You have found the boat. The chief stew likes you, the captain wants you aboard by Friday, and then the crew agent asks for your STCW certificate and your ENG1. You have neither. The job goes to someone who does. Nobody on a yacht will wait two weeks for your paperwork.
The three documents that get you started
| Document | What it is | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| STCW Basic Safety Training | The mandatory international safety training every seafarer must hold. Without it you cannot legally work aboard a commercial vessel. | Two of the four elements require periodic refresher training — plan for it, typically on a five-yearly cycle. |
| ENG1 (or equivalent) seafarer medical | A medical fitness certificate issued by an approved doctor. Confirms you are fit for sea service. | Valid for a defined period (commonly up to two years for adults, less for under-18s). |
| Food Safety / Hygiene Level 2 | Food handling certificate. Required in practice for interior crew who serve, plate or handle food. | Typically refreshed every three years. |
What STCW Basic Safety actually contains
Four elements, usually delivered as a single course of about a week:
- Personal Survival Techniques — abandoning ship, liferafts, immersion suits. In the water, in a pool.
- Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting — extinguishers, breathing apparatus, live fire.
- Elementary First Aid — CPR, bleeding, shock, recovery position.
- Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities — shipboard organisation, employment rights, safe working practice, pollution prevention.
Many yachts additionally require Proficiency in Security Awareness (PSA) or Designated Security Duties (PDSD), because commercial yachts fall under the ISPS security code.
The ENG1
- Issued by an approved medical practitioner — you cannot use your family GP unless they hold that approval.
- Assesses vision, hearing, general fitness, and any condition that could incapacitate you at sea.
- Comes back fit, fit with restrictions, or unfit. Restrictions may limit you to near-coastal or non-lookout duties.
- You cannot work commercially without a valid one. No exceptions.
- The ENG1 is the UK certificate; other flag states have equivalents. Most employers accept an ENG1 or an equivalent recognised medical.
Sequence and cost
Do it in this order, because failing an ENG1 after paying for STCW is an expensive way to find out:
- ENG1 medical — the cheapest, and the one that can stop everything.
- STCW Basic Safety.
- Food Safety Level 2 — inexpensive, often available online.
- Then the sector-specific interior training: the GUEST units.
Budget realistically. The three documents together, plus travel and accommodation in a hub port while you look for work, is a meaningful sum. Crew who arrive in Antibes with no certificates and no savings go home.
Onboard Notes
- Carry the originals. Some boats want to see and copy them the day you join; keep clear scans on your phone and in cloud storage too.
- Track your expiry dates. An expired ENG1 or a lapsed STCW refresher makes you unemployable overnight, and captains check.
- These xplor lessons are preparatory study only. They do not issue STCW, ENG1, food safety or GUEST certificates — those come from approved providers.