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The Cayman Islands Ship Registry (CISR) now requires written contracts for all crew members on Cayman-flagged yachts, including private vessels. This is a major first in the yachting industry and sets a strong example for better working conditions at sea. Cayman Islands Flag Makes Waves: New Law Protects Yacht Crew To All news 14 March 2024 The Cayman Islands, a popular registry for luxury yachts, has taken a big step towards crew welfare with a brand new law. The Cayman Islands Ship Registry (CISR) now requires written contracts for all crew members on Cayman-flagged yachts, including private vessels . This is a major first in the yachting industry and sets a strong example for better working conditions at sea. What Changed? Many crew members, especially on smaller yachts, don't have formal employment contracts. This can lead to confusion and disagreements about pay, work hours, and other important aspects of their jobs. Now, with a written contract in place, everyone is on the same page. The contract clearly outlines the crew member's rights and responsibilities, along with the yacht owner's obligations. This helps to ensure fair treatment and a more professional work environment for all. What This Means for Yacht Owners and Crew If you own a Cayman-flagged yacht, you'll need to have a written contract for each crew member. The CISR will be checking for compliance during surveys, and failing to provide a contract could be considered a violation of maritime law. For crew members, this new regulation is a positive development. It guarantees a clear understanding of their employment terms and provides essential protections. How You Can Get Help The Professional Yachting Association (PYA) supports yacht crew members in navigating this change. Here are some resources we offer: Free Contract Templates: PYA members have access to downloadable contract templates that follow industry best practices. ( https://www.pya.org/knowledge-base/employment-contracts ) Understanding the Regulations: The CISR website provides detailed guidance notes on the revised Merchant Shipping Act, including the new contract requirement. ( https://www.cishipping.com/policy-advice/guidance-notes ) Look for the first guidance note under "Policy & Advice". The PYA is here to answer any questions you may have about crew employment contracts. Feel free to contact us at advice@pya.org for further assistance. More news PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights The 2025 PYA Christmas Ball took place on 5 December at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, bringing Captains, crew and well-known leading industry professionals together for a 1960s-themed evening. We started with a cocktail reception, with live musicians playing as guests arrived in retro attire. After months of preparation, we were truly delighted to see how much our members and partners enjoyed this special night. The PYA Christmas Ball remains a cherished tradition, bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. Read more Summary of the Sea Changes Forum 2025 In September, we hosted our annual Sea Changes Forum, bringing together key voices from across the yachting industry. The event delivered encouraging updates for the sector and inspiring insights into how we can continue to evolve and improve as a community. Below, you will find a summary of the presentations shared by our expert panelists, along with access to each full presentation for further details. Read more The PYA Christmas Ball Returns for Its 33rd Edition The 33rd edition of the PYA Christmas Ball returns at the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes on Friday 5th December 2025, this year with a glamorous 1960s theme. Join us for a night of celebration with the yachting community — featuring a gourmet dinner, live band, raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the industry. A much-loved PYA tradition, the Christmas Ball promises elegance, entertainment, and a touch of vintage sparkle as we come together to close the year in style. Read more

South African Crew are warned against purchasing false boat papers to travel to the EU to look for work. South African Crew – Beware of this False Papers Scam To All news 5 October 2021 The PYA has recently learned that a Cape Town-based crew agent has been providing job seekers, for a substantial fee, with a clutch of documents that purport to show the holder is employed as a crew member onboard a yacht called S/Y ‘Malcolm Miller' (which is actually a UK-based Sail Training vessel). Due to the COVID-19 travel regulations, this documentation is issued to allow the job seeker to enter the EU and look for a real yacht-based job. A member of the PYA's confidential Member Assistance Service (MAS) has said, "Crew who try to use these false papers are risking not just their hard-earned cash but also legal problems. We know of one South African seafarer who was detained on arrival in France and deported. And, on top of this, there is the possibility that this person could be black-listed in the EU's passport control system." If you would like to report a scam targeted at yacht crew, please send this directly to our MAS team at advice@pya.org . More news PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights The 2025 PYA Christmas Ball took place on 5 December at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, bringing Captains, crew and well-known leading industry professionals together for a 1960s-themed evening. We started with a cocktail reception, with live musicians playing as guests arrived in retro attire. After months of preparation, we were truly delighted to see how much our members and partners enjoyed this special night. The PYA Christmas Ball remains a cherished tradition, bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. Read more Summary of the Sea Changes Forum 2025 In September, we hosted our annual Sea Changes Forum, bringing together key voices from across the yachting industry. The event delivered encouraging updates for the sector and inspiring insights into how we can continue to evolve and improve as a community. Below, you will find a summary of the presentations shared by our expert panelists, along with access to each full presentation for further details. Read more The PYA Christmas Ball Returns for Its 33rd Edition The 33rd edition of the PYA Christmas Ball returns at the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes on Friday 5th December 2025, this year with a glamorous 1960s theme. Join us for a night of celebration with the yachting community — featuring a gourmet dinner, live band, raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the industry. A much-loved PYA tradition, the Christmas Ball promises elegance, entertainment, and a touch of vintage sparkle as we come together to close the year in style. Read more

