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What is Sea Time and How to Get it

Kerrie Clos August 10, 2018 Able Seaman AB Training Course , Course Assistance , Mariner Resources , Maritime Employment , News Leave a Comment

Work Your Way Up with Sea Time and AB Classes

Chalking up “sea time” is key to working your way up through the chain of command as a merchant mariner. Passing tests for the next rung of the ladder is the other piece needed, and that’s what we can help with here at the Northwest Maritime Academy.

The NWMA offers Able Bodied Seaman (or known simply as AB) classes every month at its La Conner location, so keep checking our  courses  link on this website for dates and times.

In the meantime, here is what Capt. Benjamin Garman, administrator of the Northwest Maritime Academy, covered in this week’s NWMA Weekly podcast, Episode 3: Gaining Sea Time. Watch it here on the Northwest Maritime Academy  Facebook page.

By Capt. Benjamin Garman

One of the biggest differences between the merchant marine and working in the rest of the world is that as a mariner you are always building toward your next promotion. As long as you keep on working, you will work your way up the command chain in the merchant marine.

sea time

Going from deck hand cleaning the head to the lofty position of ship’s master is possible for anyone with the right motivation and time. Here is how it works:

After you have gotten your Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) you can start looking to get a job on a ship. Every person who qualifies for a MMC will start with three positions available to them: Ordinary Seaman (OS) is the lowest rank in the deck department; Wiper in the engineering department, and Food Handler (FH) in the stewards department.

Every day you work under one of the above positions on a ship you receive “sea time” and these accumulated days allow you to work your way toward the next promotion in your department. For example, an OS must complete 360 days (one Coast Guard year) of sea time in order to qualify for the ability to upgrade to Able Seaman — and about two and a half times more pay.

Along with getting the sea time  you must also pass the tests required by the position. Since these tests are very difficult and the questions come out of a massive bank, most people opt to take a class in lieu of testing. This is where the Northwest Maritime Academy comes in.

Our monthly classes at our La Conner facility ensure a better outcome and eliminate the stress of testing at the local Coast Guard Regional Exam Center (REC). It is a better use of your time to just go to the class and be guaranteed to pass than to test at the USCG testing site using its random question generator, which can be quite brutal.

Northwest Maritime Academy Offers Monthly AB Courses in La Conner

Our classes offer a better way to learn than trying to study 20 or 30 books and then hoping you get it right at the REC testing site. At the Northwest Maritime Academy the test is done in class and you have the ability to retake it on site without the long wait with the Coast Guard.

sea time

Once you take the class and pass you get your completion certificate, which is the equivalent of testing. So, come take your AB course with us when you have the year of sea time or are getting close.

Good luck out there and feel free to give me a call with any more questions on USCG licensing and the merchant marine in general.

For more information call Capt. Ben Garman at (253) 358-2447

Providing Professional & Entry Level Maritime Training

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yacht sea time

What Is Sea Time?

Sea time is a term that holds a very important part in a seafarer’s professional life .

The word “Sea Time” does not mean the total time spent by a seafarer at sea, but it is the total time spent working on a vessel at sea, which is not standstill and is actively sailing for cargo transportation.

The sea time requirements for seafarers may differ from country to country, depending upon the minimum qualification requirements, which is drawn as per the STCW 2010 guidelines .

Sea Time is actually a document provided by the department head (chief engineer and ship captain) to the seafarer, endorsing that the seafarer has sailed on the ship for a particular period of time.

The details of the ship including name, IMO number, Tonnage, Engine particulars etc. are provided in the document.

The sea time certificate also carries remarks on behaviour and professionalism of the seafarer for the time spent on board.

The document needs to have the ship’s official stamp and master’s signature to prove the authentication.

yacht sea time

It is important for the seafarer to collect and keep all the Sea time Certificates as it will be asked for by the company and the examination officer during the Certificate of Competency Exams .

It can be said that the Sea Time certificate is somewhat equivalent to a Service letter that people get on land for their jobs. However, the sea time letter needs to be acquired on each ship before signing off from it, or when the department head is signing off.

