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  • PYA joins Raising the Bar Think Tank with the Superyacht Alliance for Professional Standards

    The PYA today is joining the Raising the Bar think tank of experts from across the superyacht industry to improve outcomes for yacht crew and support their careers. © Yuriy Kleymenov PYA joins Raising the Bar Think Tank with the Superyacht Alliance for Professional Standards To All news 14 September 2023 The PYA today is joining the Raising the Bar think tank of experts from across the superyacht industry to improve outcomes for yacht crew and support their careers. The initiative brings together key stakeholders and industry players to solve some of the emerging challenges facing yacht crew - identifying issues and putting forward suggestions to improve outcomes. This month, Raising the Bar unveiled a new platform that will provide detailed career maps for superyacht crew in all departments. Created in collaboration as a voluntary exercise and hosted by the Superyacht Alliance for Professional Standards, these career maps are designed to guide crew at every stage of their careers, from initial entry to progression through the ranks. For each department, the career maps have been thoroughly pieced together to provide an overview of each pathway, including timelines to help manage crew expectations regarding the realistic pace of progression. Each pathway also includes a comprehensive summary of the qualifications required at every stage, both mandatory and recommended, and in line with the International Association of Maritime Institutions (IAMI) and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). These will be regularly updated as any changes arise. The goal will be to encourage training schools and recruitment companies to share these defined career maps with both prospective and existing crew to highlight the wide range of career options available within the superyacht industry. Senior crew will also have the opportunity to use these career maps as they mentor, support, and encourage their juniors to develop key skills. Christophe Bourillon, CEO of the PYA said: “We are very pleased to be participating in this project. It is one of the only working groups where the various parts of the industry are being represented to discuss different issues with the ultimate objective of benefitting yacht crew. We look forward to taking part in these discussions.” A key driver of the initiative is to engage, inspire and retain superyacht talent, with plans to extend the career maps to shore based roles offering guidance and support for crew ready to transition ashore. Among the members of the alliance include: PYA, Bluewater, Burgess, Camper & Nicholsons, Fraser Yachts, Hill Robinson, IAMI, Impact Crew, Isle of Man Ship Registry, Italian Yacht Masters, JPMA, Life After Yachting, MHG Insurance, MYBA, Northrop & Johnson, Ocean Independence, Purser Trainer, Reardon Yacht Consulting, The OM, Viking Recruitment, Watermark Yacht Management, Wilson Halligan, Yachtzoo, YPI Crew. A number of consultants and captains are also involved in sharing perspectives. With these discussions, the industry will be able to make more informed decisions and encourage owners, owner’s representatives and other key stakeholders to make improvements for the next generation of crew. Currently, crew turnover within the industry remains high. In Impact Crew’s 2015 survey, it was revealed that 78% and 69% of junior interior and deck crew, respectively, left within 12 months of taking on a new position. Average shoreside staff turnover rates are between 6 and 13 percent. The cost of replacing crew and staff runs far higher than the tangible expenses of recruitment, travel expenses and severance pay. There’s a raft of other costs that fly under the radar. By appreciating and addressing issues facing crew and finding a range of solutions, Raising the Bar aims to engage, Inspire & retain superyacht talent. More news PYA - the Voice of yacht crew Discover how our actions go beyond membership to strengthen the entire yachting sector. Read more Next Generation in Yachting Forum 2025 - Highlights The PYA Next Generation in Yachting Forum, held on 11 April in Antibes, offered aspiring yacht crew an invaluable insight into the yachting industry. With contributions from leading recruitment agents including Bluewater, Hill Robinson, The Crew Network, and YPI, the event covered essential topics such as CV preparation, interview techniques, and professional etiquette. Attendees also received guidance on visas, welfare support, and career pathways across all departments, with practical advice from Captains, trainers, and experienced crew. The afternoon concluded with focused breakout sessions and networking, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and prepare for a successful career at sea. Read more PYA Christmas Ball 2024 Highlights The PYA Christmas Ball, held on 6 December 2024, was an exceptional evening celebrating the yachting community in style. This year’s theme, Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey, provided the perfect blend of elegance and vintage charm, creating a truly memorable atmosphere. Read more

