Deck

Marshall Islands 350 GT Master / 500 GT Mate

RMI-350-500

Modules
4
Lessons
12
Questions
60

Independent study. xplor is not affiliated with the Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator and awards no certificate, endorsement or Certificate of Competency. The approved course and examination must be taken with a provider approved by the RMI Administrator, after RMI pre-approval via form MI-105E. AI-drafted content pending subject-matter-expert review.

Drafted from RMI Maritime Administrator publications MI-118 Requirements for Seafarer Certification (Rev. Mar/2026), MI-118E Requirements for Seafarer Certification by Examination (Rev. Jan/2025), MI-319Y Guidelines for Deck Officer's Examinations – Yachts (Rev. Feb/2021), SICD-24 (Nov/2022) and SICD-25 Preliminary Requirements (Apr/2026), MI-103 Yacht Code 2026 (Rev. May/2026) and Marine Notice MN 7-038-2 (Jul/2024). Also used: the IRI yacht manning web page and the IRI 350 GT/500 GT flyer; STCW Regulations II/2 and II/3; COLREG 1972; and UK MCA MSN 1858 (M) Amendment 2 (2026). One secondary source (labelled): the PYT USA course page..

Rule notes (10)

  1. Recent change

    Engineer manning counts only the largest single engine

    Marine Notice 7-038-2 (Rev. Jul/2024, §A.2.19) sets the engineer grade by the power of the single highest-powered propulsion engine, not the total installed power. Industry press reported it in March and April 2024; the rule itself appears to have come in with the Feb/2024 revision. Check the yacht's engine plate figures, not the brochure total.

    Sources

  2. Recent change

    Yacht Code 2026 replaces the 2021 Code

    MI-103 Yacht Code 2026 (Rev. May/2026) took effect on 1 January 2026. Some RMI documents have not caught up: MN 7-038-2 (Jul/2024) still cites the 2021 Code, and MI-103A (Nov/2022) still says the Inventory of Hazardous Materials applies only on EU port calls, which the 2026 Code contradicts. Where they differ, the 2026 Code is the newer text.

    Sources

  3. Sources disagree

    Minimum age for Chief Mate and First Assistant Engineer

    MI-118 (Rev. Mar/2026) gives 21; the MI-280 Filing Agents Manual (Rev. Jan/2025) gives 19. MI-118 is the certification requirement itself and the more recent revision, but confirm with the Administrator if a candidate falls between the two.

    Sources

  4. Sources disagree

    Medical for an older national CoC: one year or two?

    When the national CoC being endorsed is more than a year old, MI-118 §2.11.18 accepts a medical issued within 2 years, MI-118 Annex 7 says 1 year, and form MI-105 says 24 months. Sending a medical under a year old satisfies all three.

    Sources

  5. Rule to know

    CRA and Urgent Authorisation: 90 days, no extension

    A Certificate of Receipt of Application (MI-151B) or an Urgent Authorisation lets an officer serve for up to 90 days while the endorsement is processed. Neither can be extended, because STCW gives the Administrator 90 days to issue. After a UA, the completed MI-105 must arrive within 15 calendar days or the UA may be invalidated.

    Sources

  6. Not confirmed

    List of recognised administrations

    MI-118 Annex 7, which lists the administrations whose CoCs the RMI will endorse, was last updated in Dec/2017 and repeats some countries. Confirm the current list with the Administrator before relying on it.

    Sources

  7. Not confirmed

    No published processing times

    No RMI document gives a normal processing time for a Certificate of Endorsement or an SIRB. The only fixed figure is the 90-day STCW limit covered by a CRA. Fees are published in Marine Notices 1-005-1 and 1-005-2.

    Sources

  8. Sources disagree

    Required courses: three lists

    MI-118 (Mar/2026), MI-118E (Jan/2025) and SICD-25 (Apr/2026) each list different courses. SICD-25, the newest, drops Master of Yachts Offshore/200 T – Unlimited Oceans and Advanced Sea Survival.

    Sources

  9. Sources disagree

    Course length and exam format

    MI-118E says the course is one week; the PYT school advertises 10 days. MI-319Y describes three exam modules; PYT says six exams.