Hence, you can have 2-3 sea time certificates from one ship unlike one service letter when someone leaves a conventional ( land) job say after 5 years of service.

Why Is Sea Time Important?

The difference between merchant navy and other jobs is that the ship operations work under a chain of command which will stay the same even if the seafarer changes the shipping company or ships.

Also, as a seafarer you are always planning and working toward your next promotion and a person working on a ship can actually get themselves endorsed as an officer of higher rank by an authorized government body once they pass an exam held for a certificate of competency .

For qualifying for these exams, one needs to fulfil a minimum sea service requirement, whose duration will depend upon the rank you are in and the COC you are applying for.

For shipping companies, they have their own promotion criteria requiring candidates to fulfil provided sea time on a certain position , usually called the “Company’s Matrix System”.

Once the Sea Time is achieved and depending on one’s performance, the company will grant promotion either on the next ship or onboard the same ship, as per the agreement between the company and the seafarer .

If you are working for a single company for a long time, they have the record of the sea time in their official system.

However, if you decide to change your company these sea time certificates will come very handy to prove that you have enough work experience in a certain position.

There are many beginner and advanced courses which need to be done periodically by a seafarer as he/she progresses in the career.

To opt for these courses , you need to have a defined sea experience as per the sea time certificate so that you are eligible to apply for them.

For e.g., the basic STCW courses such as Basic fire fighting etc. need to be done before joining the ship. However, Advance fire fighting can be done when a candidate has a sea time, i.e. the person has been on a ship and has a little experience of onboard systems.

ship crew with high visibility vests

How Sea Time is Calculated?

As soon as the seafarer boards the ship and handover the document which includes COC (for officers) and seafarer identification document, the master will put on the stamp on it with a remark that the person has joined the ship in particular rank or capacity.

Hence, the sea time calculation will be started from the date of stamping. Different countries may have different sea time requirements and calculation processes. For e.g. in the United States, the sea time is calculated in days, which includes all the days the seafarer was onboard ship until the last contract, including the day not worked at all. i.e. till the sign-off.

For India and Australia watchkeeping certificates, the requirement is stated in “Number of Months”. Hence, the Sea Time certificate will carry the time spent on board either in a number of days or number of months, depending upon the nationality of the seafarer or the choice of COC he/she wanted to opt.

If the ship is in drydock or layoff and there are no voyages for a long period, it will still be considered as valid days and included in the sea certificate if the period of dry dock or lay off is less than 2 months. Hence, the Master should issue a sea time certificate for such candidates onboard.

dry dock deck ebook

Under Sea time document, a day of work is defined as eight hours of work doing assigned or watchkeeping duties and overtime is not included in that.

Many government states such as USCG and AMSA also specify that if the person is taking 12 hours job onboard a ship in a day, the sea time will be calculated as 1 day + one-half day of service credit.

The general practice on a ship is to specify the sea service time in months or years, and later on, convert it into days if required.

For ease of understanding, one year of sea time is considered as 360 days and One month of sea time is considered as 30 days.

Things Included in Sea Time Certificate:

Every company may have its own template to provide sea time certificate to the seafarer. The document may be in a type of form or supported by the original discharge documents from the company.

However, the content in the certificate should include some basic details which must be present in all sea time certificates. That information that can be found in a sea service certificate is as follows:

  • Name and official number of the ship
  • Date of service i.e. from sign in to sign off
  • Total number of days worked on a ship
  • Gross tonnage of the Ship
  • Engine Type and Specification including Horsepower

yacht sea time

  • If the ship is sailing in coastal and inland route, specify the number of days sailed in coastal, inland or river waterways.
  • The average number of hours worked per day
  • Description of duties performed onboard
  • Brief Specification of Watchkeeping duties
  • Professional behaviour onboard ship

deck officer ebook

Different Sea Time Requirements on Ship?

Collecting the Sea time with sea time certificate is one side of the coin to make your way up in the hierarchy chain of the ship , the other side is clearing the competitive exams by qualifying it using your sea time certificates.

Sea time certificate allows a deck rating such as ordinary seaman to gain experience day by day and sit for an exam to work your way towards becoming a shipmaster with studies and hard work.