  • Mobile phone use onboard poses safety risk

    Watch CHIRP Maritime's latest video which explains how the use of mobile phones and other personal electronics can lead to serious safety issues whilst on duty. Mobile phone use onboard poses safety risk To All news 7 July 2021 It's no surprise that the use of mobile phones whilst operating a vehicle or machinery poses a major safety risk and has led to multiple accidents globally. CHIRP Maritime has created this safety initiative for the maritime industry, which is centred on the misuse of personal devices (mob phones, mp4 players, tablets) whilst on duty, that may cause a distraction with potentially serious safety implications. CHIRP Maritime's 'SEA OF DISTRACTIONS' video More news PYA - the Voice of yacht crew Discover how our actions go beyond membership to strengthen the entire yachting sector. Read more Next Generation in Yachting Forum 2025 - Highlights The PYA Next Generation in Yachting Forum, held on 11 April in Antibes, offered aspiring yacht crew an invaluable insight into the yachting industry. With contributions from leading recruitment agents including Bluewater, Hill Robinson, The Crew Network, and YPI, the event covered essential topics such as CV preparation, interview techniques, and professional etiquette. Attendees also received guidance on visas, welfare support, and career pathways across all departments, with practical advice from Captains, trainers, and experienced crew. The afternoon concluded with focused breakout sessions and networking, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and prepare for a successful career at sea. Read more PYA Christmas Ball 2024 Highlights The PYA Christmas Ball, held on 6 December 2024, was an exceptional evening celebrating the yachting community in style. This year’s theme, Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey, provided the perfect blend of elegance and vintage charm, creating a truly memorable atmosphere. Read more

  • Employment contracts

    Learn about contracts for seafarers and use our template The PYA has become aware, from surveys and cases handled by our confidential Member Assistance Service, that there are many seafarers, especially those working on smaller yachts, that have inadequate employment contracts or, often, no contract at all. We are also aware that some Captains are not using employment contracts and would like to introduce them but don't know how to do so. It is for these reasons that the PYA decided, as a service to our industry, to offer two 'contract templates' that can be used to create an employment contract suitable for each particular situation. Please note carefully that these templates are only for use on so-called 'Pleasure Vessels'/yachts not operating commercially, but can be read as a guideline on what a seafarer needs to look out for when signing a contract. The PYA would very much like to receive feedback from members on these templates. Please send all feedback to advice@pya.org . Download SEA templates PYA SEA for Pleasure Vessels - Basic (Word) PYA SEA for Pleasure Vessels - Comprehensive - With notes (Word) PYA SEA for Pleasure Vessels - Comprehensive - Without notes (Word) Employment contracts To Knowledge Base