As part of its members' assistance service, the PYA has seen a marked increase in the number of incidents of sexual harassment reported by crew members.  The PYA has therefore conducted an industry survey to give crew members a voice to bring forward their own experiences of sexual harassment in yachting. Sexual harassment of seafarers To All news 14 October 2018 As part of its members' assistance service, the PYA has seen a marked increase in the number of incidents of sexual harassment reported by crew members. The PYA has therefore conducted an industry survey to give crew members a voice to bring forward their own experiences of sexual harassment in yachting. Our results were reported at the Sea Changes Forum at the Monaco Yacht Show and produced some shocking statistics and personal testimony. A huge thank you to all the people who bravely reported information in our survey. What's next? The PYA in conjunction with other partners in this sector of the maritime industry are joining forces to continue to highlight this subject and to campaign on behalf of crew in establishing improvements in their working environment and in promoting better understanding of the issues raised. If you want to get involved then let us know - possibly consider becoming a PYA Councillor and representing colleagues in future forum dealing with such issues? Contact us at welfare@pya.org More news PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights The 2025 PYA Christmas Ball took place on 5 December at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, bringing Captains, crew and well-known leading industry professionals together for a 1960s-themed evening. We started with a cocktail reception, with live musicians playing as guests arrived in retro attire. After months of preparation, we were truly delighted to see how much our members and partners enjoyed this special night. The PYA Christmas Ball remains a cherished tradition, bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. Read more Summary of the Sea Changes Forum 2025 In September, we hosted our annual Sea Changes Forum, bringing together key voices from across the yachting industry. The event delivered encouraging updates for the sector and inspiring insights into how we can continue to evolve and improve as a community. Below, you will find a summary of the presentations shared by our expert panelists, along with access to each full presentation for further details. Read more The PYA Christmas Ball Returns for Its 33rd Edition The 33rd edition of the PYA Christmas Ball returns at the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes on Friday 5th December 2025, this year with a glamorous 1960s theme. Join us for a night of celebration with the yachting community — featuring a gourmet dinner, live band, raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the industry. A much-loved PYA tradition, the Christmas Ball promises elegance, entertainment, and a touch of vintage sparkle as we come together to close the year in style. Read more

The PYA sponsored GUEST training program developed over the last several years together with wider maritime hospitality training standards, has now successfully transferred from the PYA to IAMI. IAMI is the association of maritime training colleges and training providers for seafarers. Interior Training Standards for crew To All news 13 February 2019 The PYA sponsored GUEST training program developed over the last several years together with wider maritime hospitality training standards, has now successfully transferred from the PYA to IAMI. IAMI is the association of maritime training colleges and training providers for seafarers. IAMI has formed a Maritime Hospitality sub group with its first meeting planned later this month in Southampton, UK. Associate Membership of IAMI is now available to any training provider offering courses in hospitality training for interior crew. This forum will consider the standards of training and development for all interior departments. IAMI is managing the GUEST interior training programme. Joey Meen is the newly appointed Director of Interior Training at IAMI. More news PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights The 2025 PYA Christmas Ball took place on 5 December at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, bringing Captains, crew and well-known leading industry professionals together for a 1960s-themed evening. We started with a cocktail reception, with live musicians playing as guests arrived in retro attire. After months of preparation, we were truly delighted to see how much our members and partners enjoyed this special night. The PYA Christmas Ball remains a cherished tradition, bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. Read more Summary of the Sea Changes Forum 2025 In September, we hosted our annual Sea Changes Forum, bringing together key voices from across the yachting industry. The event delivered encouraging updates for the sector and inspiring insights into how we can continue to evolve and improve as a community. Below, you will find a summary of the presentations shared by our expert panelists, along with access to each full presentation for further details. Read more The PYA Christmas Ball Returns for Its 33rd Edition The 33rd edition of the PYA Christmas Ball returns at the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes on Friday 5th December 2025, this year with a glamorous 1960s theme. Join us for a night of celebration with the yachting community — featuring a gourmet dinner, live band, raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the industry. A much-loved PYA tradition, the Christmas Ball promises elegance, entertainment, and a touch of vintage sparkle as we come together to close the year in style. Read more