For an ordinary seaman to become a certified officer of a foreign going vessel, he needs to complete 36 months of sea time or in some case 24 months if he/she has undergone a structured shipboard training program and TRB.

Similarly, a cadet who has undergone a DNS course will need to have 18 months of sea time and a cadet who has a BSc Nautical degree will be needing 12 months of sea service to have a 2nd Mate FG certificate.

If 2nd mate wants to get a Certificate of Competency of chief mate, 18 months of additional sea service will be needed to be qualified for the exam.

For a chief officer to become a Master the seafarer needs to have an approved record of 36 months of seagoing service with at least 12 months in the position of the chief officer.

The above requirement is for Indian COC for a foreign going ship of 500GT.

Similarly, for an engine room cadet , he/she needs to have 6 months of sea service to be eligible to give exam of a 4th engineer officer in a foreign going ship with 750KW main propulsion engine.

Once the 4th engineer does a sea service of 12 months, he/she is eligible to give COC examination for Class II officer engineer or 2nd engineer.

For a 2nd engineer officer to become a Chief Engineer of the ship, he/she needs to have an approved record of 36 months of seagoing service with at least 12 months in the position of 2nd Engineer officer on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of 3000 kW propulsion power or more.

You may also like to read – What is the Difference between Lay days and Lay time?

SUCCESSFUL MARINE ENGINEER ebook

Disclaimer : The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

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BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

Is the date of joining and date signed off counts in calculating sea time?

What about sea time of FSRU since it is moored to one terminal?

It will be counted as a coastal vessel and not an FG vessel

HOW THEY CALCULATE SEATIME LIKE I NEED 18 MONTHS SEATIME SO IT WILL BE 18X30 DAYS ?

@Nischay: The Seatime will be calculated according to the propelling days of the ship.

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Welcome to the Onboard Maritime sea time calculator.

Enter your ship details, the date of joining and leaving in the boxes below to calculate the length of your time at sea. You can add multiple voyages to obtain your total sea time.

Sea time is calculated using the same methods required by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. At Onboard Maritime we offer the full range of MCA oral and written preparation courses.

Be one step ahead with your studies! You can start one of our oral preparation courses prior to completing your sea time.

Enquire now, contact [email protected] or view our full range of courses at www.onboardmaritime.com

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Vessel Name Date Sign-on Date Sign-off Months Days

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Captain’s Licenses: General Sea Service Boating Experience

Qualifying sea service: what counts and what doesn't.

Is documentation of sea time required for a captain’s license?  

To qualify for a captain’s license, the Coast Guard requires that you have a minimum number of days experience on the water. The total number of days required depends on the license you wish to earn. 

The Coast Guard requires that you have at least 360 days on the water since you were 16 years old. 90 of those days need to be in the last three years, this is referred to as recency. One day counts as a minimum of 4 hours on the water. You cannot have more than one day within a 24-hour time period.  

(VIDEO) SEA TIME REQUIREMENTS AND DOCUMENTATION

What counts as sea service?  

Sea service is a measure of a mariner’s lifetime experience on boats, whether recreational, commercial, or military. It may be counted from the day a mariner turns age 16 and accumulates over his or her lifetime. 

A day of sea service is any day that a mariner served upon a vessel in an assigned position in either the deck or engineering department of a vessel (not a passenger). The position may include duties such as: handling lines, being a lookout, steering the boat, and other navigational or propulsion functions. 

Sea service never expires and may be reused when applying for new endorsements. It is the mariner’s responsibility to keep copies of all sea service records. 

How many hours is a day of sea service time?   

One day of sea time is eight hours on the water. However, in many cases, the National Maritime Center (NMC) will accept a day as being just four hours when applying for an OUPV/Six-Pack or a 25, 50, or 100 Ton Masters license.  

A single calendar day can only be counted once, so if you spent eight hours on your boat and on the same calendar day went out for another eight hours on your friend’s boat, it would still count as just one day. A day can never be counted twice whether the day was spent on your boat or any combination of other boats. 

