How sea time is recorded and signed
Your evidence of time on board is the sea service testimonial, the SST. The MCA treats it as a record of four kinds of time: time on board, standby service, shipyard service and actual time at sea. Where you kept watches, the SST says so too. The MCA's notice counts a watch as any four hours in 24 spent as the officer of the watch.
The captain of the yacht where you did the time signs your SST. A chief engineer can sign for crew in the engine department. When the service being claimed is your own time as master, the owner signs, or a responsible person at the management company, such as a director or the yacht manager.
Discharge books, record books and verification
The MCA accepts four kinds of evidence: a Merchant Navy discharge book backed by verified yacht testimonials, certificates of discharge backed by the same, the PYA Service Record Book, and the Nautilus Service Record Book. A properly signed and stamped entry in an approved record book counts as prima facie evidence. It needs no further proof.
The MCA's current guidance for yacht deck officers says Nautilus International or the PYA should approve all time served on yachts. The verifier checks your identity against an attested copy of your passport. It then checks that the SST is complete and legible, compares it with other records on file to look for clashes, and asks the captain who signed it to confirm the details.
What sinks an application
Most failures are paperwork failures. If you send sea time to the MCA without verification, expect a wait of around 160 days. If your service is not broken down the way the deck or engineer rules require, the MCA may send the application back, and you pay the courier costs. A testimonial with dates that clash with your other records, or one the captain who signed it will not confirm, will not pass verification.
Get each testimonial signed before you leave the yacht. A captain who has moved to another boat is harder to reach, and the verifier has to reach that captain. Make sure every date on your SST matches your discharge book, your record book and your CV.
Where the rules sit now
The verification process is set out in MIN 543, published in 2017. The notice gave its own expiry date as 28 March 2022, but the MCA's yacht deck officer guidance, last updated in November 2023, still sends readers to it. The deck officer requirements in MSN 1858 Amendment 1 were withdrawn on 21 May 2026 and replaced by Amendment 2. Use Amendment 2 when you work out how to break down your service.
What you need
- Sea service testimonialSigned by the captain of the yacht for each period of service. It shows time on board, standby, shipyard and sea time, and any watches kept.
- VerificationNautilus International or the PYA should approve all time served on yachts before it goes to the MCA.
- Discharge bookBritish citizens working on ships or large yachts need one, and so do crew of other nationalities on a UK-registered ship or large yacht. It costs £55 by post or £105 through the premium service.
- Proof of identityThe verifier checks your identity against an attested copy of a valid passport and keeps a copy.
- Ticket application packThe MCA asks for a certified copy of your passport, your discharge book or certificates of discharge, sea service testimonials, two countersigned photos and a medical fitness certificate.
How to get there
- From day oneJoin the yacht and log your daysKeep your own record of days on board, at sea, on standby and in the yard, and of any watches you stand.
- Before signing offGet the SST signedAsk the captain to sign before you leave. If you work in the engine department, the chief engineer can sign.
- Soon after signing offHave it verifiedSend it to Nautilus International or the PYA. Alternatively, get the entries stamped in an approved Service Record Book.
- OngoingKeep the paper trail consistentYour discharge book, record book, testimonials and CV should show the same dates.
- When your sea time is completeApply for your ticketSend the verified testimonials with the rest of the pack the MCA lists for the certificate.
Open now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Related pages
Questions people ask
Who signs my sea service testimonial?
The captain of the yacht where you served signs it. For engine department crew the chief engineer can sign. For your own service as captain, the owner or a responsible person at the management company signs.
Do I have to be a PYA or Nautilus member to get sea time verified?
No. MIN 543 says all crew in the large yacht sector must have their sea time verified by one of these two organisations, whether or not they are members.
What happens if I send unverified sea time to the MCA?
The MCA can still check it directly, but it warns this can take around 160 days and falls outside its normal service standards.
Do I need a discharge book?
You need one if you are a British citizen working on ships or large yachts. You also need one if you are not British but work on a UK-registered ship or large yacht. It costs £55 by post or £105 through the 24-hour premium service.
Is a record book entry enough on its own?
Yes. The MCA accepts a signed and stamped entry in an approved Service Record Book, from the PYA or Nautilus, as prima facie evidence of that service. It needs no further proof.
What makes a verifier reject a testimonial?
The verifier rejects a testimonial that is incomplete, illegible, inconsistent with other records on file, or not confirmed by the captain who signed it.
Sources
- GOV.UK (MCA): Certification for Deck Officers on Commercial and Private yachts
- GOV.UK (MCA): MIN 543 (M) Sea service verification on large yachts
- MCA: MIN 543 (M) full notice (PDF)
- GOV.UK: Get a seaman's discharge book or British seaman's card
- GOV.UK (MCA): How to apply for a UK Certificate of Competency
- GOV.UK (MCA): MSN 1858 Amendment 1, withdrawn and replaced by Amendment 2
