ABOUT PYT

PYT has come a long way from its humble beginnings around a dining-room table in Durban, South Africa in September 2000 when its assets were a 34' sailboat and a computer.

With the help of a dedicated team of instructors and administrators the PYT facility in Durban has grown into a world-class maritime academy for both professional and leisure seafarers. We offer courses approved by South African Sailing, South African Maritime Safety Authority, International Yacht Training Worldwide and the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency. PYT is ISO 9001 quality management system accredited which is audited annualy by the South African Bureau of Standards.

Word-of-mouth is our biggest advert by far and we have become known for quality instruction, high standards and a personal approach. Once people have become part of the PYT family they tend to return year after year for their next level of training.

PYT reached a milestone in April 2013 when our subsidiary, PYT USA, was granted a licence to offer IYT Worldwide courses in Fort Lauderdale, Florida thereby allowing us to bring our special style of teaching to one of the main centres of the super yacht industry.

Why PYT in Durban?

• Affordable prices.
• An African experience (if you're a South African, a holiday at home!)
• MCA approved courses from Yacht Rating to Masters 3000t.
• Established reputation.
• High standards.
• Quality teaching.
• The personal approach.

Why IYT in Fort Lauderdale?

• Why not! There's every reason to train in the epicentre of the super yacht industry.
• One-stop service, no surprises,no hidden costs such as exam fees, boat hire etc.
• Professional commercial certification, not an "endorsed" leisure ticket.
• MCA approval for 200t Masters certificate.
• Qualifications meet the requirements for MCA OOW & Masters Limited and Unlimited (Yachts) programmes.

Our PYT Cape Town office and lecture facilities are situated within the picturesque village of Hout Bay, a short drive from the centre of Cape Town. 

This little town is steeped in maritime history and is still the centre for a very active commercial fishing industry. There are many tour operators running sightseeing, diving and fishing charters out of the harbour and the local yacht club has a very active recreational boating scene. 

Our premises are within easy walking, cycling or driving distance of many pubs, side walk cafes and restaurants, shops and tourist attractions, which draw thousands of international tourists each year to this little town. 

The harbour where our boats are moored, as well as the bay and coastline alongside which most of our practical boating takes place, is one of the most beautiful and scenic areas within South Africa. 

All of this, along with people who are striving to deliver quality professional instruction makes this, what must certainly be, one of the finest places to do your courses.

Why PYT in Cape Town? 

• Great lecture and classroom facilities.
• Emphasis on providing the highest quality of instruction.
• Friendly staff that are prepared to go the extra mile.
• We are able to offer most courses from basic Deck Hand to MCA, Officer of the Watch and Master modules.
• Beautiful surroundings in which to study.
• Many tourist attractions and destinations close by for those days off, or for when you have finished your studies.
• Study in one of the most beautiful places in South Africa

PYT can boast some of the highest seafaring qualifications and significant tertiary qualifications, a rarity anywhere in the world. So we can literally say that we know the ropes and humbly claim that you won't get better training anywhere else in the world.

At PYT, students will find rare levels of maturity, high standards and depth of knowledge. This is a highly professional academy and successful graduates of PYT can expect the doors of opportunity in the industry to open .

The two partners owning the academy are Colin Schwegman and Keith Stewart.

Keith compliments Colin by focusing on the business side of PYT and brings considerable administrative, management and strategic skills earned over many years in the tough construction world and backed up by a BSC Civil Engineering degree.

Colin focuses on the academic issues and is the principal of the academy. He is in overall charge of the training combining a wealth of academic and technical sailing experience. 

Colin was headmaster of a Senior Primary School near Durban before turning his interests to the super yacht industry. He has sailed in many parts of the world, with two Atlantic crossings among many other voyages to his credit. He started sailing dinghies as a six year old and progressed to ocean going yachts over a career spanning more than forty years.

Allen is the PYT Office Manager. He played a major role in the implementation and entrenchment of our International Quality management System; SANS ISO 9001 : 2008. He continues to maintain the system as the Quality Management Representative.

Allen assists the lecturers with the Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting practical exercises. In addition, he compiles the PYT monthly student related statistics and has a close relationship with our examination centre in Southampton in respect of student MCA examination requirements and examination results.

He maintains control of our course notes and the distribution of PYT internal examination papers and is an MCA approved invigilator.

Allen holds an Institute of Marketing Management Diploma.

Liezelle will probably be your first friendly contact with PYT - Cape Town, either telephonically or via email. She is responsible for keeping things on track and making sure our records, documents, bookings and schedules are up to date. Liezelle has been involved with PYT for the last 11 years, and is instrumental in the successful running of the Cape Town office.

Liezelle holds a Fire Fighting qualification.

Roxanne is the Marketing Consultant and Customer Relations Marketer. Roxanne maintains all of our social media networks, newsletters as well as the PYT blog and website. Ensuring that all the latest information is provided on a platform.

Roxanne also corresponds with people all around the world such as our advertising agencies and potential yachting students. For all marketing related queries please contact marketing@pyt.co.za 

Gaynor is our book keeper. She brings to PYT a great deal of experience in accounting practice, book keeping and other accounts related disciplines.

