issued by nations found on the IMO “White List”.

We do not accept certificates where courses with practical elements have been delivered online as this does not meet STCW requirements.

STCW EFA, PST, and BFF components cannot be taken online whereas STCW PSSR and PMSA components can be taken online.

If STCW Safety Training is taken after January 1, 2014, new Proficiency in Maritime Security Awareness (PMSA) is also required.

• Candidates must provide documented evidence of boating experience as stated below:

Sea time must be on a yacht (at least 10m in length) which can be defined as a non-cargo carrying vessel for recreational or commercial charter purposes.

You must be an active crew member at sea; therefore, a day is defined as a period of 8 consecutive hours.

We do not accept ship yard service and stand-by service as sea time.

The term “at sea” is defined as being on a vessel outside of any harbour – natural or artificial – in which a cruising yacht could secure or anchor for a prolonged period.

The nautical miles must be on genuine cruises or passages, not short-day trips. The candidate must have considerable time of actual vessel handling.

The minimum 1,500 nm for the power endorsement cannot include sea time on any monohull sailing vessel driven under power.

The minimum 1,500 nm for the power endorsement cannot include sea time on power vessels with outboard engines.

Logging Sea Time

If you have a sea time logbook, please scan copies of pages, and send them to us in one PDF document; make sure your name is at the top of each page prior to scanning.

You may also use these documents: (you must be logged in to your IYT Account to access)

• IYT testimonial for sea service
• IYT candidate sea time form

IYT is proud to now recommend the SailTies app as a method for logging sea time for recreational and professional mariners. With the skipper/captain signature functionality they’ve added based on our request and ability for full logbook export, SailTies offers verified records of voyages making it suitable for commercial qualifications. The app’s ease of use and comprehensive tracking now provide a seamless digital solution that replaces traditional paper logbooks, meeting the high standards required by professionals.

A current medical fitness examination and a colour blindness eyesight examination, which allows the participant to safely perform the relevant duties on a yacht. Medical/eyesight examinations must be performed within the last two years from the time the certificate is being issued.

Please Note: A candidate may take both endorsements, however, it is highly recommended that he or she have some hands-on practical experience and sea time on both power and sailing vessels before attempting the exam. The practical exam is not the forum for learning basic skills. Candidates may sit the shore-based course prior to having all the above requirements. Verification of the above yachting experience must be original and signed by the skipper of the yacht in which the candidate was sailing. Candidates claiming sea time during times when they were acting as skipper may sign their own entries but independent verification may be required.

Note: We will also accept military letters stating service days for seatime, however, each will be reviewed to ensure they have sufficient experience for the level of certificate they are requesting.

IMPORTANT NOTE: IYT will not tolerate fraudulent activity, nor the tampering of  certificates and associated documentation (seatime, STCW certificates, medical, etc.), and the submission of such will result in the cancellation of your IYT certificate(s) and IYT may notify the MCA.

In addition, students found submitting tampered documentation or certificates to IYT will be banned from taking any IYT courses in the future.