  • US Pollution Control Regulations and Smart Travel

    During a lunch hosted by The Marine Industries Association of South Florida, officers from several U.S. government agencies were discussing current issues with captains and crew. US Pollution Control Regulations and Smart Travel To All news 5 November 2019 During a lunch hosted by The Marine Industries Association of South Florida, officers from several U.S. government agencies were discussing current issues with captains and crew. Remaining compliant with Non-Tank Vessel Response Plans An increase in the number of vessels without a valid ‘Non-Tank Vessel Response Plan’ and/or a valid Certificate of Financial Responsibility caused the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to issue a Marine Safety and Information Bulletin (MSIB) in May 2019. According to the USCG, a non-tank vessel is defined as a self-propelled vessel of 400 gross tons or greater, that carries oil of any kind as fuel for main propulsion and that operates on the navigable waters of the United States. In a report published by The Triton, the central issue causing many vessels to be non-compliant is the fact that approval of proper documentation takes time. The USCG said that new plans must be approved at least 60 days before a vessel intended to operate in U.S. waters, while revised or amended plans require at least 30 days. Crew need to plan ahead for these timelines. Failure to show a plan to mitigate and respond to an oil spill when submitting an Advanced Notice of Arrival can lead to denial of entry into the U.S. In addition, failure to comply can result in a civil penalty of $47,353 against the owner or operator, according to the bulletin. Using technology to make travel simpler for crew The officers also emphasised that they’re trying to work with crew to make travel to and from ports easier. For example, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) is investing in facial recognition technology, said Michael Silva, Public Affairs Officer. “You’ll be able to travel from reservation to destination just with the face,” he said. The agency also stressed that they’re continuing to make the Reporting Offsite Arrival – Mobile (ROAM) app easier to use to help prevent problems, such as illegal bareboat charters. Officers stressed that they’re listening to multiple other issues raised relating to the travel of crew and Captains in the yachting industry and hope to go back to their departments to help find solutions. Read the full article here. Image by The Triton More news PYA - the Voice of yacht crew Discover how our actions go beyond membership to strengthen the entire yachting sector. Read more Next Generation in Yachting Forum 2025 - Highlights The PYA Next Generation in Yachting Forum, held on 11 April in Antibes, offered aspiring yacht crew an invaluable insight into the yachting industry. With contributions from leading recruitment agents including Bluewater, Hill Robinson, The Crew Network, and YPI, the event covered essential topics such as CV preparation, interview techniques, and professional etiquette. Attendees also received guidance on visas, welfare support, and career pathways across all departments, with practical advice from Captains, trainers, and experienced crew. The afternoon concluded with focused breakout sessions and networking, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and prepare for a successful career at sea. Read more PYA Christmas Ball 2024 Highlights The PYA Christmas Ball, held on 6 December 2024, was an exceptional evening celebrating the yachting community in style. This year’s theme, Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey, provided the perfect blend of elegance and vintage charm, creating a truly memorable atmosphere. Read more

  • Crew retention - How to build and keep a great team

    Crew retention is generally perceived to be one of the biggest headaches in the yachting industry, yet cited as one of the most important factors in maintaining an efficient and happy ship. Crew retention - How to build and keep a great team To All news 9 April 2021 We spoke to leading industry figures in recruitment, training and operations to ascertain the fundamental issues surrounding crew retention – and identify the best strategies for improving longevity. One stumbling block which is universally agreed upon is lack of leadership, with Luxury Hospitality founder Peter Vogel citing poor leadership as the number one reason for crew moving on. "If you are not led in a professional manner that feels fair and just, why would you remain?" he asks. Continue reading here . Author: Karen Hockney More news PYA - the Voice of yacht crew Discover how our actions go beyond membership to strengthen the entire yachting sector. Read more Next Generation in Yachting Forum 2025 - Highlights The PYA Next Generation in Yachting Forum, held on 11 April in Antibes, offered aspiring yacht crew an invaluable insight into the yachting industry. With contributions from leading recruitment agents including Bluewater, Hill Robinson, The Crew Network, and YPI, the event covered essential topics such as CV preparation, interview techniques, and professional etiquette. Attendees also received guidance on visas, welfare support, and career pathways across all departments, with practical advice from Captains, trainers, and experienced crew. The afternoon concluded with focused breakout sessions and networking, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and prepare for a successful career at sea. Read more PYA Christmas Ball 2024 Highlights The PYA Christmas Ball, held on 6 December 2024, was an exceptional evening celebrating the yachting community in style. This year’s theme, Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey, provided the perfect blend of elegance and vintage charm, creating a truly memorable atmosphere. Read more

