The following is the text of a news release from Maritime Professional Training:
(FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.) — Maritime Professional Training (MPT) — the largest private maritime training school in the nation — has announced its offering of a first-of-its-kind, expedient superyacht-specific assessment for captains wishing to gain their unlimited license in collaboration with the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry. The Master of Yachts of Unlimited Tonnage — Marshall Islands Capstone Assessment at MPT will provide duly qualified and trained yacht captains a full STCW Certificate of Competency (CoC), allowing certificated captains to command yachts over 3,000 gross tons.
This five-day assessment and simulation assessment, held at MPT’s Fort Lauderdale campus, is designed to be the “capstone assessment” undertaken after all of the required sea service and training have been completed to apply for the raise in grade to Master of Yachts Unlimited Tonnage through the RMI Registry. The assessment and ticket, which is limited to superyachts, is an answer to what many industry professionals label "the glass ceiling" for superyacht captains — an issue which more and more find themselves facing as superyachts get bigger.
“Until now, when a superyacht captain has the opportunity to work on a superyacht larger than 3,000 gross tons, they’ve needed to step into the commercial realm, spending a significant amount of time and money working on commercial vessels to get the required sea time and experience to simply qualify for their exam,” said Ted Morley, COO, Maritime Professional Training. “This five-day assessment is a first-of-its-kind opportunity for superyacht captains and owners alike, as it provides a time-efficient, cost-effective, solution for those duly qualified yacht captains who wish to receive their master unlimited license and certification in under a week. With the provision of this assessment, a yacht captain does not have to leave their current owner for an extended period — an issue which, in the past, typically forced the owners to replace their current captain when he or she wished to pursue this license and training.”
John Hafner, vice president, Seafarers’ Manning & Training at International Registries Inc. (IRI), which provides administrative and technical support to the RMI Registry, adds, “Typically, for a yacht captain to get a master unlimited ticket, they would have to get off yachts completely and start working their way up the ladder in the commercial realm on a container ship or tanker. Six years later when they decide to come back to yachts, they’ve lost all of their connections in the yachting industry and their previous owner has moved on. Or, on the flipside, if an owner wants to go to the next level and build a megayacht and it happens to be over 3,000 gross tons, their only real option is to go into the commercial realm to try and find a captain, and typically these owners want to keep their current captains in place. This assessment and partnership with MPT was designed to address this specific problem.”
The Master of Yachts of Unlimited Tonnage – Marshall Islands Capstone Assessment is only available to those captains who meet the 14 outlined prerequisites, including relevant sea time, all of which have been based on the STCW requirements for captains gaining their commercial unlimited license without the reference to cargo, and focuses on RMI maritime law. All candidates must be approved by the RMI prior to taking this assessment. The approval letter must be provided to MPT at the time of enrollment. A course description and complete listing of requirements that must be met in order to register for and take part in the assessment can be found on MPT's website.
The Master of Yachts of Unlimited Tonnage – Marshall Islands Capstone Assessment is being offered at MPT, located at 1915 S. Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Cost for pre-approved, certified applicants to participate in the assessment is $2,995. Qualified candidates interested in enrollment should contact MPT via e-mail at info@mptusa.com or call (954) 525-1014 to register or for more information.