For the purposes of defining sea service requirements, the Coast Guard considers 1 month as 30 days, and 1 year as 12 months (or 360 days). 

What size vessels can I claim experience on for my captain’s license?  

You need time on a vessel with at least a 5-horsepower engine and NO greater than 200 GRT.  

How can I prove my boating experience for a captain’s license?  

CG-719S Capture

Remember that you must complete a separate Small Vessel Sea Service Form for each vessel you served aboard. 

If you are the owner of a vessel on which you are claiming service, you must also submit proof of ownership for that vessel. Acceptable proof of ownership may include: 

  • Title 
  • Registration (state registered vessels) 
  • Certificate of Documentation (U.S. Coast Guard registered vessels) 
  • Proof of insurance (which clearly identifies the vessel) 
  • Bill(s) of sale 

If you are signing as the owner of a corporation that owns the vessel, you must include a copy of proof of ownership of the company, such as a copy of the articles of incorporation. (See 46 CFR 10.232.) 

Photographs or imagery of vessels are not acceptable as proof of ownership. If you are not the owner of the vessel, someone with knowledge of your service must attest to its accuracy and validity in the proper location on the form by signing it and completing the associated required information. 

To document service on any vessel of over 200 GRT:  Applicants may submit any of the following documents signed by an appropriate official, an individual holding an officer endorsement, an owner or an employer who is not the applicant seeking the credit (see 46 CFR 10.232): 

  • Certificates of discharge 
  • Letters on official letterhead indicating the vessel details, dates of service, waters of service, and position(s) served in 
  • Other official documents such as service logs or discharge books from marine companies 

How do I provide proof of ownership when signing off on my own time?   

If you’re submitting sea service forms to claim time on your own vessel or vessels, you’ll be required to demonstrate that you did in fact own the boat you wish to claim time on. This can be accomplished simply by providing records of your boat registration, vessel documentation, insurance card, or a sales receipt. 

What if my sea time was on my friend’s/family’s boat?   

If your time was aboard someone else’s boat, you must provide a sea service form signed by the owner of the boat you intend to claim time on. 

What if my sea time was on my employer’s boat?  

If your time was aboard your company’s boat, they will need to sign off on your time on a company letter head.  

How do I document sea time if the owner of the boat is deceased?  

If your time was aboard someone else’s boat and that owner is deceased, you will NOT be allowed to claim time since that person cannot verify on your behalf. 

Can you count military sea service time towards a captain’s license?   

Military Sea Time Documentation

To be considered qualified time, the time must have been served in a capacity relevant to the type of license you are applying for. You may provide satisfactory evidence of U.S. military service in the form of an official transcript of military sea service, certified history of assignments, or certified statement of creditable sea service. A DD 214 on its own is not generally enough evidence of sea service time. 

american-flag-waving copy

I worked as a crew member onboard a cruise ship, does that time count?   

Time aboard a cruise ship would not count toward the OUPV/6-Pack or 25/50 or 100 Ton Masters Level license.  

How can I get time upon the water if I have none?  

You can gain the required minimum days on the water by working as a crew member/deck hand, going out on friends or family member’s boats, or owning your own boat. You can also join your local boating club.  

Look over this  video  on documenting sea service time. 

Sea Service Defined

Explore sea service days: understand their importance and how they shape your maritime journey.

What counts as sea service?

Sea service days are used to measure a mariner’s lifetime experience on boats, whether recreational, commercial, or military. Your documented sea service days accumulate over your lifetime as a mariner.

It's your responsibility to track your documented sea days with a CG-719S Small Vessel Sea Service Form for vessels under 200 GRT.

See 46 CFR 10.232 for documenting your sea service on any vessel over 200 GRT.

USCG CG-719S Sea Service Form for documenting mariner experience, essential for USCG MMC.

Every day that you are serving on a vessel in an assigned position in the Deck or Engineering department where you worked for more than 4 hours is a sea day.

What counts as a “day” for a Merchant Marine ?

A “day” as defined by 46 CFR §10.107 is dependent on the tonnage of the vessel.