  • Sea Changes Forum 2023 - Full conference video and presentations released

    PYA members and the general public can access our Sea Changes Forum 2023 conference video and presentations from today. Sea Changes Forum 2023 - Full conference video and presentations released To All news 28 November 2023 PYA members and the general public can access our Sea Changes Forum 2023 conference video and presentations from today. This year’s Sea Changes Forum at the Monaco Yacht Show brought together stakeholders from across the yachting industry to discuss important issues from crew welfare to the mapping of the seas. Our conference was held at the IHO HQ in Monaco, with a packed auditorium of guests who had travelled from around the world to participate in the PYA’s annual event. This year was a particularly special occasion to highlight some of the emerging technologies that will be changing our industry in the coming years ahead. We also gained insights into how yachts are being equipped to map the ocean floors, advancing our knowledge of the world’s marine ecosystem - further cementing how yachting is playing a key role in scientific discovery. Video conference - Full length version We would like to thank Bluewater for supporting our event and putting together this production of the conference. To access it, please see our Youtube video to watch the full conference . Conference presentations from guest speakers Below you can view and download a list of presentations from some of our speakers this year. These can be used for research and educational purposes. If you would like to request permission for commercial use, please get in contact with us: info@pya.org Mr Ajit Jacob, Chief Examiner, Maritime and Coast Guard Agency View the full presentation Mr John Wyborn, IAMI Board member - who discussed the work IAMI does for yacht training including the Deck Certification Report. View the full presentation Miss Joey Meen, IAMI Guest Program Director - who shared insights on the importance of soft skill training & the CPD opportunities of bespoke (non-mandatory) education to support yachting careers – with the Yacht Owners Representative Program being provided as an example. View the full presentation Mr Richard Falk, Director of Training and Qualifications, Royal Yachting Association - who introduced “RYA Training and Qualifications, Rising to the Challenges of the Future”. View the full presentation Miss Angela Wallace, PYA Director of Interior Training, PYA Welfare Group - who discussed current issues in the industry regarding crew including recruitment and retention. Mr Jo Assael, Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) Yacht Register, International Registries Inc - who introduced the RMI’s Master (Yachts) Unlimited Tonnage Certificate of Competency (CoC). Mr John Everett Nyberg, Technical Director, IHO - who discussed the IHO’s international mapping project. View the full presentation To see the full presentation of this year’s Sea Changes Forum 2023, please view this document for further details. We want to say another big thank you to our supporters and partners including the IHO , Ocean Drive , IAMI , Guest Program , Bluewater , MYBA , Seascope France and YPI Crew for making this event possible. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s event in 2024! More news PYA - the Voice of yacht crew Discover how our actions go beyond membership to strengthen the entire yachting sector. Read more Next Generation in Yachting Forum 2025 - Highlights The PYA Next Generation in Yachting Forum, held on 11 April in Antibes, offered aspiring yacht crew an invaluable insight into the yachting industry. With contributions from leading recruitment agents including Bluewater, Hill Robinson, The Crew Network, and YPI, the event covered essential topics such as CV preparation, interview techniques, and professional etiquette. Attendees also received guidance on visas, welfare support, and career pathways across all departments, with practical advice from Captains, trainers, and experienced crew. The afternoon concluded with focused breakout sessions and networking, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and prepare for a successful career at sea. Read more PYA Christmas Ball 2024 Highlights The PYA Christmas Ball, held on 6 December 2024, was an exceptional evening celebrating the yachting community in style. This year’s theme, Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey, provided the perfect blend of elegance and vintage charm, creating a truly memorable atmosphere. Read more

