Getting Started
STCW & ENG1: The Only Two Certificates You Truly Need to Start
In short
To start in yachting you need just two certificates: STCW Basic Safety Training (about a week; legally required) and an ENG1 seafarer medical. Everything else is optional and role-specific — don't overspend before you start.
What are STCW and ENG1?
STCW and ENG1 are the two certificates every superyacht crew member needs before their first job: STCW Basic Safety Training is five modules covering sea survival, firefighting, first aid, personal safety and security awareness (eight days at Manukau Institute of Technology), and ENG1 is your seafarer medical certificate, which normally lasts two years. The UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency says a seafarer “must have an ENG1 (or equivalent) to work on a merchant vessel” (checked 9 October 2026). There's a whole industry built on selling courses to hopeful crew beyond these two, and it's easy to spend thousands before you've even reached a dock — the truth is simpler than that.
What is STCW Basic Safety Training?
The STCW is the non-negotiable. It's a five-part course covering sea survival, firefighting, first aid and personal safety — about a week of training, and no boat can legally take you on without it.
What is the ENG1 medical?
The ENG1 is your seafarer medical: a straightforward check of your eyesight, hearing and general fitness, done by an approved doctor. Get it early — occasionally something flags that takes time to resolve, and you don't want that surprise after you've booked flights.
Do I need any other courses?
Powerboat Level 2, food hygiene, silver service, watersports tickets — all optional and role-specific. Useful later, but not what gets you your first 'yes'. Do the two essentials, then talk to us before spending another cent.
Powerboat Level 2 (RYA or equivalent) is worth it if you're set on deckhand work, since it covers tender handling — but most boats will train you on their own tender anyway, and it typically runs NZD $700-$900 for two days. Food hygiene and silver service courses matter for interior and galley roles specifically, not deck, and many chief stews would rather train you their way than pay for a generic course you did at home. Watersports tickets (PADI, jet ski instructor, etc.) only pay off once you're already on a charter boat that needs them — doing one before you've even got a job is a guess, not a plan. The pattern across all of these: let the actual job tell you what to add, not a course provider's upsell. If you're weighing a full-time course against STCW alone or coaching, see do you need a superyacht course to get a job.
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“It never felt like a course or a programme — it felt like having someone in your corner who genuinely cared about where you ended up. Nick showed me I already had more to offer than I thought. Six months later I was a deckhand. I’ve sailed to Fiji. I’m 19.” — Freddie MHospitality → Deckhand · sailed to Fiji · age 19
How do I book them in New Zealand?
For the STCW Basic Safety Training, look for an MCA-recognised provider - in New Zealand the main options run out of Auckland, and Australia has several more if local dates are booked out. The full package is five modules over about five days: personal survival techniques, fire prevention and firefighting, elementary first aid, personal safety and social responsibilities, and security awareness. Book 4 to 8 weeks ahead in spring - courses fill fast before the Med season.
For the ENG1 medical, you must see an MCA-approved doctor. In New Zealand the approved clinic is in Auckland, and appointments run on set days, so book ahead and allow about 90 minutes. It covers eyesight, hearing and general fitness for duty at sea - see our ENG1 medical NZ guide for the clinic details, what to bring and how long the certificate lasts.
What happens on the day?
The STCW is hands-on and genuinely fun: you'll jump into a pool in a survival suit, right a life raft, crawl through a smoke-filled room with a fire hose, and practise CPR. Nobody fails for lack of experience - it's designed for beginners. Wear clothes you don't mind getting wet and bring your passport for ID.
What mistakes cost people money?
Buying courses you don't need yet. Silver service, interior modules, Powerboat Level 2 - all useful later, none required for your first job. Get hired first, then let the role tell you what to add.
Doing the ENG1 last. If a medical issue turns up, you want to know before you've spent thousands. Book it early.
Letting timing slip. Finishing your STCW in September, after the Med season winds down, means months of waiting. Work backwards from when you want to be dockside - our dockwalking guide covers season timing, and Mediterranean vs Caribbean yacht season explains which window to aim for.
What do the two cost together?
Expect roughly NZD $2,600 to $3,150 for the STCW (checked 19 October 2026: Toi Ohomai $2,732, Vertical Horizonz $2,250 + GST, MIT about $3,140) and NZD $350 to $450 for the ENG1. That's the entire mandatory spend. Anyone quoting you $8,000 in "essential" training is selling, not advising. Wondering if it pays back? See what crew actually earn - or see our programme for the full picture of what's actually worth paying for.
STCW and ENG1 FAQs
What is the difference between STCW and ENG1?
STCW is a safety training course - about a week covering sea survival, firefighting and first aid - while ENG1 is a medical certificate confirming you're physically fit to work at sea. STCW is something you do; ENG1 is something a doctor checks. You need both before you can start on a boat.
Do I need both STCW and ENG1 to work on a superyacht?
Yes. No reputable boat will take you on without a valid STCW Basic Safety Training certificate and a current ENG1 medical - they're the two baseline legal requirements, not optional extras.
How much does STCW and ENG1 cost together?
Budget roughly NZD $2,950 to $3,600 total: $2,600-$3,150 for the STCW and $350-$450 for the ENG1. That's the full mandatory spend before you start job hunting - everything else on this page is optional.
How long does an ENG1 medical certificate last?
Normally two years for adults, per the MCA's Approved Doctor's Manual - shorter if the doctor has a clinical reason or if you're under 18. See our ENG1 medical NZ guide for the full appointment details.
Thinking about a career on superyachts?
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“He wanted to make the most of his gap year — not the ordinary version of it. Three months later he’s working on multi-million dollar yachts in the Med, watching the sun set over the Balearic Sea, living a life most people only dream about.” — Antoni MHigh school → full-time in Palma · age 19
Nick studied at university in Dunedin before finding his way onto superyachts with zero prior experience and sailing around the world. He's worked in recruitment and education, watched good candidates get overlooked for doing the wrong training in the wrong ports, and now coaches young Kiwis through the same journey: honest, one-on-one and industry-backed.