Entry & progression
Governing: MI-118 §7.2.3 (Rev. Mar/2026); MI-118E §3.2.5.1 (Rev. Jan/2025). Builds on: a 200 GT Master (Yachts) certificate.
The certificate in one table
| Item | Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Master (Yacht) – 350GT / Mate (Yacht) – 500GT CoC (STCW) | MI-118 §7.2.3 |
| Issuer | RMI Maritime Administrator | MI-118 |
| Command | RMI-flagged commercial yacht up to 350 GT | IRI flyer |
| Mate | Yacht of up to 500 GT | IRI flyer |
| Entry CoC | 200 GT Master – Yachts (or greater) | MI-118 §7.2.3.1 |
| Route | Pre-approval, then a prescribed course and examination | MI-118 §7.2.3; MI-118E §3.2.5.1 |
| Validity | Up to five years | MI-118 §2.3.1 |
What makes it unusual
Most RMI officers serve on an RMI Certificate of Endorsement issued on the strength of another country's CoC (see Marshall Islands Endorsements for Yacht Crew). This certificate is different. RMI examines you and issues its own CoC. MI-118E says it is "considered to be an upgrade" to the 200 GT yacht master CoC you already hold.
IRI's flyer makes two claims:
- that the qualification is recognised by major flag States because it is an STCW course and so falls under STCW mutual recognition; and
- that it is "the only qualification allowing the transition of a non-STCW license to a full STCW CoC for yachts of this size".
Read the second claim with care. Many 200 GT yacht masters hold certificates that are not STCW CoCs, such as some commercially endorsed Yachtmaster certificates or a USCG 200 GRT master licence without STCW. RMI has built a bridge from that level into an STCW certificate issued by a flag State.
Which STCW regulation?
STCW itself shows why this matters:
| STCW rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| II/3 para 2 | A master of a ship under 500 GT not on near-coastal voyages must hold a CoC for master 500–3,000 GT |
| II/3 paras 5–6 | A master of a ship under 500 GT on near-coastal voyages holds a II/3 CoC. Candidate at least 20, with 12 months as OICNW |
MI-118 labels the certificate "(STCW)", but none of the RMI documents reviewed for this course says which regulation it is issued under. Nor do they say whether it is limited to near-coastal voyages. The difference matters. RMI's own manning tables (Lesson 1.3) call for II/3 masters on small yachts in the shorter-range categories, and II/2 masters for unlimited operation.
CAUTION — Read your certificate, not the brochure When the CoC arrives, read the regulation, capacity and any limitations printed on it. Those words decide which MSMC categories you can command under, and what another flag will accept.
What it does not do
- It is not a CoE. You do not need a foreign CoC behind it once it is issued.
- It does not cover command above 350 GT, or service as mate above 500 GT.
- It does not replace the separate RMI Private Yacht Master CoQ (MI-118 §7.2.7), which is valid on private yachts only.
The larger RMI-issued yacht CoC is covered in Marshall Islands Master (Yachts) Unlimited Tonnage.