What is the legal minimum?
Two things. First, a seafarer medical. GOV.UK states plainly that anyone serving on a merchant ship or yacht needs an ENG1, and under the 2010 medical regulations it is an offence to work on a sea-going ship without a valid medical certificate, or to employ someone who lacks one. Second, STCW basic training. MSN 1865 says anyone with designated safety or pollution-prevention duties must complete the approved elements of basic training before being given any shipboard task.
The MCA guidance says neither medical certificate is needed by someone employed on a non-commercial pleasure vessel. Most crew jobs advertised as yacht jobs sit on the commercial side, and charter work certainly does, so hold both before you start looking. A captain reading a CV for a junior post is looking for those two tickets first. Everything else on the page comes after them.
The ENG1: what it proves and how long it lasts
The ENG1 shows you are fit enough for your duties at sea, both day to day and in an emergency. Only an MCA approved doctor can issue it. The doctor takes your medical history, weighs and measures you, tests a urine sample, checks your hearing and your distance, near and colour vision, and gives you a physical examination. Bring photo ID, your medication, your glasses and any recent letters from your GP or consultant.
The result can be fit, fit with restrictions, or temporarily or permanently unfit. If you pass, you usually leave with the certificate the same day. For anyone over 18 it lasts at most two years, and for anyone under 18 one year. The doctor can set a shorter period if your health calls for it. The fee is capped at £115. Extra tests cost more, and the cost has to be agreed before they are done.
Colour vision matters most for deck crew. If you fail the first plate test, deck candidates go on to a CAD test. Failing that leaves you barred from lookout duties at night and from MCA deck tickets. Catering and hotel crew who fail get a lookout restriction only. Many foreign medicals are accepted in place of an ENG1, including those from Australia, France, Spain, Italy and South Africa.
STCW basic training: the four elements
Basic training has four parts, and each one leads to its own certificate of proficiency. Personal Survival Techniques covers abandoning ship and staying alive in the water. Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting covers stopping fires and putting them out. Elementary First Aid covers what to do for an injured person before medical help arrives. Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities covers safe working and life with other crew. For each one you must be at least 16 and pass MCA-approved training.
MSN 1865 requires anyone serving on board to show that they completed Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, or updated that training, within the last five years. Elementary First Aid and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities are not on that updating list. On a UK yacht the updating training must be approved or recognised by the MCA, so keep every certificate and put the dates on your CV.
What is useful but optional, and what does the first job pay?
Security training depends on the yacht. On any ship that must comply with the ISPS Code, every person aboard needs security awareness training, and anyone given duties under the ship security plan needs Designated Security Duties as well. Other courses come later. Survival Craft and Rescue Boats needs you to be 18 and to have six months of approved sea service, and Fast Rescue Boats needs Survival Craft first. You cannot take either before your first job.
Northrop & Johnson's 2026 guide puts a junior deckhand at US$3,500 a month on every size of yacht. YPI Crew's 2026 guide gives €2,800 to €3,200 a month for the same post, depending on size. On joining, the yacht must also give you familiarisation training in survival and security. It costs you nothing, and the yacht keeps the record.
Pay
USD a month. Figures come from the Northrop & Johnson 2026 crew salary guide, which prints a flat junior deckhand rate. YPI Crew 2026 gives euro figures for the same post. Yacht size and experience move the figure. Refer to the Bosun & Deckhand salary guide for pay by yacht size.
What you need
- ENG1 or accepted equivalentIssued by an MCA approved doctor, or by a country on the MCA's equivalent list. It lasts up to two years, or one year if you are under 18.
- Personal Survival TechniquesSTCW Code Table A-VI/1-1. You must be at least 16, and you must update it every five years.
- Fire Prevention and Fire FightingSTCW Code Table A-VI/1-2. You must be at least 16, and you must update it every five years.
- Elementary First AidSTCW Code Table A-VI/1-3. You must be at least 16 and pass MCA-approved training.
- Personal Safety and Social ResponsibilitiesSTCW Code Table A-VI/1-4. You must be at least 16 and pass MCA-approved training.
- Security awareness, where it appliesRequired on ships that must comply with the ISPS Code. Designated Security Duties is added if you hold duties under the ship security plan.
- Photo ID at the medicalThe doctor checks a passport, driving licence, national ID card or discharge book before the examination.
How to get there
- Week 1Book the ENG1 firstSee an MCA approved doctor before you pay for any course. The medical is the step that can rule you out, and it costs no more than £115.
- Week 1-3Settle any colour vision questionIf you want to work on deck and fail the plate test, the doctor arranges a CAD test. The result decides whether a deck career is open to you.
- Week 2-4Complete STCW basic trainingTake all four elements with an MCA-approved provider. Each one gives you its own certificate of proficiency.
- Before job huntingAdd security training if neededGet security awareness for yachts under the ISPS Code, and Designated Security Duties if you will hold security duties.
- First days aboardJoin and complete familiarisationBefore you are given duties, the yacht trains you on its alarms, muster stations, lifejackets and security.
- Year 5Update PST and FP&FFRefresh Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting so that neither is more than five years old.
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Related pages
Questions people ask
Will a yacht accept a medical from outside the UK?
Yes, if it comes from a country whose certificate the MCA accepts as equivalent. The list includes Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and South Africa, among others. An accepted certificate stays valid until the expiry date printed on it.
Who pays for the ENG1?
The fee is capped at £115 by UK regulations. If you are employed in the UK, your employer pays it. Any extra tests cost more, and the cost has to be agreed with whoever is paying before the tests are done.
What happens if my ENG1 expires during a trip?
You may keep working until the next port where you can get a new one, or for up to three months after it expires, whichever comes first. The certificate itself cannot be extended. Book your renewal before a long passage.
Do all four STCW basic training certificates expire?
Under MSN 1865, Personal Survival Techniques and Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting must have been completed or updated within the last five years. Elementary First Aid and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities are not on that updating list.
Can I still work on a yacht if I fail the colour vision test?
Deck candidates who fail the CAD test receive a restricted ENG1 and cannot get an MCA deck ticket. Catering and hotel crew who fail colour vision are only restricted from lookout duties. That means interior and galley work stays open to them.
How old do I need to be for STCW basic training?
Each of the four elements has a minimum age of 16. Survival Craft and Rescue Boats needs you to be 18 and to have six months of approved sea service, so it comes later in a career.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Seafarer medical certificates overview
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency: Seafarers medical certification guidance
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency: MSN 1887 (M) Amendment 1, MLC 2006 medical certification
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency: MSN 1865 (M), emergency, safety, security and survival training