Lindiwe is our cheerful lady in charge of our student accommodation. She ensures that the accommodation is prepared to an acceptable level prior to students taking up residence. 

Simon is the PYT gopher. He works closely with management and lecturers associated with our boats and boating equipment. He ensures that our water craft are spotless after use and performs maintenance chores on our boats as well as in the office and class rooms.

Primrose works closely with Lindiwe. Her duties include office and class room cleanliness, post office deliveries and collections, assisting Lindiwe with accommodation preparation and collecting day to day supply requirements. 

All of our senior staff are experienced yachtsmen and have between them hundreds of thousands of sea miles. There is no substitute for experience, whether it's at sea or in the global super yacht industry. PYT is proud to offer instructors of the highest calibre to be found at any maritime academy in the world.

Jumaine Kruger

PYT welcomes on board Jumaine Kruger one of our new lecturers. Jumaine brings a decade of seagoing experience on commercial ships into the classroom, so that all present and future seagoing individuals are competent and exposed to the needs required to be efficient and effective whilst on board their vessels.

Jumaine lectures STCW classes which covers Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities, Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Fighting, First Aid and Security Awareness. In addition he lectures Yacht Rating, Advanced Sea Survival, Medical First Aid and the Celestial Navigation refresher course.

Terry is a past PYT student. He is the epitome of a fine lecturer. His unique delivery style makes him popular (with his students). The students love to hate him. 

He promotes an air of concentration and alertness with them during his course presentation. His results record is unsurpassed and is a tribute to his application and subject knowledge. 

Terry is qualified to deliver the Ribmaster, Yacht Hand, Yacht Rating, Master of Yachts Limited and Unlimited, PSSR, Sea Survival courses and the OOW Navigation, Radar and ARPA course. 

Nic is a past student of PYT where he studied and passed various maritime courses. He worked on super yachts for a number of years before becoming a dedicated lecturer at PYT.

Nic is conscientious, delivers his courses in a meaningful and interesting manner and establishes a meaningful rapport with his students. He is qualified to deliver the Ribmaster, Yacht Hand, Yacht Rating, Master of Yachts Limited and Unlimited, PSSR, PST, First Aid at Sea, Advanced Sea Survival, Elementary First Aid, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting and SAS and SAMSA Small Vessel courses.

John is a qualified City and Guilds motor mechanic. He imparts his knowledge during his presentation of the MCA Approved Engine Course (AEC) in a professional and clear to understand manner. John is involved in the engineering aspects of boats, their engine and propulsion systems.

PYT hopes to further John's lecturing skills with the introduction in the near future of the MEOL and Y4 series of courses.

Neil, Colin's brother, is a sailor who will give you as much wisdom as is possible within the limitations of the course he is delivering.

Neil has a direct and thorough presentation method when delivering his courses. He is qualified to deliver Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Yacht Hand, RIB, PSSR, PST, Yacht Rating, Master of Yachts LImited, Advanced Sea Survival, SAS and SAMSA small craft courses.

Bob delivers the MCA OOW and Masters related course modules to our advanced students. He enjoyed a successful 27 year career as a sea-going Naval Officer after graduating from High School which included the attainment of a Bachelors degree in Nautical Science at a Military Academy and four Ship commands.

Since retirement from the Navy Bob was employed by the South African Navy Hydrographic Office as Superintendent Sailing Directions and Safety Co-ordinator for NAVAREA VII for three years. He has cruised extensively in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Mediterranean and has been employed as a charter and delivery skipper in both sail and power boats.

Bob is a fully qualified professional Mariner and Master of Yachts 3000 tons under the British MCA system.

Piet delivers the MCA OOW Navigation and Radar course at PYT. As a junior officer Piet served in various posts at sea both as Divisional Officer and assistant Departmental Officer. During this period he served on South African destroyers, frigates the hydrographic survey ship SAS Protea and the fleet replenishment ship SAS Tafelberg.

Piet completed a Combat Officers course, Anti-Submarine Warfare course and Mine-Warfare and Clearance Diving course in the South African Navy. He has commanded a number of South African naval ships and did overseas tours as Military Air and Naval Attache in Rome and Taipei.

Peter graduated from the Edgewood College for Education in Pinetown KZN as a qualified school teacher. He taught in various schools in South Africa and attained Head of Department status. He delivers the Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid and Competence in Security Awareness modules of the STCW 2010 code.

Peter spent considerable time working on boats in the Caribbean area in Yacht Management, sales, refits, repairs, maintenance, Salvage Yard Management, Mate/Engineering posts and as a Captain/Chief Engineer Delivery.

Leon is a qualified Naval Command and Staff Officer who specialised in Surface Warfare and Project Management disciplines in the South African Navy. His experience as a Naval Officer has focused in all operational aspects of Naval Surface Warfare including command of a ship, squadron, flotilla and a base. Leon delivers the OOW General Ship Knowledge module.

Leon's duties have included all aspects of ships, including Human Resources, upper deck maintenance, seamanship and boat work. His duties at sea centred on bridge watch as OOW and the Combat Information Centre as Principal Warfare Officer. In addition, he has held two sea going commands and a Squadron and Flotilla command (multiple ship command).

Leon served for a three year period as Defence and Naval Attache to France, Belgium and The Netherlands.