Purser
Yacht Purser Program
- Modules
- 5
- Lessons
- 20
- Questions
- 100
Independent study. xplor is not an IAMI- or PYA-accredited GUEST training provider and awards no certificate or Certificate of Competency. It is not legal, tax or insurance advice.
Aligned to the IAMI GUEST Program framework. Preparatory study only — assessment and certification are carried out by an approved GUEST Training Provider. Official source (GUEST Program). Finance, compliance and administration at purser level.
PURSER-1 · The Purser Role
3 lessons
PURSER-1.1 What a Purser Is and Where the Role Sits
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-1.1.1The Yacht Purser: The Role, the Yachts and the Four PillarsA yacht purser is the administrative and financial head of the vessel, typically found on larger and charter-heavy yachts. The role divides into crew administration, financial control, compliance and guest experience.PreviewPURSER-1.1.2Reporting Lines and Key RelationshipsThe purser reports to the captain onboard and functionally to the shore management company or owner office. Success depends on clean documentation, early escalation and never bypassing the captain.Locked
PURSER-1.2 The Purser Year and Professional Standards
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-2 · Financial Control
5 lessons
PURSER-2.1 The Yacht Books
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-2.1.1The Chart of Accounts and the Yacht BooksThe chart of accounts is the fixed list of spending categories set by the owner side, applied consistently and combined with a department cost centre. Capital and operating spend are distinguished and the audit trail runs from approval to ledger.LockedPURSER-2.1.2Multi-Currency Cash, Cards and Petty CashYacht cash is run as an imprest petty cash float alongside controlled cards, transfers and ring-fenced APA money. Foreign currency is converted into the functional currency using an agreed rate source, with FX differences posted separately.Locked
PURSER-2.2 The Close, the Budget and the Owner Report
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-2.2.1Reconciliation and the Monthly CloseReconciliation proves the yacht ledger agrees with the bank, card and cash records, with every difference named and explained. The monthly close follows a fixed sequence from cut-off through coding, reconciliation, accruals, reporting and archiving.LockedPURSER-2.2.2The Operating Budget, Variance Analysis and CapExThe operating budget is built by department and becomes the yardstick for actual spend, with variances analysed as timing, price, volume or scope. Capital spend is authorised and reported separately from operating expense.Locked
PURSER-2.3 Procurement and Internal Control
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-3 · Charter and Guest Finance
4 lessons
PURSER-3.1 The Charter Agreement and the APA
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-3.1.1The Charter Agreement and the Broker RelationshipThe MYBA-style charter agreement sets the parties, dates, cruising area, fee, APA and delivery terms, and the purser extracts the operational facts rather than interpreting the contract. Brokers are the channel for preferences, APA requests and settlement.LockedPURSER-3.1.2The APA End to End: Collection, Drawdown and SettlementThe APA is charterer money held on trust to pay charter running costs, collected before embarkation and reconciled to the cent. The purser tracks burn rate, requests top-ups early through the broker, and settles the balance promptly with a full statement.Locked
PURSER-3.2 Guests, Gratuities and Tax
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-3.2.1Delivery, Fuel, Gratuities and Their DistributionDelivery, redelivery and fuel are recorded with witnessed readings and documented against the charter agreement. Gratuities are discretionary, distributed by a written policy agreed in advance, with signed receipts and tax treatment referred to the management company.LockedPURSER-3.2.2Guest Profiles, VAT Exposure and Talking About MoneyThe guest profile turns a broker preference sheet into a working document that drives service, provisioning and safety, and it is protected personal data. VAT and local tax are jurisdiction-dependent, decided by the manager, broker and accountants, with the purser recording facts and asking.Locked
PURSER-4 · Compliance and Administration
4 lessons
PURSER-4.1 Crew Employment and Certification
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-4.1.1MLC 2006: Agreements, Wages, Rest Hours and RepatriationMLC 2006 sets the framework for seafarer employment agreements, wages, rest hours, repatriation and complaints, applied through the flag state. The purser maintains the SEA file, payroll records, rest hour records and complaint documentation accurately.LockedPURSER-4.1.2Crew Certification, Visas and Seafarer DocumentsCrew certification, medicals, visas and passports are tracked in a single expiry register with rolling 90, 60 and 30 day alerts. Expired documents stop a crew member sailing in that capacity, and sea service letters must state tonnage, dates, capacity and sea time accurately.Locked
PURSER-4.2 Ship Compliance and Port Administration
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-4.2.1Flag State, Port State Control, ISM and ISPSThe flag state sets the law and certificates, while port state control inspects foreign yachts and can raise deficiencies or detain. The purser administers the ISM safety management paperwork, document control, ISPS visitor logs and the certificate file.LockedPURSER-4.2.2Clearance, Agents, Importation, the Bond and InsuranceClearance requires a prepared pack of crew and guest lists, ship particulars and stores declarations, usually filed through a ship agent whose disbursement account is reconciled line by line. The bond is customs-controlled stock, importation rules vary by country, and insurance certificates and notification deadlines are held by the purser.Locked
PURSER-5 · Systems, People and Crisis
4 lessons
PURSER-5.1 Systems and Continuity
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-5.1.1Systems, Digital Filing, Backups and Data ProtectionYacht administration runs on management, accounting, payroll and crew-tracking systems supported by a written filing structure, naming convention and tested 3-2-1 backups. Crew and guest personal data is minimised, access-restricted, encrypted, and breaches are reported immediately.LockedPURSER-5.1.2The Handover File: What a Good Purser Leaves BehindThe handover file records authority limits, financial position, charter and crew status, compliance dates, suppliers, systems and an honest list of open items. It is written continuously, handed over in person where possible, and closed with a signed cash and bond count.Locked
PURSER-5.2 People and Crisis
Practice in examiner ↗PURSER-5.2.1Leading the Team and the Limits of ConfidentialityThe purser leads through documented procedures, delegated authority limits and deliberate mentoring, and is often the person crew bring problems to. Confidentiality has limits, which must be stated before a disclosure, with safety, crime and compliance matters escalated to the captain.LockedPURSER-5.2.2Crisis Administration: Medevac, Death, Incidents and DetentionIn a crisis the captain commands while the purser documents, notifies and supports, following the SMS emergency procedures and starting a contemporaneous log. Medical evacuation, death onboard, guest and security incidents, insurance claims and detentions each have a defined call order and document set.Locked