For vessels over 100 GRT a “day” is 8 hours of watch-standing or day-working, not to include overtime. For vessels under 100 GRT you must be underway for at least 4 hrs in a day for it to count as a “day”.

Whether you're sailing a 1000 ft tanker, 209 ft research boat, or your 14 ft sailboat, a sea day is a sea day. For the person on the tanker and the research boat it means the day they report and the day they depart as long as they work 8 hours they receive one “day” of sea day credit.

This also means that you get a “day” of sea day credit when you're taking your small sailboat out for over 4 hours.

When can you claim time-and-a-half credit?

There are a few very special vessels which are listed in 46 U.S.C. 8104 and 46 CFR 15.705 , who are authorized to operate a two-watch system, a 12-hour working day may be creditable as 1.5 “days” of service only on those vessels.

Additionally, if you're part of a crew on a vessel that follows the Coast Guard authorized six-on-six-off watch system, and there are just two officers taking turns (like on certain crew boats, supply boats, towboats, and some commercial fishing boats), you can count 1 1/2 days for each 12-hour day worked.

For more information you can refer here or you can understand sea service requirements for a Merchant Mariner Credential through specialized USCG software tools like MMSeaS.

Do your Sea Days expire?

These days never expire, and you can "reuse" them as you apply for your licenses and additional endorsements.

For example, you need 540 sea days to qualify as an Able Seaman Limited. Those 540 days still count towards the 1080 days required for Able Seaman Unlimited.

The types of vessels listed in 46 U.S.C. 8104 and 46 CFR 15.705

Towing vessels and Barges who are engaged on a voyage of less than 600 miles and the licensed individuals and crew members are divided, when at sea, into at least 2 watches can receive time and a half credit for every sea day they work 12 hours.

Offshore Supply Vessels that are at least 6,000 gross tons who are engaged on a voyage of less than 600 miles, and the licensed individuals and crew members are divided, when at sea, into at least 2 watches can receive time and a half credit for every sea day they work 12 hours.

Fish Processing Vessels who entered into service before January 1, 1988, and are more than 1,600 gross tons and the licensed individuals and crew members are divided, when at sea, into at least 2 watches can receive time and a half credit for every sea day they work 12 hours.

Fish Processing Vessels who entered into service after December 31, 1987, and has more than 16 individuals on board primarily employed in the preparation of fish or fish products and the licensed individuals and crew members are divided, when at sea, into at least 2 watches the licensed individuals and crew members can receive time and a half credit for every sea day they work 12 hours.

If you're a cadet sailing on a training ship furnished by the Maritime Administration under 46 CFR 310.4 , a day may be creditable as 1.5 days of service.

There are many examples of companies and government agencies (especially the NOAA Fleet) issuing sea service letters with 12 hr days when it's not authorized. The USCG National Maritime Center will typically only give the mariner one sea day for each day worked no matter what the letter says.

We encourage mariners to be realistic and understand the rules that they are working with. We would never want a mariner to have obtained a license they were not qualified for due to illegal paperwork from their employers and mistakes by the evaluators at the USCG National Maritime Center.

How can you document sea service?

To document sea service:

For vessels less than 200 GRT:

  • You can provide creditable sea days information with CG 719-S (Small Vessel Sea Service Form) or provide a letter with the same required details.
  • Remember, a separate Small Vessel Sea Service Form is needed for each vessel you've served on.
  • If you're claiming service on a vessel you own, you'll also need to show proof of ownership, like a title, registration, certificate of documentation, proof of insurance, or bills of sale. If it's a corporate-owned vessel, include proof of the company's ownership, such as articles of incorporation.
  • Photos of vessels don't count as proof of ownership.
  • If you're not the owner, someone who knows about your service needs to vouch for it by signing the form and providing the necessary information.

For vessels over 200 GRT:

  • You can submit various documents signed by an appropriate official, someone with an officer endorsement, or the vessel's owner or employer and should be someone other than the applicant.
  • Acceptable documents include certificates of discharge, official letters detailing vessel information, dates of service, areas of service, and positions held, or other official papers like service logs or discharge books from marine companies.