  • Sustainability Training for the Superyacht Industry

    Find out how you can learn the practical skills to measure and managing sustainability within the Superyacht industry. Sustainability Training for the Superyacht Industry To All news 5 November 2020 Since their launch, the PYA has been a proud supporter of the Water Revolution Foundation , the first independent, international, science-driven, non-profit organisation that is taking the lead to neutralise the ecological footprint of the superyacht industry and preserve the world’s precious oceans. In addition, following our initial message to members about The Foundation, there was a positive response and many members enquired about signing up their yachts to this initiative. At the beginning of the year, the Water Revolution Foundation declared that 2020 was the beginning of the decade of sustainability in yachting - a period where the industry would work together towards the United Nations’ 2030 agenda, guided by their Sustainable Development Goals. Since then, the Foundation has seen more companies becoming Water Revolution Foundation partners, but they also noticed a subsequent increase in questions surrounding the ‘how’ of sustainability....How do we improve? How do we ensure that our industry will be future proof? Sustainability Course for the Superyacht Industry For those looking to understand how to make practical changes – from measuring the environmental impact to creating a sustainability strategy – The Water Revolution Foundation's sustainability course was developed to do just that. The course is very pragmatic, provides useful tools and tips, and empowers participants to start their own sustainability programmes within their respective companies/roles. Held in five hours divided over two days, it’s the perfect way to get up to speed with sustainability. And you’ll be in good company. Over fifty industry professionals from leading companies have already taken the course to rave reviews. The course is run by the Centre for Sustainability & Excellence which has trained 90% of Fortune 500 companies. The next course takes place online on 19 and 20 November, from 2.00-4.30pm CET on both days. This will be their last course for 2020 so make sure you secure your spot. Learn more & register here. More news PYA - the Voice of yacht crew Discover how our actions go beyond membership to strengthen the entire yachting sector. Read more Next Generation in Yachting Forum 2025 - Highlights The PYA Next Generation in Yachting Forum, held on 11 April in Antibes, offered aspiring yacht crew an invaluable insight into the yachting industry. With contributions from leading recruitment agents including Bluewater, Hill Robinson, The Crew Network, and YPI, the event covered essential topics such as CV preparation, interview techniques, and professional etiquette. Attendees also received guidance on visas, welfare support, and career pathways across all departments, with practical advice from Captains, trainers, and experienced crew. The afternoon concluded with focused breakout sessions and networking, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and prepare for a successful career at sea. Read more PYA Christmas Ball 2024 Highlights The PYA Christmas Ball, held on 6 December 2024, was an exceptional evening celebrating the yachting community in style. This year’s theme, Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey, provided the perfect blend of elegance and vintage charm, creating a truly memorable atmosphere. Read more

  • Yachting and Public Opinion - Rough Seas Ahead?

    The yachting industry has always been very discreet, largely unknown to the general public. The seizing of yachts of Russian oligarchs has placed our industry on the front page of mainstream media, from CNN to the FT, opening it up to public scrutiny. Yachting and Public Opinion - Rough Seas Ahead? To All news 6 October 2022 The yachting industry has always been very discreet, largely unknown to the general public. The seizing of yachts of Russian oligarchs has placed our industry on the front page of mainstream media, from CNN to the FT, opening it up to public scrutiny. Since then, a number of initiatives have recently been launched which will impact the way we operate: In 2023, the Maritime industry will be included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Yachts are - for the time being - excluded. However, powerful environmental NGOs are lobbying the European Commission to include yachting in the new scheme. In July 2022, a private initiative to track the routes of superyachts and calculate their greenhouse gas emissions was launched. It is drawing much interest and public support (this follows a similar initiative tracking private jets owned by Elon Musk , other businessmen and artists). On 24thSeptember 2022, climate activists blocked a quayside in Port Vauban (Antibes) - one of the most popular superyacht marinas in the Mediterranean, to protest against what they deem to be ultra-rich ‘climate criminals'. The above projects/actions are firmly establishing Yachting in the "court of public opinion". Collectively, we cannot ignore these issues and requests for public accountability. Individually, we are all custodians of the image of our industry and there is much we can do to improve the public image of yachting, thus consolidating our “license to operate.” Watch my interview with Yachting International Radio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G42Wzp9b-E Photo credit: Courrier Picard More news PYA - the Voice of yacht crew Discover how our actions go beyond membership to strengthen the entire yachting sector. Read more Next Generation in Yachting Forum 2025 - Highlights The PYA Next Generation in Yachting Forum, held on 11 April in Antibes, offered aspiring yacht crew an invaluable insight into the yachting industry. With contributions from leading recruitment agents including Bluewater, Hill Robinson, The Crew Network, and YPI, the event covered essential topics such as CV preparation, interview techniques, and professional etiquette. Attendees also received guidance on visas, welfare support, and career pathways across all departments, with practical advice from Captains, trainers, and experienced crew. The afternoon concluded with focused breakout sessions and networking, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and prepare for a successful career at sea. Read more PYA Christmas Ball 2024 Highlights The PYA Christmas Ball, held on 6 December 2024, was an exceptional evening celebrating the yachting community in style. This year’s theme, Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey, provided the perfect blend of elegance and vintage charm, creating a truly memorable atmosphere. Read more

