What the Chief Mate Yachts Unlimited CoC is
The Chief Mate (Yachts) Unlimited Certificate of Competency is one of the two new Yacht Unlimited certificates the MCA introduced in MSN 1858 (M+F) Amendment 2, section 4, effective 18 May 2026. Issued under STCW Regulation II/2, it is the qualifying step toward Master Yachts Unlimited, which allows command of yachts of any size. The route is yacht-specific: it does not require cargo vessel sea time, and it does not grant service on SOLAS cargo vessels.
Exact requirements
- Entry route (s4.3(a)), hold either: a Master Yachts (less than 3,000 GT) CoC; or an OOW Unlimited CoC with a minimum of 12 months onboard yacht service as an OOW, which includes at least 6 months of seagoing service, all performed onboard a yacht of at least 500 GT. OOW Unlimited candidates must also hold NAEST (M) certification.
- Ancillary certificates (s4.3(b)): the applicable ancillary certificates in section 6 of the notice. For the exact list, check the current notice on gov.uk.
- Academic modules (s4.3(c)): nine academic modules at an MCA-approved nautical college: Applied Marine Meteorology, Management Level Passage Planning, Management of Bridge Operations, Management of Yacht Operations, Marine Engineering Systems, Marine Vessels (Structures and Maintenance), Ship Stability: Theory and Practical Application, Shipboard Management, and Shipmaster's Law and Business.
- MCA assessments (s4.3(d)): pass the MCA Assessments in Chief Mate Navigation and Stability (Yacht Unlimited).
- Medical (s4.3(e)): a valid ENG1.
- Oral examination (s4.3(f)): the MCA oral exam.
Module exemption: holders of an MCA-approved management-level qualification (Honours Degree, Foundation Degree, Scottish Professional Diploma, DipHE, HND, or Advanced Diploma) from an MCA-approved nautical college do not need to complete the nine modules.
"(a) Hold either: A Master Yachts, less than 3000 GT, II/1, CoC; or An OOW unlimited CoC with a minimum of 12 months onboard yacht service as an OOW, which includes at least 6 months of seagoing service. All this service must be performed onboard a yacht of at least 500 GT. OOW Unlimited candidates must hold NAEST (M) Certification."
MSN 1858 (M+F) Amendment 2, section 4.3 · Read the full notice on gov.uk
Courses to book
The Yacht Unlimited modules and assessments are new for 2026, so provision is still building out at MCA-approved colleges. Compare current providers in the YachtSync training directory.
- Master 200 / 500 / 3,000 GT superyacht track, the Master Yachts (less than 3,000 GT) entry route
- OOW Unlimited, superyacht sector route, the alternative entry route
- ENG1 seafarer medical
- NAEST (M) and the nine Yacht Unlimited academic modules, check MCA-approved nautical colleges via the training directory
Source documents
- MSN 1858 (M+F) Amendment 2, UK Requirements for Deck Officers on Large Yachts (24m and over), section 4.3, effective 18 May 2026. Landing page · PDF
- Deck officers and ratings hub on gov.uk. Hub pages can lag the MSN; the MSN is authoritative. Hub page
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Related: Deck career overview · Yacht Rating Certificate · OOW Yachts (less than 3,000 GT) · Chief Mate Yachts (less than 3,000 GT) · Master Yachts (less than 500 GT) · Master Yachts (less than 3,000 GT) · Master Yachts Unlimited