4 week deckhand course

Want to work on the deck of a superyacht but don’t know where to start?

Start here.

PYT’s 4-Week Deckhand Course brings together the essential training a new deckhand needs in one practical programme – from seamanship and safety to tender handling and your first MCA yachting qualification.

You’ll train on the water, learn the language and routines of professional crew and leave with recognised qualifications to add to your first yachting CV.

Schedule

MCA + IYT Training • STCW Included • Practical Training • Durban, South Africa

WHAT DO I GET FROM THE 4-WEEK PROGRAMME?

A LOT MORE THAN AN INTRODUCTION TO YACHTING.

Your four weeks bring together:

ELEMENTARY SEAMANSHIP

Learn the practical basics of working on and around boats.

MCA YACHT RATING

Begin your professional deck pathway with entry-level MCA-approved yacht training.

STCW BASIC SAFETY TRAINING

Complete the fundamental safety training needed for professional work at sea.

IYT SMALL POWERBOAT & RIB MASTER

Complete the training and assessment towards the qualification used for operating small powerboats and yacht tenders within its applicable limits.

Four weeks. Four important building blocks for your first job on deck.

YOUR COURSE
AT A GLANCE

Duration: 4 weeks

Experience Required: No previous yachting experience required

Training: Classroom + hands-on practical + on-water training
Course Fee: R22 942

Included:
Elementary Seamanship • MCA Yacht Rating • STCW Basic Safety Training • IYT Small Powerboat & RIB Master

WHAT WILL MY FOUR WEEKS LOOK LIKE?

FIRST, LEARN BASIC ONBOARD SKILLS.

Your first week introduces you to the language, customs and practical skills of life at sea.

Much of the training is hands-on, covering:

  • Seamanship & Ropework: Knots, ropework, nautical terminology and understanding the main parts of a vessel.
  • Boat Handling & Helming: Basic helming, docking lines, anchoring and practical boat-handling skills.
  • Safety & Crew Drills: Crew procedures, tender drills and an introduction to Collision Regulations.
  • Weather & On-Water Awareness: Basic weather forecasting and developing practical awareness while operating on the water.

This week also lays the groundwork for your IYT Small Powerboat & RIB Master training later in the programme.

START BUILDING YOUR PROFESSIONAL DECK CAREER.

The MCA Yacht Rating is an entry-level Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) yachting qualification available to people without previous relevant experience.

For someone applying for their first deck job, it shows prospective employers that you’ve done more than decide you like the idea of yachting. You’ve invested in learning how a professional deck department operates.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Watchkeeping & Navigation: Compass use, steering, helm orders, lookout duties and safe watchkeeping.
  • Seamanship & Mooring: Knots, ropework, mooring lines and safe use of deck machinery.
  • Safety & Emergency Procedures: Lifesaving and firefighting equipment, drills, watertight integrity and safe working practices.
  • Engine Room& Environmental Awareness: Basic engine watchkeeping, machinery terminology and pollution prevention.

 

BEFORE YOU WORK AT SEA, YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO STAY SAFE AT SEA.

Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Basic Training Module defines the essential safety and security training required for all persons employed at sea.

You’ll complete:

  • Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities (PSSR): Understand your responsibilities as professional crew, including onboard conduct, chain of command, health and safety, and conflict resolution.
  • Personal Survival Techniques (PST): Learn essential survival-at-sea skills, including water rescue, life raft handling and safe boarding procedures.
  • Elementary First Aid (EFA): Learn how to respond to onboard injuries and emergencies using CPR, wound care, patient handling and basic fracture management.
  • Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (FPFF): Understand how fires start and develop, and learn practical techniques for fighting fires and responding safely onboard.
  • Proficiency in Designated Security Duties (PDSD): Learn to recognise security threats, control vessel access, conduct security searches and carry out assigned onboard security responsibilities.

LEARN TO HANDLE A RIB SAFELY AND CONFIDENTLY.

Tenders are part of everyday life on many yachts, and being able to handle one is a useful deck skill.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Boat Handling & Launching: Practical boat handling, launching, recovery and safe operation of a RIB.
  • Safety & Emergency Procedures: Safety at sea and man-overboard procedures.
  • Basic Navigation: Collision Regulations, ship’s lights and nautical terminology.
  • Ropework & Anchoring: Essential rope-handling skills, anchors and practical anchoring procedures.

Deck students who successfully demonstrate the required practical ability and pass the written examination can be issued the IYT Small Powerboat & RIB Master Certificate of Competency.

The certificate gives you a recognised qualification within its applicable operating limits.

WHY TRAIN AT PYT DURBAN?

✔ 26 years ✔ Internationally Recognised Qualifications ✔ MCA Approved; Practical Training ✔ Experienced & Friendly Instructors

WHERE YOU START MATTERS.

PYT has been training professional and leisure seafarers in Durban since 2000.

We know that getting your first job is only the beginning. That’s why the four-week programme isn’t designed around collecting as many certificates as possible.

It’s designed to give you a proper foundation.

