Around the core
Governing: MSN 1861 (M) Amendment 1, sections 2.5, 4, 6 and 10; MSF 4201 Rev 11/25. Builds on: L2.1. Cross-refer: ENG1 medical guide, ECDIS, High Voltage, GMDSS SRC/ROC/GOC.
Medical fitness
Section 4 requires a valid medical fitness certificate meeting the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Medical Certification) Regulations 2010:
- a current UK ENG1 from an MCA-approved doctor; or
- an equivalent certificate from an administration the MCA recognises.
It must show the examination date, validity and any restrictions. Restrictions on the medical carry through to what you can do with the CoC.
TIP — Medical first Book the ENG1 before you submit. If it expires while your application is being processed, you are left with a revalidated CoC and no right to sail.
Deck officers: ECDIS
Section 6.1: to use your UK CoC on ships fitted with ECDIS, you need one of:
- MCA-approved NARAS/NAEST operational or management level course completed on or after 1 January 2005;
- an MCA-approved ECDIS course completed on or after 1 January 2005;
- ECDIS simulator training complying with IMO Model Course 1.27.
Otherwise the CoC carries: "This certificate is not valid for service on ships fitted with ECDIS." For the yacht shore-based refresher route (Lesson 1.3), an MCA-approved ECDIS certificate is required. MSN 1858 Amendment 2 notes ECDIS is mandatory for OOW, Chief Mate and Master yacht CoCs up to 3000 GT.
Engineers: High Voltage
High voltage means systems over 1000 V. To avoid the limitation "not valid for service on ships fitted with High Voltage (over 1000 V) systems":
| CoC level | Evidence |
|---|---|
| EOOW (III/1) | Approved HV operational course, or HV sea service of 6 months in the last 5 years or 3 months in the last 12 months |
| Second / Chief (III/2, III/3) | Approved HV management course |
Courses completed before 1 July 2013 may be accepted if they covered the specified topics (Annex B).
GMDSS
Section 2.5: deck officers should submit their UK GMDSS certificate with the revalidation so its endorsement expiry is synchronised with the CoC. MSF 4201 Rev 11/25 says it revalidates UK GOC/ROC certificates at no additional cost, issuing a card-format GOC/ROC and endorsement.
Tanker endorsements
Rare on yachts, but for completeness: tanker endorsements need 3 months' tanker service in 5 years, approved shipboard or advanced course training, or 30 months' relevant employment (section 8). Otherwise they are removed.
Security
Section 10: on ships subject to the ISPS Code you must hold security awareness (Table A-VI/6-1) or designated security duties (Table A-VI/6-2) training as appropriate, but you do not need to submit these with the revalidation. Keep them on board.
Medical Care
Masters and those designated to take charge of medical care on UK vessels need a Proficiency in Medical Care certificate, or an updated one, within the preceding 5 years (MSN 1858 A2 s.6.12). It is not on the MSF 4201 list but it is a legal requirement for the job.
CAUTION — Limitations stick A limitation printed on a revalidated CoC stays there until you apply to remove it with the right evidence. Check your current CoC for existing limitations before you revalidate.