Framework
Governing: MI-118 §2.2 and §7.0; MN 7-038-2 Appendix A.2; Yacht Code 2026 (MI-103) manning sections. Builds on: your national CoC.
The one-line rule
MI-118 §2.2.1 is blunt: no person performs the duties of Master, OICNW, Chief Engineer or OICEW on an RMI-registered vessel unless the Administrator has issued a CoC or a Certificate of Endorsement (CoE). Your MCA, USCG, AMSA or SAMSA certificate is the foundation. It is not, on its own, the authority to sit in the engine control room of an RMI yacht in an MSMC billet.
The Yacht Code 2026 does not repeat the manning rules. Each chapter (commercial yachts, PAXYs, PYLCs) says the yacht shall carry sufficient qualified officers and refers to MN 7-038-2 for manning and MI-118 §7.0 for crew certification. Those two documents are where the engineer's rules live.
Which yachts carry an MSMC
| Yacht type | MSMC? | When it bites |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial yacht | Yes | Whenever it proceeds to sea |
| PAXY | Yes | Whenever it proceeds to sea |
| YET | Yes | Whenever it proceeds to sea |
| PYLC | Yes | At sea with charter guests on board |
| Private yacht of 3,000 GT or more | Yes, from 1 September 2024 | At sea |
| Private yacht under 3,000 GT | No (voluntary MSMC possible) | Owner remains responsible for safe manning |
A voluntary MSMC on a smaller private yacht is issued at the corresponding commercial levels (§A.2.17). Where a commercial yacht is temporarily registered as private, full commercial manning and certification must be kept (§A.2.18).
CAUTION — Private is not a free pass IRI's manning page states that manning requirements may apply to private yachts depending on size and area, and that safe manning remains the owner's overriding responsibility. Underwriters will ask the same question.
What the Administrator issues
- CoE (form MI-105D) – an endorsement recognising a national CoC from an Annex 7 country, issued for the unexpired term of that national certificate.
- CoC (form MI-105C) – an RMI certificate issued on examination or renewal of an existing RMI CoC. Valid for up to five years.
- SIRB – the RMI Seafarer's Identification and Record Book, required for all crew with safety, security or environmental duties on commercial yachts, PAXYs, PYLCs and YETs (MI-118 §7.1).
For yacht engineers, MI-118 §7.2.2 lists two CoE capacities: Chief Engineer and OICEW. The general merchant list in §3.3.3 is wider: Second Engineer Officer (First Assistant Engineer), two OICEW grades, ETO and cargo engineers.
Functions and levels
RMI certificates show STCW functions and a level of responsibility. An engineer officer must qualify in functions 3, 4, 5 and 6 (control of the ship and care of persons; marine engineering; electrical, electronic and control engineering; maintenance and repair). An ETO qualifies in 5 and 6. Chief Engineer and First Assistant Engineer sit at management level. OICEW and ETO sit at operational level.
Age
No RMI certificate is issued to anyone under 18. The grade of First Assistant Engineer or higher requires the holder to be at least 21 (MI-118 §2.11.1).
TIP — Read the MSMC first Before you worry about equivalence tables, get a copy of the yacht's MSMC. It lists the engine capacities, STCW grades and kW limitation the yacht must carry. Your endorsement has to match a line on it.
For the general application mechanics shared by all ranks, see Marshall Islands Endorsements for Yacht Crew.