Hiring crew for ships and yachts
Find out what you need to do when hiring crew to work on a ship or yacht – qualifications, certificates of competency, crew agreements and crew lists
1. 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.
2. 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 on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) website.
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)
3. 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 'Application form for masters, chief mates and deck officers on yachts' (PDF, 314KB)
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 'Merchant navy engineering officers application form' (PDF, 60KB)
Download 'Yacht engineering officers application form' (PDF, 57KB)
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
Download 'CoC revalidation form' (PDF, 177KB)
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)
Download 'MSF 4354: Application for ROC and GOC STCW endorsement' (PDF, 73KB)
Other crew
Ships’ cooks and security officers may also need a CoC.
More information
Download more information on CoC training and certification.
Contact the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to find out which members of your crew need a CoC.
MCA training and certification helpline
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
Download 'Application for a certificate of equivalent competency' (PDF, 84KB)
Read more about CECs on the MCA website or download part 19 of the MCA’s training and certification guidance for more information.
4. Crew agreements
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 'Approval of crew agreements  merchant ships (MGN148)' (PDF, 134KB)
Download 'Approval of crew agreements  yachts (MGN149)' (PDF, 134KB)
Contact MCA for advice on drawing up a crew agreement.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
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
5. Travel documents
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.
6. Crew lists
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