Stepping up from deckhand to a career on the bridge — the schools that get you there.
Once you've built sea time as deck crew, the RYA Yachtmaster and the MCA Officer of the Watch (OOW) are the qualifications that move you towards running the deck and, eventually, the bridge. Yachtmaster is the practical mile-and-skills ticket; OOW is the professional certificate of competency for larger commercial yachts. The right school depends on where you can build miles and sit exams. Here are strong options, led by Flying Fish.
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My own starting point — I trained with Flying Fish back in 2018. Purpose-built superyacht training base on the water in Cowes, RYA Training Centre and MCA-approved, with one of the widest course ranges in the UK: STCW, deckhand and interior packages right through to Yachtmaster. Book online and hold a place for 48 hours.
Large charity-run academy in Cowes, MCA-approved and an RYA Training Centre, also running full cadetship pathways for crew who want the professional route.
Major Fort Lauderdale training campus, MCA / USCG / RYA approved — the main US hub for crew training either side of the Atlantic.
Palma RYA Yachtmaster school, long established in the Med and known for its practical mile-building.
Antibes-based, MCA and RYA approved, right in the heart of the French Riviera crew hub.
Palma centre (also in Naples), IYT / MCA / Marshall Islands approved, covering deck tickets across two Med bases.
Phuket-based, MCA and IYT approved — the leading superyacht training hub in South-East Asia.
English Harbour, Antigua — MCA and RYA approved, offering Yachtmaster and offshore miles in the Caribbean.
This is our shortlist. See every accredited provider offering Yachtmaster / OOW in the full Yachtmaster / OOW directory →
RYA Yachtmaster is a practical qualification proving skippering skill and sea miles. The MCA OOW (Officer of the Watch) is a professional certificate of competency required to work as a watch officer on larger commercial yachts.
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore requires substantial logged miles, sea time and passages before the practical exam. Schools can help you build the remaining miles.
Most crew build experience and take RYA Yachtmaster first, then progress onto the MCA OOW certificate of competency as their career develops.
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