Research and surveys are carried out on a regular basis by the PYA to learn about yachting industry issues from crew retention and recruitment through to safety, welfare and new technologies. The PYA provides a unique research and insights service that gives brands and organisations the ability to survey our members on a wide range of yachting industry related issues. Over the years, the PYA has carried out numerous surveys to better understand how yachting crews have been impacted by industry changes such as the introduction of new regulations, employment laws and more. Our dedicated research team develops tailored surveys on a regular basis which allows public bodies, organisations and businesses to gain important feedback from yachting professionals, enabling them to make key decisions on upcoming projects, services and legislative changes. Examples of previous surveys Sexual Harassment in Yachting 2018 Study Understanding the impact of new certification requirements on yacht captains The current mental state of yachting crews and associated welfare issues What yachting crews are looking for when it comes to seeking new employment Surveys can be conducted throughout the year with questions developed in alignment with your objectives. Guidance is also provided on how to get the most qualified responses. Survey partners can also benefit from the following options Bespoke surveys targeted at specific members PYA data sorting an analysis Expert advice on creating the ideal survey Co-branded published reports PR and communications activities to highlight published findings If you are seeking to gain unique insights from the yachting industry, we can help. Get in contact with our research team to find out how you can conduct your first survey with us. Email: research@pya.org For research partners only Carry out survey Learn more about the yachting industry Become a member Research & Insights Research and surveys are carried out on a regular basis by the PYA to learn about yachting industry issues from crew retention and recruitment through to safety, welfare and new technologies. To All services Discover our plans to get access to all the services we provide. Become a member

An Update From The Bridge - an article written by the Captain's Committee of the ISS. The PYA’s mission is “to represent the interests of Professional Yacht Crew and to encourage and maintain the highest professional standards”. For this reason, we have been talking with Captains and crew in the yachting industry to better understand some of the current issues we are facing: Fatigue in Captaincy and PYA initiatives To All news 17 October 2024 The PYA’s mission is “to represent the interests of Professional Yacht Crew and to encourage and maintain the highest professional standards”. For this reason, we have been talking with Captains and crew in the yachting industry to better understand some of the current issues we are facing: Crew recruitment Low retention of crew on board Lack of career aspiration Lack of right training Generational gap Mental health During the Superyacht Forum in Amsterdam , and YARE in Viareggio , we’ve discussed these issues deeply and they all seem to stem from wrong expectations. Wrong expectations starting from the owner of the yacht to the new generation of crew wanting to get a foot on board. Captains find themselves more alone than ever, having to manage everyone’s (wrong) expectations. For this reason, the PYA has been working on several initiatives including: A completely revamped Member’s Area, which will integrate new services that will allow members to communicate on important matters through Forums; A WhatsApp Group for Captains and HODs called PYA Helm Circle for quick exchanges; A new team of experts on safety on board available to crew and industry stakeholders that you can reach on Telegram (be part of the group!) or by email onboardsafety@pya.org ; A series of discussions, meetings, articles and webinars on these topics to raise awareness. PYA member Capt. Herbert Magney shared with us this interesting article by the ISS Captain’s Committee that well summarises what Captains are going through. As the introduction highlights the “Progress Paradox” (if everything is better, why are the Captains and crew feeling worse?), the article delves into the various factors that lead to exhaustion. If you have any feedback or comments after reading this article, please don’t hesitate to reach us at info@pya.org to help us bring positive change into the yachting industry. An Update From The Bridge - an article written by the Captain's Committee of the ISS The International Superyacht Society (ISS) is the representative organisation of the Large yacht industry with a mission to; “ Promote Excellence and Ensure Sustainability in the Global Yachting Industry ”. Within the ISS are committees established to work towards this mission. The Captain’s Committee is a collective of current seafaring Captains from varying backgrounds and locations that work together to represent the concerns of yacht crew and Captains. Major projects include, the support for ISWAN and the launch of the yacht crew helpline www.superyachthelp.org and the publishing of issues of wide industry concern. In this first article, from the ISS Captains, is the unanimous view of the greatest challenge to today’s Yacht Captains is fatigue management. Their own and that of the Crews they lead. There is a sense that we, the Captains, are sitting on the greatest “Dirty Little Secret” in the yachting industry. In this article we will break out some of the reasons we feel this and that it is not constrained to any one size or segment within yachting. “A Symptom, not a Problem” As the Captains began sharing anecdotes, one in the committee members spoke up and asked if we were all looking at this the wrong way: “Is fatigue not a problem in itself but a just a symptom of the wider problems in modern yachting?” The penny dropped and the group on the call took a pause, ‘If fatigue that is such a concern is the symptom, what are the cause(s)?”