  • Installation of mooring buoys approved in Cannes, Golfe-Juan and Eze/Beaulieu

    You may remember that, together with our friends from ECPY and GEPY, the PYA has been working with the French Minister and lobbying the French administration, to seek alternative solutions to the Posidonia anchorage ban. Installation of mooring buoys approved in Cannes, Golfe-Juan and Eze/Beaulieu To All news 17 May 2022 We are pleased to announce that the decision to install mooring buoys for yachting is now being implemented. The French administration has approved 5 buoys in the bay of Eze/Beaulieu-sur-Mer, 6 in Golfe-Juan and 4 in Cannes (see link to maps below). However, at this stage, we do not know when the buoys will be available, or the procedure, duration and cost of anchorage. We will keep you informed as soon as information becomes available. Do not hesitate to contact our CEO, should you require additional information on this situation at ceo@pya.org or +33 (0)6 26 83 70 58. Download maps here. More news PYA - the Voice of yacht crew Discover how our actions go beyond membership to strengthen the entire yachting sector. Read more Next Generation in Yachting Forum 2025 - Highlights The PYA Next Generation in Yachting Forum, held on 11 April in Antibes, offered aspiring yacht crew an invaluable insight into the yachting industry. With contributions from leading recruitment agents including Bluewater, Hill Robinson, The Crew Network, and YPI, the event covered essential topics such as CV preparation, interview techniques, and professional etiquette. Attendees also received guidance on visas, welfare support, and career pathways across all departments, with practical advice from Captains, trainers, and experienced crew. The afternoon concluded with focused breakout sessions and networking, providing a unique opportunity to connect with industry professionals and prepare for a successful career at sea. Read more PYA Christmas Ball 2024 Highlights The PYA Christmas Ball, held on 6 December 2024, was an exceptional evening celebrating the yachting community in style. This year’s theme, Peaky Blinders meets Downton Abbey, provided the perfect blend of elegance and vintage charm, creating a truly memorable atmosphere. Read more

