The STCW certificate required to take charge of a lifeboat or rescue boat in an emergency. Mandatory for designated officers and ratings on vessels covered by the STCW Convention.
Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSCRB) is an STCW mandatory certificate under Regulation VI/2-1 and Section A-VI/2-1 of the STCW Code. It is required for any seafarer who is designated to take charge of a survival craft or rescue boat during an emergency. On most commercial and superyacht vessels this means all deck officers and senior ratings who appear on the muster list as a lifeboat or rescue boat commander.
The course typically runs over five days and combines classroom instruction with substantial practical training in a swimming pool and on open water. Candidates operate actual davit-launched or free-fall lifeboats, handle rescue boats at sea, and practise survivor recovery and post-abandonment survival procedures. UK providers must hold MCA approval and the resulting certificate is recognised internationally by IMO flag states.
PSCRB sits above the basic Proficiency in Survival Craft (PSC) element covered during STCW Basic Safety Training. Where BST introduces the fundamentals, PSCRB qualifies the holder to take command at the embarkation station and in the water. Without it, a seafarer cannot legally be placed in charge of a lifeboat or rescue boat on a vessel subject to STCW.
PSCRB is a required element of the STCW certification package for any seafarer aiming for an officer of the watch certificate or above. It is also a standing requirement for senior ratings designated to take charge of survival craft on commercial yachts, superyachts, and merchant vessels. Completing it early in your career keeps your muster-list role unrestricted.
Scan, store and share your STCW, ENG1 and every other cert. Smart reminders before anything expires.