. When looking for causes it became tricky as we have what could be called a “Progress Paradox”, in that everything is better, but the Captains and crews are feeling worse. Breaking this quandary to its components: The yachts have never been built better, and this extends to operational capability, environmental considerations and with MLC now well entrenched better accommodation and facilities for crew. The Crew are better trained, more professionally focused and their terms are better than in the past. Supporting companies are stronger, more comprehensive and staffed by more qualified personnel. So with all this, the industry’s performance must be ‘never-better’, right? Why then, are we, the Captains, feeling stretched like never before? There is no single answer of course, more layers of factors that when combined leave Captains and their Crews feeling physically and mentally exhausted trying to hold the tails of the ocean-going tigers they work within. The Culture The stakeholders in the larger maritime world, have had a decades long campaign a positive error culture, where all are empowered to speak out on safety. Parallels have been drawn with aviation and medical industries which have successfully increased safety and reduced costs by empowering staff to report and document their mistakes so their industries can learn from it. Excellent further reading on this can be found at: “Making Critical Decisions at Sea”, which was recently published by CHIRP and distributed by the Nautical Institute amongst others. Many yacht Captains feel the opposite situation is entrenched within their yachts. Captains do not feel empowered to openly state; “I am stretched to breaking point and fatigue is endangering myself and my crew.” The shore support teams rely and demand the Captain to have and execute the authority to operate the vessel safely. Does this extend to stopping the yacht when fatigue is placing crew at risk? If this is said there are too many cases where the resolution is to replace the non-cooperating Captain at the next opportunity that doesn’t impact the Owners enjoyment with another Captain that will accept the motto of yachting “Harden Up, Sleep later and deliver the Guest Experience”. Ironically, all the ISS Captains have been guilty of this view as it is how they entered the industry and it is ingrained in their DNA. Now the industry has outgrown this Neanderthal-ques view and the question is; How can this cycle be broken? Is this critical problem even known by the most important members of our yacht community, the Yacht Owners? The yachts that are being marketed are so capable that the crew cannot maintain them. Is there meaningful representation by the DPA to the highest levels of Ownership of this concern as required by the ISM code? The legislation has flexibility, and, in many cases, fatigue could be easily mitigated by sensible turnaround times or an industry wide education campaign, so guests understand the yachts are not resorts with shifts - there is only one crew. No harm, no foul is only going to work while the yachts ride their luck until some terrible tragedy shakes the industry out of our self-induced blindness where fees and commissions exceed a true commitment to safety. There are more incidents in yachting than are reported. This is a whispered, though well-known fact. Yes, the responsibility for reporting returns to the Captains, but when fatigue is a contributory factor there is no action, or worse the captain is held to improve the work rosters, something they have too little control over when the charter or private guest routines exceed what they can address with crew numbers available. It ought to be so easy to explain to an UHNWI that the commitment to crew rest is in place for the safety of themselves, their families, their asset and their crews. They are also in place to protect all in the operation against liability issues. It is beyond the capacity of the Captain, with their single source of income to speak out, Captains will buckle in deference to their job security. It takes an industry-wide commitment. The Yachts The wonderful new yachts are a privilege to call a workplace, but they are so capable that the crew struggle to keep up. This begins from the day of the launch where challenges range from storage, to cleaning to operation. The crew are brought on too late in construction to provide an operational perspective and then are instructed to ‘make it work’. A series of innocuous compromises in construction combine to make a workplace that is physically improbable to operate efficiently. An ISS Build Captain recently was asked to sail a 90m yacht from the shipyard 24 hours after taking delivery. The shipyard stated the ‘normal’ period post-delivery was 4 to 8 weeks. This time allows a completed yacht to be Seaworthy with crew trained, stores loaded, and the vessel secured. The Captain spoke out but none in the process would accept the concerns. This included the; owner, broker, shore side support company, and comfortingly the DPA. With such a start this yacht will struggle to truly ‘make it’ as a sustainable operation the stress and fatigue such a rushed delivery builds into the culture is hard to shake. Once in operation the yachts the yachts limp through guest periods. Crew openly talk of ‘just making it’ through several weeks with guests. To an outsider this may seem strange. “How hard can it be fetching drinks, making beds, driving people to the beach or wakeboarding? Hardly work at all, right?” The Yachting Industry promotes an unparalleled guest experience with everything on call and no limitations to the guests. This is not possible for those tasked to deliver this model. Too many times limited crew numbers have seafarers navigating and maintaining engine watches through the nights after full days of guest service. The Crew Career focused and trained crew are amazing but impatient. The ‘hop onboard for adventure’ that yachting once represented has been replaced by a more mercenary approach. Crew are well-informed on what remuneration, leave and entitlements they seek. This should be held up as a positive, though with an expectation of black and white employment terms yachting’s long-held refrain of working together for a single goal of guest benefit is waning. Tenure on yachts is measured in months and not years, this is a great cost to the industry in administration, training, accidental damage and of course the ultimate measure being the team performance to the guests. This alone should bring to question the way crew employment is being handled. Too often a crew member leaves as they are just tired and want a break, they then repeat the cycle