Keeping it valid
Governing: arrêté of 24 Jul 2013 (revalidation), art. 9; décret 2015-723 tableau IV; arrêtés of 17 and 21 Aug 2015, 23 Dec 2015 and 19 Apr 2016 (engineering). Builds on: L2.1–L2.2.
The five-year clock
French deck titles, the yacht titles included, are subject to revalidation quinquennale: you prove continued competence at intervals not exceeding five years. Art. 9 of the arrêté of 24 Jul 2013 gives these routes:
| Route | What you need |
|---|---|
| Sea service, long | 12 months in total in the previous 5 years, in functions covered by the title |
| Sea service, recent | 3 months in total in the 6 months immediately before revalidation |
| Test or course | A revalidation test or course passed in the 12 months before the application, at an approved provider |
| Supernumerary or lower rank | 3 months in the previous 6 months as supernumerary in the title's functions, or as officer one level below |
"Functions covered by the title" includes serving one level below as an officer. A Capitaine 500 yacht working as chief mate still counts.
You also need valid support certificates as listed in annexe V of the arrêté. An expired advanced fire-fighting certificate can stop a revalidation as surely as missing sea time.
Worked example
A C500 yacht holder's title expires on 30 Apr 2027. She did 4 months as chief mate in 2023 and 5 months as master in 2025. Total in the five years: 4 + 5 = 9 months, which is short of 12. She has no service in the six months before April 2027. Her options are the revalidation test or course within the 12 months before applying, or 3 months' service before she applies.
CAUTION — start early Revalidation courses fill up before the season. If you are counting on the test route, book it in the winter.
Support certificates
| French | STCW equivalent | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| CFBS | Basic Safety Training (VI/1) | Recycled, generally 5 years |
| CQALI | Advanced Fire Fighting (VI/3) | Recycled |
| CAEERS / CAECSR | Survival craft / fast rescue boats (VI/2) | Recycled |
| EM I / II / III | Medical first aid / medical care (VI/4) | Recycled |
| CRO / CGO | ROC / GOC (IV/2) | Per GMDSS rules |
For the wider MCA view of the same problem, see Keeping Your CoC Valid.
Engineering titles in brief
The current French system has no separate yacht engineer ladder. Engineers on yachts hold the general titles, limited by propulsion power (décret 2015-723 tableau IV):
| Title | Scope |
|---|---|
| Mécanicien 250 kW | All engine functions under 250 kW |
| Mécanicien 750 kW | All engine functions under 750 kW; age 18; 18 months' sea service, 6 in the engine room after the diploma |
| Officier chef de quart machine (OCQM) | Engineer OOW; entered from the 750 kW through an entry module |
| Second / chef mécanicien 3000 kW, then 8000 kW | Chief engineer under 3000 kW, then under 8000 kW |
An older chef mécanicien yacht 3000 kW still appears in the revalidation tables for existing holders. The Mécanicien 250/750 kW titles are absent from DGAMPA's list of titles needing quinquennial revalidation, and their arrêtés give no validity period. Treat their revalidation position as unconfirmed.
TIP — your C200 yacht is also a small engine ticket Because the C200 diploma includes the 250 kW modules, a C200 yacht holder may carry out engine functions under 250 kW (L2.1).
Summary
Deck titles are revalidated at most every five years, by sea service or by test or course, with valid support certificates. Engineers use the general kW ladder; revalidation of the smaller engineer titles is unclear.