When you’re hiring crew for a ship or yacht, you must: check crew members’ discharge books to make sure they have the qualifications and certificates of competency for their jobs check that all crew members have the necessary medical certificates for the work they’ll be doing make sure everyone has the necessary travel documents check that all crew can speak the ship’s common working language draw up a crew agreement send a full crew list to the owner of the ship or yacht You must make sure all crew members know the ship’s safety and emergency procedures before the start of your journey.

Checking crew qualifications

You must check crew members’ discharge books to make sure everyone has the necessary qualifications and experience. Crew members doing specialist jobs or working on particular types of craft may need special training. Officers Officers in your crew must have the necessary certificates of competency ( CoCs ) . Check that officers’ CoCs are valid . Officers may need special training if working on tankers, high-speed craft or passenger ships. Merchant navy ratings Make sure that all crew have the correct rating for the work they’ll be doing. Watch ratings need a CoC if they’re performing navigation or engine room duties. Crew on large yachts (24 metres long or over) You must make sure your crew have a MCA Yacht Rating Certificate or other MCA recognised qualification, for example: an able seaman ( AB ) certificate issued under the International Labour Organisation ( ILO ) AB Convention a UK efficient deck hand ( EDH ) certificate a navigational or engine room watch rating certificate issued under Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping ( STCW )

Certificates of competency

You must follow international regulations from Standards in Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers ( STCW ) if you have a commercial vessel going to sea. Some crew members need a certificate of competency ( CoC ) or certificate of equivalent competency ( CEC ) to carry out certain duties. For seafarers’ CoCs to remain valid on certain types of ship they’ll need to meet new training standards in line with STCW regulations (‘2010 Manila Amendments’). Deck officers Masters and other deck department officers need a CoC if they’re performing: bridge watch-keeping duties navigational duties CoCs for deck officers are restricted depending on: the size of the ship or yacht the area of sea where it will operate Download an application for a CoC for: masters, chief mates and deck officers in the merchant navy masters, chief mates and deck officers on yachts You can use a Certificate of Service instead, if you have one. These were issued until 1998. Engineer officers Engineer officers on a ship or yacht with a power output of 750 kilowatts or more need a CoC . There are different CoCs for engineer officers, depending on: the power output of the ship or yacht the area of sea where it will be operating Download an application for a CoC for: a merchant navy engineering officer a yacht engineering officer Revalidating CoCs Deck and engineering officers must revalidate their certificate every 5 years. They do this by showing they’ve completed either: 12 months’ sea service in the last 5 years 3 months’ sea service in the last 6 months 2.5 years in a relevant job - contact the MCA for advice Use form MSF 4258 if someone you want to hire can’t revalidate their CoC because they don’t meet the requirements. Watch ratings Watch ratings on merchant ships need a CoC if they’re performing navigation or engine room duties. Radio operators Radio operators need CoCs if they handle distress and safety radio-communications. All radio personnel serving on UK-registered ships must have either: a Restricted Operator’s Certificate ( ROC ) a General Operator’s Certificate ( GOC ) Other crew Ships’ cooks and security officers may also need a CoC . More information To find out more about the certification structure and examination and training requirements, read: MSN 1856 (M+F) for merchant navy deck officers MSN 1857 (M+F) for merchant navy engineer officers Contact the Maritime and Coastguard Agency ( MCA ) to find out which members of your crew need a CoC . MCA training and certification helpline Telephone: 023 8032 9231 Find out about call charges Certificate of equivalent competency ( CEC ) A CEC allows officers holding Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping ( STCW ) certificates issued by some non-UK countries to work as officers on UK-registered merchant ships. To get a CEC , your crew member must complete the CEC application form. As part of the application process they may be asked to prove their: standards of competency ability to use the English language (this may include an oral exam) knowledge of UK law relating to their job Read more about CECs or download part 19 of the MCA ’s training and certification guidance for more information.

A crew agreement is an employment contract between a ship or yacht’s owners and its crew. All crew agreements must have: a cover with details of the ship and its owners an up-to-date crew list with names, dates of birth and addresses a list of anyone on board who is under 18 or exempt from a crew agreement contractual clauses for each crew member A crew agreement can last up to 12 months. After this period, a new agreement must be drawn up. What goes in a contractual clause Clauses must include: the name of the crew member a description of the journey(s) that the agreement relates to the crew member’s job description details of their pay, hours and leave details of required notice and how the crew agreement can be terminated The Maritime and Coastguard Agency ( MCA ) gives guidance on drawing up crew agreements for merchant ships and yachts: download MGN 148 ‘Approval of crew agreements: merchant ships download MGN 149 ‘Approval of crew agreements: yachts Contact MCA for advice on drawing up a crew agreement. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Telephone: 0845 603 2431 Find out about call charges What to do once you’ve drawn up a crew agreement Get every crew member to sign the agreement when they join the ship and at the end of the journey. File the agreement with the shipping registry in the ship’s ‘flag state’ (the country where it’s registered). Display a copy on board the vessel. Send a copy (with the official log book, if a merchant ship) to a superintendent or proper officer within 3 days of its expiry. Who signs a crew agreement Most of the people on board a ship or yacht must sign the crew agreement. However, certain personnel will have separate employment contracts and won’t have to sign, like: captains bodyguards nannies entertainment staff

All crew members must have either: a valid passport a Seafarers Identity Document ( SID ) containing a photograph, signature (or fingerprints) and a description of the holder, including their nationality The standard seafarer’s identity document for British citizens is the British seaman’s card .

The master or skipper of a UK-registered ship must provide the ship’s owner with a copy of an up-to-date crew list at the start of each journey. They must also tell the owner if there are any changes of crew during the journey. If a ship is lost at sea, the crew list will be used to find out who is missing. The ship’s owner should hand the crew list in to a local Maritime and Coastguard Agency ( MCA ) Marine Office or post it to: Registry of Shipping and Seamen Anchor Court Ocean Way Cardiff CF24 5JW

Hiring crew for ships and yachts

Overview

When you’re hiring crew for a ship or yacht, you must:

check crew members’ discharge books to make sure they have the qualifications and certificates of competency for their jobs
check that all crew members have the necessary medical certificates for the work they’ll be doing
make sure everyone has the necessary travel documents
check that all crew can speak the ship’s common working language
draw up a crew agreement
send a full crew list to the owner of the ship or yacht

You must make sure all crew members know the ship’s safety and emergency procedures before the start of your journey.

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Hiring crew for ships and yachts

Overview

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Hiring crew for ships and yachts

Overview

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