    Sources

  10. Not confirmed

    Which STCW regulation does the certificate carry?

    No RMI document we read says whether the 350 GT Master is issued under STCW II/2 or II/3, or what area limit is printed. So it is unclear whether it meets the II/2 master requirement for Category 0 (unlimited) yachts in MN 7-038-2 Table A1.

    Sources

RMI-350-500-M1 · The certificate and its place

3 lessons

RMI-350-500-M1-A What the RMI 350 GT Master / 500 GT Mate CoC is, who it suits and where it fits in RMI yacht manning.

In preparation
RMI-350-500-L1.1What the 350 GT Master / 500 GT Mate CoC isAn **RMI-issued STCW CoC** that lets a 200 GT yacht master **command RMI commercial yachts up to 350 GT** and serve as **mate up to 500 GT**. IRI describes it as the only way to move from a non-STCW licence to a full STCW CoC at this size.PreviewRMI-350-500-L1.2Who the certificate suitsThe typical candidate is **a working small-yacht captain with a 200 GT ticket, several years' sea time and no easy national STCW route**. This lesson looks at who that is, and who should take a different route.LockedRMI-350-500-L1.3Where the certificate fits in RMI manningThe **MSMC**, not the certificate, decides whether you can take command. This lesson covers how RMI's yacht manning tables use tonnage and **operating category**, and where a 350 GT master fits.Locked

RMI-350-500-M2 · Getting the certificate

3 lessons

RMI-350-500-M2-A Eligibility and sea service, the conflicting training lists, and the course, examination and renewal.

In preparation
RMI-350-500-L2.1Eligibility and sea service**Three years on vessels over 15 m, one of them as master or mate on a vessel over 200 GT**, together with a 200 GT yacht master CoC. This lesson covers how to count it and where candidates usually come up short.LockedRMI-350-500-L2.2Training prerequisites: three lists that do not matchMI-118 (Mar/2026), MI-118E (Jan/2025) and SICD-25 (Apr/2026) each give a **different course list**. This lesson shows the differences and what to do about them.LockedRMI-350-500-L2.3The course, the examination and keeping the certificateAn **approved one-week course**, then a **60-question, three-module examination** with pass marks of **90% for the Rules, 80% for chart problems and 70% for the rest**. Then five years of validity to maintain.Locked

RMI-350-500-M3 · Navigation and the Rules

3 lessons

RMI-350-500-M3-A Chartwork methods, COLREGs to the 90% standard, and passage planning and weather at small-yacht command level.

In preparation
RMI-350-500-L3.1Chartwork: compass error, set and drift, ETAModule 2 of the exam is **five chart problems at 80%**, so one mistake is the most you can afford. This lesson works through the methods it tests: **compass error, set and drift, and ETA**.LockedRMI-350-500-L3.2COLREGs at 90%: the rules a small-yacht master must know coldThe Watchstanding Rules paper is **20 questions at 90%**. Here are the COLREG rules that small-yacht command depends on, taught the way the examination asks about them.LockedRMI-350-500-L3.3Passage planning and weather for small-yacht commandThe 350 GT master plans the passage, reads the weather and decides whether to sail. This lesson covers **passage planning in four stages, the weather syllabus, and how to handle a tropical revolving storm**.Locked

RMI-350-500-M4 · Command of a small commercial yacht

3 lessons

RMI-350-500-M4-A Stability, safety management and emergencies, and the people and law a 350 GT master answers for.

In preparation
RMI-350-500-L4.1Stability basics for small yachtsSmall yachts are sensitive to **weight high up and slack tanks**. This lesson works through **KG, GM, free surface and list** with numbers you can check, at the level the Stability & Trim questions expect.LockedRMI-350-500-L4.2Safety management, drills and emergenciesUnder 500 GT, an RMI commercial yacht runs a **mini-ISM** rather than full ISM. This lesson covers what the Yacht Code requires of it: **policy, procedures, emergency checklists, recorded drills and accident reporting**.LockedRMI-350-500-L4.3Crew, guests and the master's legal positionCommanding a small commercial yacht means managing **crew certificates, a 12-passenger limit and RMI law**. This lesson covers what the master checks, what the owner is responsible for, and where the law sits.Locked