again in their next employment. The ISS Captains understand this, and all are aware of their guilt in not having the time in their own days to speak to crew and guide them through their work routines and indeed their career decisions. “If only the time” seemed to be a common response to the conversation between Captains on how much time you really dedicate to speaking and listening to crew. The Shore Support Community There has never been better support. This extends through; forward-leaning management companies, recruitment firms, medical providers, trainers, IT firms and suppliers. So many professionals all knowledgeable and all passionate wishing to assist. The shortfall being all these companies want a piece of the Captain’s and Senior Crew’s time. There is an irony that everyone offering to make a Captain’s life easier actually takes just a little more of their time. Training is the one area all Captains say is lacking; however, it is not through lack of providers. Too many of the Captains speak of booking, re-booking and eventually cancelling valuable training due to lack of time or variations in the schedule making a booking improbable. Overlaid with the amount of support firms needing time (particularly on larger yachts) there are layers upon layers to gain basic operational decisions and the Captains now struggle under the weight of communicating to all. Lastly, in day-to-day operations the dance floor is full, however, what is also apparent when there is an incident of significance the Captain is alone. All the Captains are aware that it is the Captain that will be legally accountable when there is an incident involving serious casualty, discharge to the marine environment or damage to the vessel or a third party. The Solution We, the ISS Captains, as authors and concerned representatives of the yachting community would like to offer a simple solution, but if it were that simple it would already be in place. It is a multi-faceted problem that need multiple paths to find a solution Hidden within this article is a plea. A plea to those involved in selling (charter and private), design and construction to seek operational input and then use your respective voices to educate and manage client expectations. Even the largest of yachts are restricted in the resources that are available when in operation. Unlike shore residences, there is no second shift or the chance to parachute in five more staff to help out at peak times, in times of sickness or fatigue. This article speaks to the daily operations where fatigue becomes a symptom. There is another layer that is compounding this. There is a privilege afforded to yacht owners to determine the programme at their whim. This is certainly their right due to the investment made, however, for crew this results in a situation where they are unable to have a clear picture of when and where they may take their earned leave. Again, it is beholden to those in the higher levels of the yachting community that have direct access to Yacht Owners to make this stressor known to their clients. For the love of yachting the ISS Captains ask that we all become stakeholders in supporting our Captains and crew in this most critical aspect of their safety and performance. Sincerely, Your Fleet Captains More news PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights The 2025 PYA Christmas Ball took place on 5 December at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, bringing Captains, crew and well-known leading industry professionals together for a 1960s-themed evening. We started with a cocktail reception, with live musicians playing as guests arrived in retro attire. After months of preparation, we were truly delighted to see how much our members and partners enjoyed this special night. The PYA Christmas Ball remains a cherished tradition, bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. Read more Summary of the Sea Changes Forum 2025 In September, we hosted our annual Sea Changes Forum, bringing together key voices from across the yachting industry. The event delivered encouraging updates for the sector and inspiring insights into how we can continue to evolve and improve as a community. Below, you will find a summary of the presentations shared by our expert panelists, along with access to each full presentation for further details. Read more The PYA Christmas Ball Returns for Its 33rd Edition The 33rd edition of the PYA Christmas Ball returns at the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes on Friday 5th December 2025, this year with a glamorous 1960s theme. Join us for a night of celebration with the yachting community — featuring a gourmet dinner, live band, raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the industry. A much-loved PYA tradition, the Christmas Ball promises elegance, entertainment, and a touch of vintage sparkle as we come together to close the year in style. Read more

It is now official that the increase of Tolls for the Panama Canal transit starts in January 1st, 2023 and is divided into 3 parts (January 1st, 2023, January 1st, 2024 and January 1st, 2025). Increase in Tolls for the Panama Canal transit To All news 20 July 2022 It is now official that the increase of Tolls for the Panama Canal transit starts on January 1st, 2023 and is divided into 3 parts (January 1st, 2023, January 1st, 2024 and January 1st, 2025). Adjustments to small vessels tolls: Modifications to small vessel tolls involve adjustments to the maximum limits of displacement tonnage established by tolls based on length overall. These tolls apply to all small vessels (length overall up to 125 feet). Vessels of length overall greater than 125 feet, of any market segment, with PC/UMS tonnage up to 999 as the maximum limit, will be applied the small vessels tolls in the length overall range greater than 100 feet, in addition to all related charges for other maritime services. The proposed modifications to small vessel tolls involve adjustments to the maximum limits of displacement tonnage established by tolls based on length overall (1,000 displacement tons). Vessels with a displacement tonnage greater than 1,000 will be assessed tolls based on the proposed displacement tolls. Below is the table that shows the tolls increase for the 3 years for vessels/boats that pay Tolls based on their length and not tonnage: Yachts