Entry & progression
Certificate: MCA Yacht Unlimited Certificate of Competency (STCW II/2, management level), launched 18 May 2026 under MSN 1858 Amendment 2, Section 4. It authorises service as Chief Mate or Master on yachts of any tonnage, including above 3000 GT, worldwide. What is new: it lets deck officers reach an unlimited yacht ticket without interrupting their career for qualifying service on cargo ships; seagoing yacht service is accepted as the foundation, using the modernised UK maritime syllabus. Scope limit: specific to large yachts above 3000 GT; it does not grant unlimited status on other vessel types. Entry: hold the relevant yacht CoC with the required management modules, service and ancillaries; confirm the exact requirements in Section 4 of MSN 1858 Amendment 2 before enrolling.
A new route to unlimited command
Launched by the MCA on 18 May 2026 under MSN 1858 Amendment 2, the Yacht Unlimited CoC lets a deck officer serve as Chief Mate or Master on a yacht of any tonnage, anywhere in the world, including yachts above 3000 GT. Until now, an officer wanting an unlimited ticket generally had to break away from yachting to gain qualifying service and training on cargo ships — an expensive and disruptive detour. The new route accepts seagoing service on yachts as the foundation and uses the modernised UK maritime syllabus, so career progression stays within the sector the officer actually works in.
- Grants Chief Mate or Master on yachts of any size, worldwide, including above 3000 GT.
- Built on yacht seagoing service, with no cargo-ship detour required.
- Uses the modernised UK maritime syllabus from the MCA's Cadet Training and Modernisation Programme.
- Sits at STCW II/2, the management level, like other unlimited deck tickets.
NOTE — Why it matters The Yacht Unlimited CoC removes the historic 'cargo-ship gap' — officers can now progress to unlimited yacht command through the yacht sector itself, which the industry had sought for years.
WARNING — New certificate, evolving detail This is a recently launched CoC and the exact requirements sit in Section 4 of MSN 1858 Amendment 2. Treat this course as orientation and confirm the current modules, service and ancillaries against the live MSN before relying on them.