If you still have any doubts about documenting your sea service or require further clarifications, you can refer to 46 CFR 10.232 .

And if you’re trying to understand sea service days for your license renewal, then you can read about it in detail in our USCG License Renewal guide.

We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!

MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Pro inside of the site.

No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application, you can choose to have the MM-SEAS staff create a perfect application, handle the USCG application fees and work with the USCG on your behalf to resolve any issues for a flat fee of $349 or you can choose to submit on your own.

Guide on documenting sea service for vessels under and over 200 GRT, for USCG MMC.

Pro MM-SEAS members get access to unlimited live 1 on 1 calls with one of our USCG Licensing Specialists. We've found that answering questions live with screen sharing in a video call makes both of our lives easier. Pro MM-SEAS members can access these features inside of MM-SEAS under License Guidance.

Need to renew, upgrade or get your first USCG license? We're here to help.

About the author.

Nate Gilman

Nate has over 15 years of professional maritime experience and has hawsepiped his way to a 3rd Mate Unlimited Endorsement with full STCW compliance. He is proud veteran of the NOAA Commissioned Corps.

How to Get Your Mariner Records

yacht sea time

Sea, stand-by, watch and yard time clarified under MCA

We are an industry where bigger is better and appearances set the standard. With that ever-increasing desire by owners to push the envelope for a yacht’s overall length, we have seen that the safety regulations that dictate how a yacht is constructed and operated have not necessarily kept pace.

In a long-awaited document, the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) published a Marine Information Note (MIN) in January. Titled MIN 498 (M), this note finally addresses the sea time needed for a license holder to cross over from the restricted “yachting” system and into the unlimited merchant navy licenses.

The MIN outlines the requirements for deck officers or ratings using yacht service as qualifying seagoing service toward the issue of an unlimited Certificate of Competency. The MIN also contains the new seagoing service testimonials for those working on yachts.

First, let’s review how the MCA will require the sea service to be documented and the types of sea service that will be accepted.

The MCA requires that all yacht service be documented in the form of either (a) yacht service testimonials supported by a discharge book or (b) an MCA-approved logbook. Both of these documents must include an exact breakdown of the actual sea service, stand-by service, and yard time. For the purposes of the MIN, the MCA service definitions are:

  • Actual Sea Service is time spent at sea, which may include time at anchor or river and canal transits associated with a passage.
  • Stand-by Service is time immediately following a voyage while the vessel is under preparation for a subsequent voyage.
  • Yard Time is time when standing by a build, refit or repair.
  • Watchkeeping Service is actual sea service spent as a watchkeeping officer in full charge of a navigational watch for at least four out of every 24 hours while the vessel is engaged on voyage.

The MCA states that seagoing service on yachts will be counted as a combination of actual sea-service, standby service and yard service. There are a few restrictions:

  • Stand-by Service cannot exceed the number of days performed on the previous voyage and in no case exceeds a maximum of 14 days in each period.
  • Yard Service cannot exceed a maximum total of 90 days for Officer of the Watch (OOW) and 30 days for Chief Mate or Master.

As a result of the above definitions, under no circumstance can stand-by service exceed actual sea service.

Now that the MCA has defined what type of sea service is required, let us review the requirements for the three levels of unlimited tonnage licenses.

To qualify for the issue of an OOW unlimited Certificate of Competency, the candidate must, from the age of 16, have completed 36 months seagoing service. Of that total, it must include at least six months engaged in bridge watchkeeping duties on vessels (including yachts) of more than 24m in length or more than 80 GT.

To qualify for the issue of a Chief Mate unlimited Certificate of Competency, one must have completed 18 months seagoing service as a deck officer while holding an OOW unlimited license. Sea service must be attained on vessels (including yachts) of more than 24m in length or more than 80 GT.

To qualify for the issue of a Master unlimited Certificate of Competency, the candidate must have completed 18 months seagoing service as a deck officer while holding a Chief Mate unlimited license. The sea service must be attained on vessels (including yachts) of more than 24m in length or more than 80 GT.