that pay tolls based on PC/UMS tonnage fall in the segment of "Others". There will be a substantial increase in Tolls to be paid for vessels/boats that pay based on their tonnages or PC/UMS tonnage as per the table. The total tolls to be paid will be a combination of a Fixed Fee plus the PC/UMS of the vessel times $2.00 on 2023, $2.50 in 2024 and $3.00 in 2025. However, most yachts up to 180 ft and some close to 200 ft would still pay based on their length because of their PC/UMS tonnages. Associated Yacht Services recommends sending them an email ( yachts@shipsagent.com ) and they can make the calculations for you. For more information, download the Adjustment to Tolls from the Panama Canal. More news PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights The 2025 PYA Christmas Ball took place on 5 December at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, bringing Captains, crew and well-known leading industry professionals together for a 1960s-themed evening. We started with a cocktail reception, with live musicians playing as guests arrived in retro attire. After months of preparation, we were truly delighted to see how much our members and partners enjoyed this special night. The PYA Christmas Ball remains a cherished tradition, bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. Read more Summary of the Sea Changes Forum 2025 In September, we hosted our annual Sea Changes Forum, bringing together key voices from across the yachting industry. The event delivered encouraging updates for the sector and inspiring insights into how we can continue to evolve and improve as a community. Below, you will find a summary of the presentations shared by our expert panelists, along with access to each full presentation for further details. Read more The PYA Christmas Ball Returns for Its 33rd Edition The 33rd edition of the PYA Christmas Ball returns at the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes on Friday 5th December 2025, this year with a glamorous 1960s theme. Join us for a night of celebration with the yachting community — featuring a gourmet dinner, live band, raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the industry. A much-loved PYA tradition, the Christmas Ball promises elegance, entertainment, and a touch of vintage sparkle as we come together to close the year in style. Read more

As the PYA continues to move over to a more digital way of working, we will also be transferring all of our members’ paper files to our digital system. This, not only to hold true to our aim to become an ecologically friendly and paperless organisation, but also to improve the speed and efficiency with which we can access our members’ data... PYA Membership Updates To All news 28 August 2020 Digitisation of Member Records As the PYA continues to move over to a more digital way of working, we will also be transferring all of our members’ paper files to our digital system. This, not only to hold true to our aim to become an ecologically friendly and paperless organisation, but also to improve the speed and efficiency with which we can access our members’ data and, therefore, improve our service to them. If you are a paid-up member of the PYA, your data will be automatically moved and stored in our new digital system. However, due to the high number of member records we hold, we have decided only to keep expired members' records for up to 5 years on our new digital system. Following this time frame, expired members’ data will be deleted. So…. in order to safeguard your documents and records in a secure digital environment, be sure to keep your membership up to date. New exciting digital advances will be announced very soon! More news PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights The 2025 PYA Christmas Ball took place on 5 December at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, bringing Captains, crew and well-known leading industry professionals together for a 1960s-themed evening. We started with a cocktail reception, with live musicians playing as guests arrived in retro attire. After months of preparation, we were truly delighted to see how much our members and partners enjoyed this special night. The PYA Christmas Ball remains a cherished tradition, bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. Read more Summary of the Sea Changes Forum 2025 In September, we hosted our annual Sea Changes Forum, bringing together key voices from across the yachting industry. The event delivered encouraging updates for the sector and inspiring insights into how we can continue to evolve and improve as a community. Below, you will find a summary of the presentations shared by our expert panelists, along with access to each full presentation for further details. Read more The PYA Christmas Ball Returns for Its 33rd Edition The 33rd edition of the PYA Christmas Ball returns at the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes on Friday 5th December 2025, this year with a glamorous 1960s theme. Join us for a night of celebration with the yachting community — featuring a gourmet dinner, live band, raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the industry. A much-loved PYA tradition, the Christmas Ball promises elegance, entertainment, and a touch of vintage sparkle as we come together to close the year in style. Read more

Read our guide with the latest Brexit regulations for yacht crew and watch our latest webinar recording. Guide - Brexit regulations for yacht crew To All news 14 January 2021 Your Brexit questions answered During our recent webinar on 12/01/2021, our panel of yachting agents answered the following questions. General regulations The UK left the EU on 31/12/2020 UK citizens can now only stay in the EU for ‘tourist’ purposes (unless official resident status has been obtained) for 90-days within a 180-day period. If you were in the EU before the Brexit date (31/12/2020), you should consider your 90-day period to have started on 01/01/2021. UK citizens need to have their passport stamped IN & OUT upon entering & exiting the EU borders UK citizens need a valid passport, no older than 10 years with at least 6 months left before it expires. UK citizens are not legally allowed to work in the EU, unless they have a valid work visa. Please note, although working onboard a vessel is permitted as it’s seen as work offshore, some