MCA + IYT TRAINING

Build your CV with training from recognised professional and international training pathways.

STCW IS INCLUDED

Your fundamental safety training isn’t treated as an optional extra. It’s built into the programme.

GET ON THE WATER

You can’t learn seamanship or boat handling from a classroom alone. Practical training is a core part of the course.

LEARN WHAT THE JOB ACTUALLY INVOLVES

From terminology and etiquette to watchkeeping, lines and tenders, we want you to understand the environment you’re trying to enter.

START HERE. COME BACK TO PROGRESS.

PYT trains deck crew from entry level through to advanced MCA qualifications, including Officer and Master-level training.

Your first course doesn’t have to be your last course with us.

Get In Touch

Call us today at +27313074992

WHAT WILL I ACTUALLY LEAVE KNOWING HOW TO DO?

By the end of the programme, you’ll have been introduced to the practical skills and professional standards expected of an entry-level deckhand.

✓ Handle ropes and docking lines
✓ Tie essential maritime knots
✓ Understand nautical terminology
✓ Helm and handle a small powerboat
✓ Understand basic watchkeeping and lookout duties
✓ Respond to emergencies at sea
✓ Fight a fire and perform basic first aid
✓ Understand deck safety and working practices
✓ Carry out basic tender operations
✓ Understand what professional life onboard actually involves

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

This course is designed for people at the beginning of their professional yachting career.

It could be for you if:

✓ You’ve finished school and are looking at yachting as a career
✓ You’re considering a gap year that could become something more
✓ You want to work outdoors and enjoy practical, hands-on work
✓ You want to become a professional deckhand
✓ You have little or no previous maritime experience
✓ You want to arrive at your first job with useful training behind you

NEVER WORKED ON A YACHT BEFORE?

Many students arrive at PYT at the very beginning of their maritime journey.

You don’t need to understand every qualification, certificate and career pathway before contacting us.

Tell us where you’d like to go, and our team can help you understand the training you’ll need to get started.

WHAT DOES “MCA APPROVED” ACTUALLY MEAN?

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an executive agency of the UK Government responsible for maritime safety and regulation.

It plays an important role in professional yachting, with MCA qualifications and training pathways widely used across the international industry.

WHY DO MCA + IYT QUALIFICATIONS MATTER?

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR.

Yachting is full of acronyms. When you’re starting out, it’s easy to assume one certificate is much the same as another.

It isn’t.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) plays an important role in professional yacht training and certification. PYT is an approved MCA training provider, allowing students to begin and continue professional training within established MCA pathways.

International Yacht Training Worldwide (IYT) provides internationally recognised recreational and professional maritime training, including the Small Powerboat & RIB Master programme included in your four weeks.

For you, the value is simple:

You’re not just learning useful skills. You’re building your first yachting CV with recognised training behind you.

And if deck is where you want to stay, PYT can continue training you as your sea time and career progress.

FOR PARENTS

THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT BECOMING A DECKHAND. YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Professional yachting is a very established industry, but if your family has never been part of it, the training, qualifications and career path can be difficult to make sense of.

PYT has been training maritime students since 2000.

We’ll happily explain what your son or daughter will be learning, what their qualifications mean, what they can realistically expect after training and how a deck career can progress over time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

No. The programme is designed as entry-level training for people beginning their yachting careers.

Yes. STCW Basic Safety Training is built into the four-week programme.

The programme includes Elementary Seamanship, STCW Basic Safety Training, MCA Yacht Rating training and IYT Small Powerboat & RIB Master training and assessment.

It is an entry-level MCA yachting qualification available to people without previous relevant experience and introduces students to fundamental professional deck knowledge and duties.

Students who successfully complete the required IYT Small Powerboat & RIB Master assessment can receive the relevant Certificate of Competency. The certificate does not replace experience, and actual tender duties onboard will depend on your competence, experience and the circumstances in which you are operating.

No reputable training school should promise you that. The programme is designed to give you recognised training and a stronger foundation from which to look for your first role. Getting hired will also depend on your attitude, presentation, CV, location, timing and the needs of individual yachts.

Once you’re working, you’ll begin building the experience and sea time needed to progress. PYT offers further professional deck training as your career develops.

Absolutely. Tell us where you’re at and what you’re hoping to do, and we’ll help you understand the training pathway.

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY

All instructors were very patient and kind.”

JJade,

“Everybody was welcoming and made everything understandable.”

CChristpher,
“I learned a lot from this course and I am happy with everything, the staff are amazing.”
AAshton,

“All instructors were very helpful and patient.”

NNicole,

MAKE SURE YOU START IT WITH THE RIGHT TRAINING.

Complete your 4 week deckhand course in Durban with an established maritime academy and approved MCA training provider.

Whether you’re taking your first step into professional yachting or adding essential safety training to your maritime qualifications, PYT is ready to help you get started.

 

[email protected]
+27 (0)31 307 4992

PYT DURBAN | EST. 2000

Proud to be an approved MCA training provider.

Scan or click the QR code join the Whatsapp community group.