ON POINT

Whether you’re an aspiring superyacht engineer, a beginner deckhand, or a boat owner eager to understand the fundamentals of engine care, the AEC1 course is a perfect starting point to get hands-on experience and practical knowledge of how to keep your vessel’s engine running smoothly. 

Day Skippers can navigate with confidence and avoid common hazards, which is particularly valuable in unfamiliar waters or during changing weather conditions. This knowledge is foundational not only for safety but also for making sound navigational decisions.

With now imminent arrival of the winter, the yachting scene in the Med slows down, but a lot of behind-the-scenes preparation happens to get ready for the next busy summer season. Some yachts migrate to warmer regions like the Caribbean to continue operations, others get hauled out of the water or kept docked with extra precautions. Shipyards get busy with maintenance, repairs, and refits, and crew either get some downtime or update and upgrade their qualifications.

Offline, Shorebased Yachtmaster course lasts 5-6 days; online, it typically takes 40-50 hours to complete, depending on individual pace. Online course is broken into several modules and features a mock exam to help prepare for the final assessment. Obviously, compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar learning, online Yachtmaster theory has a number of advantages – you can study whenever and anywhere as long as you have access to the Internet, and online course is usually more affordable. It’s a great option for yachties who have time between busy charters or during the winter lull.

During STCW Basic Safety training week, our instructor Ged always shares stories to draw students’ attention to safety aspects and make learning relevant. Today, we want to share the story of our former student Katja who saved her own life relying on the knowledge from Personal Survival Techniques course.