If an officer already possesses an OOW unlimited or a Chief Mate unlimited Certificate of Competency, and is serving on a yacht, there are additional stipulations to complete before raising to a higher Certificate of Competency. The license holder’s seagoing service requirements listed above must include the completion of:

  • At least six months on yachts of 500 GT or more operating beyond UK-categorized waters, or if outside the UK, beyond the harbor limits; OR
  • At least six months on vessels of at least 24m, made up of voyages of more than 300 nautical miles.

If a candidate has sea service on a yacht of over 3,000 GT that has spent more than 2/3 of its time proceeding to sea, then that sea service can be counted as per MGN 92 (M), i.e. at the full rate. A breakdown of the vessel’s movements must be provided with the application. This will be assessed by the MCA on a case-by-case basis.

If an officer already holds an MCA OOW for yachts less than 3,000 GT and the officer is applying for an OOW unlimited Certificate of Competency, it is not required to show evidence for six months of watchkeeping duties.  If the candidate does not hold an MCA OOW for yachts less than 3,000 GT, one will need a letter from the captain stating that the candidate has been engaged in watchkeeping duties under the supervision of a qualified officer for at least six months.

If one holds an OOW, Chief Mate, or Masters Certificate of Competency limited to yachts of less than 3,000 GT, the officer must first obtain an OOW unlimited license before progressing to a Chief Mate unlimited Certificate of Competency. It is not possible to skip over any of the unlimited licenses.

And finally, the MCA clearly states in the MIN that completing more than four hours watchkeeping within a 24-hour period cannot be counted as more than one day watchkeeping time. For example, if an officer completes a 12-hour watch within a 24-hour period, the officer can only count this as one day of watchkeeping service. Additionally, if the same officer completes two separate six-hour watches within a 24-hour period, the officer can only count this as one day of watchkeeping service.

Capt. Jake DesVergers is chief surveyor for International Yacht Bureau (IYB), an organization that provides flag-state inspection services to yachts on behalf of several administrations. A deck officer graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, he previously sailed as master on merchant ships, acted as designated person for a shipping company, and served as regional manager for an international classification society. Contact him at +1 954-596-2728 or www.yachtbureau.org . Comments on this column are welcome at [email protected] .

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This week’s question wasn’t so hard. While we thought the daylight shifts would get loads of support, most of the captains and crew piping in…

 

This page has been created to allow seafarers to quickly calculate their seatime for applications for Certificates of Competency. We utilise the system of calculation used by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

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What is Sea Service verification?

When progressing your yachting career – whether it be obtaining a Notice of Eligibility (NoE), revalidating a Certificate of Competency (CoC) or moving to a more senior position on board, you need to be able to show an accurate and VERIFIED record of your time at sea. Having testimonials verified by PYA will avoid significant delays in issuing an MCA Notice of Eligibility (NoE).

The PYA is authorised by the MCA and by Transport Malta, to verify yacht sea service and has been doing it for the MCA since 1994 - no other organisation has this track record.

Get your Sea Service verified

To get your sea service verified, become a Full member of the PYA.

You will get our Digital Service Record Book (D-SRB) , and we will process as many yacht sea service testimonials and certificates as you wish. To know more about the benefits, click here.

Setting up your member's area

After registering, you need to upload the following documents to your member’s area:

a passport-size photo* - head shots only (.jpg format)

a certified copy of your passport* or identity card* (.pdf format)

certified copies of your certificates (optional)

sea service testimonials *

How does it work?

When you upload new documents to your profile, your file goes into the queue for verification.When your file is processed by the Sea Service team, your paperwork is checked for any inconsistencies, missing info, or errors ( read our guidelines to avoid these issues ). If your testimonials are duly filled and signed, the verification emails are sent to the signatory.

N.B .: If the testimonials submitted are illegible, email addresses and names of signatories are missing, signatures are missing, dates are missing, dates overlap, etc., then we must contact you while your file goes into pending until all queries are resolved. Read our guidelines to avoid these issues .

After we've received replies for all the testimonials (unless you tell us to proceed without some), they are submitted to an SRB Officer for final review and approval. Sometimes the information is rejected by the SRB Officer as new queries come up.