EU-flagged vessels (e.g. France and Spain) require crew who work onboard these vessels to have the legal right to work in the EU. Therefore, UK citizens would require an EU work visa to work on these vessels. NB: Although immigration and travel rules are the same throughout Europe, every country and port might have slightly different requirements, so we urge crew to work with local yacht agents to assist them with their immigration. What are the immigration rules for UK crew who arrived in the EU and were working onboard vessels before Brexit 31/12/2020? FRANCE Update 18/01/2021 Crew having arrived prior 1/1/21 not having a Schengen entry stamp, cannot be stamped ‘out'. These crew are considered to be in transit. UK citizens can only get stamped ‘out’ if you have an entry stamp. Crew departing to fly out of France can get stamped 'in' prior to leaving the boat and will get stamped out at the last Schengen airport. However, should you fly out prior to 31/3/21 there is no obligation to get stamped ‘in’ first as you will be in same case as any odd tourist using his 90 days from 1/1/21. When leaving after 31/3/21 it is compulsory to get stamped ‘in’ to the Schengen area (EU) to avoid suspicion of overstay. Documents required Valid passport: Must be valid for at least 6 months longer than the planned stay in Schengen and less than 10 years old. Seaman's book: A Seaman's discharge book can be used to prove seafarer status, without which no ‘out’ stamp will/should be granted by port immigrations. We must insist, especially for yachts not using agents, that the crew hold a seaman book in order to handle the immigration matters on a legal basis. 90 days allowance: per any 180 days running period. Prior stamp request in ports: Most immigration offices can stamp with 24h notice or even less. Some immigration points will ask for 5 workdays notice which is the maximum legal notice time. [Answer supplied by Mark Ravnholt, Catalano Shipping France 12/01/2021] SPAIN Unlike France, Spain is not automatically counting the entry date of crew members who arrived before Brexit as 01/01/2021 and the start of their 90-day allowance. Crew will need to be stamped ‘in’ to Spain by a local yachting agent for their 90-day period to start. Due to current COVID regulations, UK crew will need to have proof of departure in order to get stamped ‘In’. This might include flights or supporting documentation from the vessel or management company proving their departure. Immigration/ Border Police Appointment Times: Must have an appointment & be accompanied by an authorised agent. Regular appointment times: Monday-Friday from 08.30 - 14,00 (Palma from 08:00 and occasionally available in the evening). Emergency appointments are available under exceptional circumstances. Documentation needed: Certificate of Registry (if the boat's not already a BWA Yachting client). Passport. Seaman's Book (or documentation from the boat proving employment, plus professional certificates etc). An updated crew list including the crew member’s name. Copy of the travel details (where relevant). [Answer supplied by Antonella Della Pietra, BWA Yachting Spain 12/01/2021] What if a UK citizen (crew member) has residency in an EU country? UK crew/citizens who hold a valid EU residency card or passport have the same residency and immigration rights as EU citizens. They can live, work and travel within the EU and not face the restrictions that standard UK citizens are now facing after Brexit. These crew need to ensure they travel with their EU residency card and passport at all times to show proof of residency. These individuals are not subject to the 90-day rule and will not have to get their passport stamped in or out when they travel or work on vessels within the EU. How far can crew travel from their vessel (in the port) once stamped out the EU? Some ports, especially larger commercial ports, can have strict policies on crew movement beyond the vessel once they have been stamped out of the EU. At certain times, local authorities can enforce stricter rules. It is therefore important that crew have their Seaman’s Book with them as this will confirm their status as a seafarer and allow them to circulate shoreside in the port of call and the neighbouring touching towns within the same country (If you are based in the last town on a border e.g. Menton, France, this does not allow you to enter the next country e.g. Italy). What about UK crew looking for work or dock walking during their 90-day travel allowance? UK citizens are not allowed to work in the EU (on-land) after Brexit. However, UK citizens are allowed to work onboard vessels within EU waters. But, some EU-flagged vessels (France, Spain) will require non-EU crew to hold a valid work visa. What about crew tax declarations? UK crew who spend long periods of time working on vessels based in EU ports might be liable to pay tax and/or social security charges within the local EU state. We advise all crew to look into the rules and regulations of the individual EU state they are in. How can UK crew get a Seaman’s Book? UK crew (with existing or prospective jobs only) can apply for a UK Seaman’s Book in person (at one of the UK Marine Offices) or via post - see full details here . Please note, the PYA has contacted the MCA and they have confirmed that they currently have a 10-week delay in processing Seaman’s Books and have removed the 24-hour turnaround service, so it’s best to wait until these processing times have improved before making your application. In the meantime, we suggest contacting a yacht agent to advise which other documentation is accepted by your local port customs officials to prove your status as a seafarer. In addition, UK crew can apply for another flag state seaman’s book - this will be determined by the flag state of the vessel on which you are employed. Here are some additional details: Malta is reluctant to issue seaman books to non-Maltese crew if the boat is not based in Malta Sweden only issues seaman’s Books to individuals having had merchant marine or navy experience Panama can issue a seaman book for a great number of nationalities working on a great number of flag states. However, this is a very slow procedure (count 2 months) and the book has only got 4 pages. At some ports, the PYA Service Record Book has been known to be accepted, however, this will need