Your new chief officer hands you a crew list and mentions two crew members joined yesterday but haven't yet signed anything. The vessel is due to depart in three hours. You need to know exactly what document must be in place, what it must contain, and what your obligations are before the gangway comes up.
What is the Crew Agreement?
The Crew Agreement (CA) is a legally binding contract between the shipowner (or master acting on their behalf) and each seafarer employed on the vessel. For UK-flagged yachts it is governed by the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and administered under MSN 1858. Every seafarer must be engaged under a CA before the vessel proceeds to sea.
Who requires a Crew Agreement?
All seafarers employed on a UK-flagged vessel on a foreign-going voyage. The master is included. Unpaid trainees and supernumeraries are not employed seafarers and do not sign the CA, but their presence should be recorded separately.
What must the Crew Agreement contain?
- Full name and date of birth of each seafarer
- Capacity (rank/position) in which engaged
- Date and place of commencement of employment
- Nature and duration of the voyage or engagement (or a statement it is for an indefinite period)
- Wages, or the scale from which wages are calculated
- Termination provisions — notice periods for both parties
- Leave entitlement
- Reference to the collective agreement (CBA), if applicable
- A statement that the engagement is subject to the Merchant Shipping Acts
The CA must also reference or incorporate the Merchant Navy Regulations or other applicable terms and conditions.
Format and approval
The MCA approves standard CA forms. An owner may use an approved standard form or submit a bespoke agreement for MCA approval. A bespoke CA must be approved before use; it cannot simply be drafted onboard.
Signing on and off
Each seafarer signs the CA in the presence of the master or a superintendent. A copy must be available to every crew member on request. When a seafarer leaves, they are signed off and the date and place of discharge are recorded. The completed CA is retained and, if required, returned to the MCA or a Mercantile Marine Office.
Practical actions before departure
- Ensure the two new crew members sign the CA immediately — this must happen before departure, not at the next port.
- Verify the CA holds valid MCA approval (check the approval reference on the form).
- Confirm all entries — capacity, commencement date, wages — are complete and legible.
- Brief crew that they may inspect their copy at any time.
- Retain the document securely onboard throughout the voyage.
If a seafarer refuses to sign and the vessel proceeds to sea, the master is exposed to a statutory offence. If the CA is not in place at all, port state control can detain the vessel.