Do you need a certificate to crew on a sailing yacht?
By Global Crew Finder. Published 7 October 2026.
Often not. On many yachts the RYA reports that no formal qualification is asked of crew, but skippers differ, and larger yachts ask for more.
This guide says what the RYA reports and what skippers often prefer, so you can tell whether a ticket is standing between you and your first passage. It is not legal advice. For anything official, ask the RYA.
What most yachts ask: competent crew, not a ticket
- Reported The RYA says that on yachts up to 24 m in most cases no formal qualifications are required for crew, and that skippers often prefer crew with RYA Day Skipper training or higher.Source: RYA (organiser or official source), seen 7 October 2026.
The RYA page this comes from:
Crew wanted: what skippers write on a passage
Every skipper decides what they need, and says so on the passage. Some ask for a Day Skipper certificate or more. Some ask only that you are willing to learn and to stand your watch. Read the experience line on each passage before you rule yourself out.
- Reported The RYA Day Skipper practical course takes five days. Schools state the prerequisites as five days on board, 100 nautical miles and four night hours, plus Day Skipper theory or equivalent knowledge.Source: sailing schools (lcsc.org.uk and others) (commercial source), seen 1 October 2026. Check with Royal Yachting Association (RYA) before you rely on it.
Positions as crew on boats where formal training starts
- Reported The RYA says that on yachts over 24 m crew may need an MCA Yacht Rating Certificate, which asks for RYA Day Skipper or Competent Crew, and STCW basic training: sea survival, fire fighting and prevention, first aid, personal safety and social responsibilities.Source: RYA (organiser or official source), seen 7 October 2026.
To check what applies to a particular boat, ask the RYA:
What to put on your crew profile when you have no certificate
A skipper reading your profile wants to know what you can do on watch. Say it plainly:
- the boats and passages you have sailed, even short ones
- any course you have done, even a single day
- what you can do on watch: steer a course, keep a lookout, cook, fix things
- the dates you are free and how far you can travel
- what you want to learn, and that you are happy to be taught
Last checked 1 October 2026. The facts above come from the sources linked beside each one. We have not opened every source page ourselves; check with the organiser before you rely on it. Dates, fees, deadlines and entry rules change, and only the organiser or the authority can state them.
Not ready to apply yet? It is free, and captains can see your experience when you do.
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