to be confirmed by a local yachting agent. Validity of Certification The below questions have been answered by Richard Falk from the RYA on 12/01/2021. Has the validity of UK (RYA) certificates been affected by Brexit? To date we have not been advised of any changes in the validity of UK and RYA certificates by most EU countries. In Spain, however, we are advised that vessels under 14 meters which are UK flagged are no longer able to obtain a permit to operate commercially. Therefore, crew who hold UK Certificates of Competence (CoC’s) can no longer operate vessels under 14 meters in Spain , regardless of what flag they are registered under. We are still awaiting a response as to whether this ruling applies to holders of MCA STCW 200 gt COC’s also. Are ICCs issued by the UK still valid in the EU? ICCs are still valid , with the exception of Spain. In Spanish waters, UK ICCs are no longer valid on a Spanish vessel, or on a vessel flagged under any member EU state. Spain has not adopted ‘UNEC Resolution 40’ and are therefore not obliged to follow any of the conventions relating to the ICC, whereas most other EU nations have. Please note, the operation of tenders has not been addressed by the Spanish authorities - this will need to be confirmed with local authorities . It is considered good practice however to ensure that tenders to larger vessels are clearly identified as such in order to minimise any risk of problems. What should crew do if they are unsure about the validity of their RYA/UK certificates in individual EU states? Crew should seek confirmation/clarification on the validity of their certificates in individual EU countries. Right now, the RYA has not been informed by any EU member states (other than Spain) that their certification is no longer valid. Will RYA examiner and instructor certificates still be valid with EU training schools? The instructor qualifications are still valid for instructing RYA courses in the EU. Examiner qualifications are also still valid for examining Yachtmasters under exam conditions. However, in Spain, the RYA / MCA Yachtmaster CoC which underpins RYA instructor qualifications is no longer accepted by the authorities there. Instructors would therefore need to hold an appropriate Spanish COC or work under someone who is legally able to be in command of that vessel. Those working on a freelance basis from outside of the EU would be subject to immigration laws and cannot instruct as a tourist. our understanding is that examiners are allowed to continue working in the EU and Spain as they are employed by the RYA and effectively travelling on business in the EU. Looking for more information? Watch our recent webinar . Please note, this information is only correct at the time of airing 12.01.2021 and may have changed since this date. The PYA accepts no responsibility for any losses associated with this advice. 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Following the PYA’s support to help boost the uptake of Clear Ocean Pact’s war on single-use plastic, the organisation has been recognised at the People. Environment. Achievement (P.E.A) awards, for their contributions towards forging an ecologically-conscious blueprint for businesses and organisations within the yachting industry.  Clear Ocean Pact wins UK award for being involved in changing the face of the planet To All news 14 November 2019 Following the PYA’s support to help boost the uptake of Clear Ocean Pact’s war on single-use plastic, the organisation has been recognised at the People. Environment. Achievement (P.E.A) awards, for their contributions towards forging an ecologically-conscious blueprint for businesses and organisations within the yachting industry. The green-carpet event, held at Greenwich Peninsula, London, invited a range of businesses committed to promoting ecologically-friendly and conscious lifestyles. Clear Ocean Pact was honoured to win the award within the ‘Travel’ category, which the organisation’s founder said ‘is a step in the right direction to represent how the yachting industry is leading the change and working towards becoming more sustainable.’ The climate emergency is fast becoming a topic high up the agenda within the yachting industry, so it has been a positive step to see a large number of high-profile yachts join the PACT. We recently called upon our members to join the organisation’s PACT, which includes removing the use of single-use plastic and adopting alternative products. Do you want to join the fight against single-use plastic? Follow these simple steps: Visit their website clearoceanpact.org Sign-up to the PACT Inspire other yachts and crew to do the same More news PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights The 2025 PYA Christmas Ball took place on 5 December at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, bringing Captains, crew and well-known leading industry professionals together for a 1960s-themed evening. We started with a cocktail reception, with live musicians playing as guests arrived in retro attire. After months of preparation, we were truly delighted to see how much our members and partners enjoyed this special night. The PYA Christmas Ball remains a cherished tradition, bringing our community together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. Read more Summary of the Sea Changes Forum 2025 In September, we hosted our annual Sea Changes Forum, bringing together key voices from across the yachting industry. The event delivered encouraging updates for the sector and inspiring insights into how we can continue to evolve and improve as a community. Below, you will find a summary of the presentations shared by our expert panelists, along with access to each full presentation for further details. Read more The PYA Christmas Ball Returns for Its 33rd Edition The 33rd edition of the PYA Christmas Ball returns at the iconic Hôtel Martinez in Cannes on Friday 5th December 2025, this year with a glamorous 1960s theme. Join us for a night of celebration with the yachting community — featuring a gourmet dinner, live band, raffle prizes, and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow professionals from across the industry. A much-loved PYA tradition, the Christmas Ball promises elegance, entertainment, and a touch of vintage sparkle as we come together to close the year in style. Read more