The MCA had to adapt. 30 years ago yachts were 20 meters, now they are 50 meters. Some type of license had to be developed to grandfather the old yachtmasters with decades of yacht sea time and create enough new young crew to man these megayachts.
Its logical...good to see that the MCA responded to change.
Didnt quite happen like that, the PYA begged the MSA ( what the MCA was) to issue some form of licenses to the crew of these 50+ meter yachts that either had nothing or a yachtmaster.
The industry got nervous that one day the hammer would drop and we ( I was there then) would all need commercial licenses.
The industry slipped in the cracks of private registration so do what you like. Boats and charter fees getting larger every year.
So the PYA attempted to see a friendly English speaking body ask ask for help
They said piss off youre a bunch of amateurs.
The industry reacted and said ok we will self regulate, as it always did, so we all ( voluntarily) did our sea survival firefighting etc etc.
They then worked out the MSA would allow guys to attempt the oral exams for engineerings tickets up tp class 4, therefore the engineers would have a commercial ticket.
I was in the first group that attempted this, myself and one other guy ( I think) passed all the other failed. It was a grilling by the MSA examiner which for a class 4 included steam and slow speed engines.
This still left the bridge crew no-where. I left the industry soon after and the MSA became the MCA, STCW95 was ratified so that meant no chance for the deck officers so somehow the MCA invented yacht tickets and here we are today.
Due to the fact that almost no yacht engineers could pass the orals that became a 6 weeks zero to hero yacht ticket..
All through this the insurance industry, which are really the guys that make the rules and they said, yachts are money for old rope so we dont care.
There is no requirement to have a yacht MCA classed unless your flag state says so but most of the flags of convenience have. The charter agencies have also used it to try to hide behind what was un unregulated industry that was lucky not to have its Zeppelin moment.
Now yachts have gotten to the size where some flag states say its commercial we dont care what you call it and hence trouble for crew and lake of solas compliance.
