Yacht command · Deck

Master Yacht 500 / 3000

MCA Yacht Master Orals Preparation

Command-level oral preparation for Yacht Master 500 and 3000 candidates, with an optional HELM package.

MCA Yacht Master 500/3000 oral preparation. Four weeks, monthly intakes, £1,375 standalone or £1,675 with HELM. Medical Care and medical fitness requirements apply before certification.

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Next monthly start: ( batch)

Rank / pathway

Master Yacht 500 / 3000 — Deck pathway

Duration

4 weeks core preparation

Delivery

Zoom / live online or classroom in Glasgow

Intake

Monthly intakes

Fee

From £1,375

Course dates

Choose the batch you want to book.

Batches start on the first Monday falling within the month. Two exceptions: the December 2026 batch starts Wednesday 25 November 2026 and the December 2027 batch starts Wednesday 24 November 2027.

Ask about this batch

Answer first

What this preparation is for

A yacht Master is examined on command judgement in a commercial yacht context: how the vessel is run, how the crew is managed, and how you would handle it when something goes wrong a long way from help.

This course prepares you for that conversation. Seamanship, magnetic compass and shipmaster's business and law form the backbone, with command-level scenario work applied throughout in a yacht setting.

It is preparation for the MCA oral examination, not the examination itself.

Syllabus-led preparation

What we teach for this MCA oral

Preparation is structured around the published MCA oral syllabus for the yacht certificate you are sitting. Choose your ticket below — the examiner can draw from any part of that syllabus.

Voyage planning & navigation

Voyage planning, weather and restricted waters
Charts, publications, ECDIS/RCDS and corrections
Routeing, mandatory reporting and VTS
IALA buoyage, lights and navigation marks

Watchkeeping, COLREGs & compasses

Safe navigational watchkeeping and handover
COLREGs applied to practical scenarios
Principles of the engineering watch on a small vessel
Magnetic and gyro compass errors and checks

Ship handling & small-ship plant

Anchoring, berthing and unberthing
Ship handling in wind, tide and confined waters
Main and auxiliary plant on a small vessel
Deck machinery, steering and routine checks

Emergencies, SAR & communications

Collision, grounding and heavy-weather damage
Towing and emergency steering arrangements
SAR procedures and man overboard
GMDSS distress, urgency and safety traffic

Fire, LSA, pollution & stability

Fire prevention, firefighting and fire plans
LSA, survival craft, drills and guest/passenger safety
MARPOL and pollution prevention in practice
Watertight integrity, stability information and heavy weather

Legislation, Codes & crew

Merchant Shipping legislation and applicable yacht Codes
COSWP and risk assessment
Crew agreements, safe manning and hours of rest
ISM, Port State Control, ISPS and certificates

Passage planning & navigation management

Passage planning, publications and corrections
ECDIS and RCDS management and backup
Ship routeing, reporting systems and IALA buoyage
Weather systems, forecasting and route decisions

Watchkeeping, COLREGs & bridge systems

Safe watchkeeping, standing orders and handover
COLREGs, TSS and VTS in practice
Bridge navigational systems and Bridge Procedures Guide
Compass errors, checks and equipment monitoring

Advanced ship handling

Under-keel clearance, interaction and squat
Use of tugs and pilots, berthing and unberthing
Anchoring, anchor work and heavy-weather handling
Ice considerations and launch/recovery of rescue craft

Emergencies, damage control & SAR

Collision, grounding and flooding response
Damage stability and countermeasures
Towing and emergency steering
IAMSAR procedures and coordinating a search

Fire, LSA, pollution & seaworthiness

Fire and LSA arrangements, drills and GMDSS
MARPOL and SOPEP obligations
Seaworthiness, heavy weather and load line
Dry docking, hull maintenance and deck machinery

Crew management, security & law

Crew management, hours of rest and discipline
Security, piracy and stowaway procedures
Merchant Shipping legislation, logs and certificates
Drills, musters and record keeping

View published MCA syllabus

How the preparation works

Taught, questioned, then rehearsed

A sequence built for oral examinations rather than written ones.

Live instructor teaching

Each subject area is taught first by experienced maritime instructors, live online or in the classroom, so the foundation is solid before you are questioned on it.

Question and scenario practice

Topics are then rehearsed the way an examiner asks them: a scenario, your reasoning out loud, and follow-up questions that test whether the answer holds.

Directed study and discussion

Guided study between sessions, plus group discussion and peer questioning, so gaps surface in the classroom and not in the exam room.

Feedback-driven focus

Preparation is shaped by published candidate feedback on what is currently being asked, keeping your revision pointed at the right places.

Mock oral rehearsal

A live mock session runs the full oral format end to end, with structured feedback on both content and delivery.

Final readiness

The closing stage concentrates on the weak areas that remain, so you go in knowing what you know. No one can promise you a pass — the MCA decides that.

Built around real oral preparation

Support that sits behind the teaching

Experienced maritime instructors, feedback-driven preparation and digital learning support available alongside your course.

MCA Orals GPT & live mock

Oral-style question practice supported by MCA Orals GPT, with a live mock session to rehearse the real format.

Learn more

eSailor learning access

Digital maritime learning support available to candidates preparing with World Yacht.

Visit eSailor

Before you book

The Yacht Master route carries requirements you should confirm before committing to a course date.

Medical Care certification is required for this route — check your position before booking.
A valid seafarer medical fitness certificate is required.
Confirm your sea service and notice of eligibility requirements directly with the MCA.

Choose your option

Published booking options

Standalone preparation, or a combined option with HELM.

Yacht Masters preparation

£1,375

Four-week Yacht Master 500 / 3000 oral preparation.

Yacht Masters with HELM

£1,675

The same preparation combined with HELM.

Book / Enquire

Secure your place

Pay online and confirm your place

Card payment is handled securely at checkout. After payment we contact you to confirm your start date, delivery format and joining details.

Selected

Yacht Masters preparation

£1,375

Batch: — starts

Yacht Masters with HELM

£1,675

Batch: — starts

The fee covers the World Yacht preparation course only. The MCA oral examination is booked, conducted and charged for separately by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Prefer to speak to us first? Use Book / Enquire or WhatsApp above.

Preparing for an MCA oral, not replacing it

This is oral examination preparation delivered by World Yacht. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency conducts the oral examination itself, sets eligibility, and makes the Certificate of Competency decision. We do not book, conduct or guarantee the outcome of your examination, and no preparation course can promise a pass. Confirm your eligibility and notice of eligibility requirements directly with the MCA before booking.

Questions candidates ask

Master Yacht 500 / 3000 preparation FAQs

Related preparation

Other routes in this pathway

Next step

Book your Master Yacht 500 / 3000 preparation

Tell us your ticket and your exam timeline and we will confirm the next start date, the format that suits you and what to prepare beforehand.

Book your course WhatsApp Call

Or email enquiries@theworldyacht.com · Call +44 141 370 0848

Yacht Masters Orals

Yacht Masters Orals

MCA Yacht Master Orals Preparation

What this preparation is for