The accepted records
How do I prove yacht deck service to the MCA?
For each CoC you present documentary proof of onboard yacht service and seagoing service; for Master (Yachts <500 GT) and Master (Yachts <3000 GT), proof of watchkeeping service too. MSN 1858 accepts onboard yacht service documented in a Merchant Navy discharge book supported by testimonials, in certificates of discharge (the Annex B format) supported by testimonials, or in a similar MCA-approved service record book.
All of it must be completed and verified to the MCA's satisfaction before you're considered for an oral.
Do I need a discharge book for a yacht CoC?
No. It is one of the three accepted records, not a requirement. MSN 1858 lists the Merchant Navy discharge book first but doesn't describe its entries or how to obtain one; what it says is that the book must be supported by testimonials. The testimonial format asks for your discharge book or passport number, so either can be your reference.
What is the MCA Yacht Certificate of Discharge?
The form in Annex B of MSN 1858, signed by the Master for a period aboard one yacht. It identifies you (name, passport or discharge book number, date and place of birth) and the yacht (name, port of registry, official or IMO number, gross tonnage and load line length), with your capacity and the grade and number of any CoC you hold.
It then records the date and place of joining and of leaving, a description of the voyage, total time onboard, leave of absence and total days at sea, and closes with the Master's name, email, CoC number and issuing administration, the yacht or company stamp and the date of issue.
Does a certificate of discharge replace testimonials?
No. MSN 1858 accepts certificates of discharge 'supported by testimonials'. The certificate has a total for days at sea but no lines for stand-by, yard or watchkeeping days; the testimonial carries those, together with the Master's report on your conduct and ability.
What is an MCA-approved service record book?
The third accepted record. MSN 1858 doesn't list approved books, but gives one two practical effects. If you have an MCA-approved Service Record Book signed by an authorised official, you don't need to fill in Table A, the voyage-by-voyage stand-by table, on your testimonials. And if you're on an MCA-approved training programme towards your first watchkeeping CoC, your testimonials can go into your service record book or training portfolio in loose-leaf form.
How the records fit together
What do the testimonials behind my discharge records need to cover?
Your conduct and ability for the last 12 months of onboard yacht service before you apply, plus your sea service and watchkeeping service as applicable. If the testimonials don't include that sea service and watchkeeping, it has to be verified by separate certificates of service, signed like testimonials by the Master — or, for service as Master, by the owner or a responsible person from the yacht management company. The testimonial itself is covered field by field in our testimonials guide.
Why do the joining and discharge dates matter?
Because yacht service is reckoned from the date of engagement to the date of discharge. Those dates bound everything that can count from that vessel, so check they match across your discharge records and testimonials.
What if I left a yacht without being discharged?
MSN 1858 deals with seafarers who signed a Crew Agreement or Seafarer Employment Agreement and then didn't join, who left the vessel other than on discharge, or who committed misconduct on board. They must produce satisfactory proof of 2 years' subsequent onboard yacht service with good conduct at sea before they're issued an NOE or CoC. The MCA can reduce that period at its discretion.
Does the MCA check these records?
Yes. It can verify sea service testimonials and discharge book entries. Where it has doubts about service, or can't verify it in the ways above, it will only accept it on written confirmation from a responsible person with personal knowledge of the facts.