  • Faq | Professional Yachting Association | Antibes

    Have questions about the PYA or the services it provides? You can check the frequently asked cuestions about the organisation, Sea Service Testimonials, Yacht Rating Certificate, Training Record Book and more. Frequently asked questions General Questions Digital Service Record Book (D-SRB) What is an NOE or Notice of Eligibility? NOE stands for Notice of Eligibility. The MCA issues this document and it means you have met all the requirements to sit an oral examination with the MCA for a Certificate of Competence (CoC). Before you can book a date for an oral exam, you must have obtained an NOE. It will come with instructions on how to book an oral and details on how the oral exam works. What is a testimonial? Why can’t Reference Letters or Seaman Discharge Books be accepted instead? A testimonial is documentary proof of your onboard yacht service and sea service. It contains the details of the yacht, your position, and your detailed sea service, with days at sea, standby, shipyard, and watchkeeping (whichever applicable). Most of the time, letters do not contain all the necessary information related to your sea service, so even if they can serve as a reference, they will not qualify as a testimonial as well. The same applies to Seaman Discharge Book (SDB) entries. They refer only to your dates and role on board but do not specify the sea service you acquired. Testimonials must be signed by the Master of the vessel on board which the qualifying service has been performed, or can also be signed by the Chief Officer or Chief Engineer (where engineers are concerned). In the case of service as Master, the testimonials must be signed by the owner or a responsible person from the Yacht Management Company such as a company director or yacht manager. When should I get a testimonial? The best would be to get a testimonial every 6 months or seasonal. You can always ask for a testimonial afterwards but it may prove more complicated as people might move on to other jobs in the meantime and not necessarily have access to the required information later. You can ask the Captain, Chief Officer, Chief Engineer (if you were working in an engineering role and weren't the Chief Engineer onboard), yacht manager, owner or owner's representative to sign your testimonials and verify them. What happens if my Captain no longer works on the boat where I was employed? You can still use the captain as a signatory, as long as you have their contact information (email). When can a testimonial be ‘declined’? This can happen for various reasons: If the definitions of sea service have been disregarded, i.e. standby time exceeds days at sea, sea service totals are higher than employment period, etc. If the testimonial is self-signed If the testimonial for a Master is signed by another Master and does not fall in an exceptional situation. See guidelines . What is the procedure to issue/update my D-SRB? How do my testimonials get verified? How do I know the status of my testimonials’ verification? Log into your PYA profile and upload your testimonials/certificates to ‘your documents’. The documents will then go through our verification process. You can verify the status of your documents in your profile under ‘your documents’. How does the sea service verification work? Please read here. How does the PYA D-SRB work? Please go back to the D-SRB FAQ here. What is Seaman's Discharge Book (SDB)? What is the difference between the SDB and the PYA D-SRB (Digital Service Record Book)? A Seaman's Book / Seaman's Discharge Book / Discharge Book is a physical booklet, issued by maritime authorities all around the world, which, traditionally, has two purposes: Identity document, and Record of your employment history Additionally, a Seaman's Book can be useful when passing through an airport or when taking shore leave. You can read more about SDBs here. A D-SRB (Digital Service Record Book) is a PYA-generated electronic document that replaced the PYA's physical Service Record Book (SRB). The PYA's SRB (now D-SRB) was introduced to make it easier for yacht crew to prove to the MCA their experience and that they held the relevant qualifications required to apply for a Certificate of Competency (CoC). It is recognized by the MCA and Transport Malta but not necessarily by the maritime authorities of other countries. We recommend that you have BOTH. As they serve different purposes. You can read more about the PYA D-SRB by going back to the FAQs here. What is a TRB or Training Record Book? TRB stands for Training Record Book. For deck, the OOW 3000 Yachts MCA Training Record Book is a requirement that must completed before you can apply for an OOW 3000 Yachts CoC. You can download this online on the MCA website or ask us for a free bound copy when you are a PYA member. For engineers going through the Small Vessel Route, the Engineering TRB can only be obtained after you've registered into the Program and from Training Providers or Colleges that offer SV courses. To register, you have to prove you satisfy all the entry requirements. How can I get certified copies of documents? Who can certify documents that I need to submit to the PYA? Do they all (testimonials and certificates) need to be certified? The certification of your documents for PYA use can be done by anyone holding a CoC, a management company, a training provider, or other professionals such as doctors, lawyers or teachers, who declare that the copies are true copies of the originals. Only certificates need to be certified as true copies, not testimonials. We cannot process your testimonials without confirming your identity so your file will remain pending until you upload a certified copy of your passport. Text sample: ----- "I certify that this/these is a/are true copy/ies of the original/s." Full name, COC number and issuing authority (if available), stamp (if available), signature. ----- Whoever is certifying your documents can: - write the declaration on each copy; Alternatively, you can go to one of our Agents listed in the Contacts section, or any notary public, or MCA-approved nautical colleges, or IYT NOE Application documents and certificated are send to the MCA via EMAIL ONLY at deck@mcga.g.uk or engineering@mcga.g.uk Is the Y route still available to engineers? No, the Y route was closed at the end of December 2022. Now, the route has been completely replaced by the Small Vessel Program. To learn more about it you can read MCA's MSN 1904 or contact us at srb@pya.org . Does the MEOL still exist? Yes, it is the new SV MEOL CoC. You can learn more about it by reading the MCA's MSN 1904 or contacting srb@pya.org Want to get personalised support? Choose the plan that fits you. 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