Deck Certificate Guide

OOW Unlimited via a Cadetship: the other route in

Most deck crew climb the yacht-only tonnage ladder, deckhand to EDH to OOW (Yachts < 3,000 GT). There's a second route: a sponsored cadetship leading to OOW Unlimited, a Certificate of Competency with no tonnage restriction, recognised on any vessel type. Plenty of officers move between the two, yachts for a few years, a cadetship, then back to yachts with a broader ticket.

Updated July 2026 · Source: MSN 1856 (M+F) Amendment 1

What OOW Unlimited lets you do

OOW Unlimited is the standard merchant navy Officer of the Watch Certificate of Competency, issued under STCW Regulation II/1 and governed in the UK by MSN 1856 (M+F) Amendment 1 (effective 10 January 2023, sections 3.1 and 3.2). Unlike the yacht-specific OOW CoC, it carries no tonnage limit, it's recognised for keeping a bridge watch on any vessel type, cruise ships, commercial ships and yachts alike.

How the cadetship route works

Instead of building sea time on yachts first, you join an approved cadetship: a Foundation Degree or HND in Nautical Science, sponsored by a shipping company, delivered through a maritime college (Glasgow College and Warsash Maritime School are two well-known UK examples, each partnered with different sponsoring companies). The required sea time, a minimum of 12 months under STCW Regulation II/1, is built into the structure of the cadetship itself rather than needing to be accumulated separately afterwards, tracked in an MNTB-approved Training Record Book alongside the academic modules.

On exact figures: the full breakdown of ancillary certificates and the written/oral exam structure is set out in MSN 1856 (M+F) Amendment 1, sections 3.1–3.2, and the detail of how sea time is phased can vary slightly by sponsoring company and college. Confirm the current specifics directly with your course provider or on gov.uk before applying, this page sets out the shape of the route, not a substitute for the full notice.

Why go this way

I did it myself: two years on yachts as a deckhand first, then a cadetship with MSC Cruises and Glasgow College, including yacht temp contracts during college holidays, then back to yachts as an officer. You don't have to pick one route and stick to it. A cadetship in between yacht contracts works, and I'd argue it's worth it. Yachts are only getting bigger and need more broadly qualified officers, the cadetship gives you real exposure to other ship types and a wider base of knowledge than yachts alone, and it's structured classroom teaching rather than self-teaching your way up the yacht ladder.

Courses and certificates

Compare providers, dates and locations for the certificates below in the YachtSync training directory.

The cadetship itself, the Foundation Degree/HND and the sponsoring company placement, isn't something you book through the training directory. Speak to a maritime college (Glasgow College, Warsash Maritime School and others run these programmes) about current sponsoring companies and entry requirements.

Source documents

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Related: Deck career overview · OOW Yachts (less than 3,000 GT), the yacht-only route · Chief Mate Yachts (less than 3,000 GT) · Chief Mate Yachts Unlimited