How to become a deckhand, from STCW Basic training to a watch rating.

We often get asked the question, what do I need to become a deckhand on a yacht. With no experience there are courses that you must take to ensure you are qualified to become a Superyacht deckhand. The certificates will also show the yacht agencies that you are a serious deckhand candidate looking for a job.

Firstly, you will need the STCW Basic Training certificate. This is a requirement for all yacht crew and comprises of the following modules:

• Personal Survival Techniques (PST)

• Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (Basic Fire Fighting)

• Elementary First Aid (Basic First Aid)

• Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities (PSSR)

With this course you will become a crew member with basic safety skills.

To gain an edge over other junior deckhand candidates it is essential that you have some basic knowledge of work on deck and the duties of a deckhand. This can be achieved by completing an entry level deckhand course and the STCW Navigation Watch Rating courses (NWR).

All large yachts now follow stringent rules and regulations. One regulation is that they must show they have a certain amount of qualified crew onboard to safely sail, this is known as a safe manning document. This document typically requires at least one crew member to hold the NWR certificate, however this can be as many as three. With this certificate you will not require the conventional Yacht rating certificate as the NWR meets and exceeds these standards.

As a holder of the certificate you are a more valuable crew member to the employer, showing you are serious about the role and is looking to further advance your career, which often leads to higher salaries and faster promotions. Unlike the Yacht rating certificate the NWR certificate is a requirement for those wishing to advance to the higher deck level of Able Seaman.

The following statement is from a 3000 GT Superyacht Captain:

“Our biggest struggle is with our yacht being over 3000 GT and having 36 pax; we have to adhere to passenger ship regulations with the sense of having 3 NWR tickets on board. We’ve been using newly qualified OOW’s and OOW’s that want to make the transition into yachts in a deckhand role to cover those tickets since NWR have been difficult to find”

Another recommended course is the power boat level 2 course as deckhands are expected to tender guest ashore when the yacht is at anchor.