N.B. : We are unable to keep track of unverified testimonials. Signatories generally reply within a few days, if more days pass, please check with the signatories and with us. Testimonials for which we have received replies will have a green 'tick' next to them.Once everything has been approved by the SRB officer, your testimonials will appear as  VERIFIED  on your online profile and your D-SRB will be generated. You will receive a notification email that your D-SRB is ready for download. For non-members : you won’t receive a D-SRB but digitally signed testimonials which need to be downloaded and emailed to the MCA as you would with the D-SRB. You will receive a notification email when your testimonials are ready for download.

The verification process can take up to 25 working days depending on the quality of your documents, the response of the signatories, and our workload.

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The pya is authorised by the uk maritime coastguard agency (mca) and by transport malta to verify yacht sea service testimonials for all yacht crew worldwide., discover our plans to get access to all the services we provide..

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Nautical Distance Calculator

Our tool is the most advanced nautical miles calculator available, designed to help you estimate the sailing time, fuel consumption, and cost of your upcoming boat trip.

To mark a port or stop on your sea route, simply click or tap on the desired location on the map. Add as many points as necessary, and a line representing your route will automatically appear. Use the zoom in and zoom out features, or press 'Fit Map' to adjust the view and better visualize your trip on the map.

The total sea distance, measured in nautical miles (or kilometers), is displayed in the bottom right corner of the map.

With the travel time and sea distance calculator located below the map, you can estimate the duration of your trip and its total cost. Just enter the average speed, fuel consumption per hour, and the cost of fuel per liter or gallon.

If you want to move a port or stop, simply click (or tap) on it and, without releasing, drag it to the desired location on the map..

To remove any stop or port from your route, click on it and then press 'Remove' on the pop-up that appears. To delete the entire route and start over, click 'Clear Map'.

Once you've finalized your route, you can share all the details, including the sea route information, by clicking the 'Share' button located at the top right corner of the map.

Finally keep in mind that you can switch to kilometers instead of nautical miles.

For instance, if you plan to sail from Palermo to Naples using our sea distance calculator, you would find that the total distance is approximately 167 nautical miles (310 kilometers). With an average speed of 15 knots, it would take about 11.2 hours to complete this journey.

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Sea route calculator

A very quick sea route calculator showing you the distance in nautical miles from any of the vessels AIS position to any port. Find the shortest route, ETA, days in sea, bunker ports along the route and estimated bunker consumption.  Save and share the routes.

Add ECA, SECA zones, (IMO and local zones), daily updated marine weather, piracy info and sea ice conditions to your route.

Calculate from a port, to any ports, with several port options or consecutive ports.

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A very quick sea route calculator for laptops and mobiles

The sea route calculator is available in both products; ShipAtlas and ShipIntel. It will give you the shortest route from any vessel's AIS position in the map to any port or combination of ports, and find the distance, time and ETA. You can also route between ports. If you want to change the route on web; click and drag the route (same as you do in Google maps), and the route will quickly be re-calculated.

Why use this Sea Route Calculator?

The technology Since there are no roads at sea, we have been using many different technologies while developing the Sea Route Calculator. We have created a network of triangles, visibility graphs, machine learning and other technologies. Then we have added information about canals and straits constrains to avoid routing vessels through canals if they are too large for the canal constrains. We have also added AIS tracks for different type and size of vessels to find where the different type of vessels have been sailing in the past. ‍ Thus this Sea Route Planner is not a navigational tool for navigators. The pitch Might be the only sea route calculator able to route from any vessel's AIS position to any port on mobile and web super quickly and accurate FOR FREE and gives you the ETA, days at sea and bunker consumption. You can compare the ShipAtlas sea route calculator with any other sea route calculators there are. ‍ You can add bunker ports available along the route, find canal constrains and do consecutive sea routes. You can route several vessels to one port, and find when they will arrive (ETA), and you can find alternative routes for one vessel to reach a specific port. You can save sea routes. We will continue to invest in the sea route calculator since a sea route should be one of the backbone features in any maritime software.

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Mobile and laptop Use the sea route calculator from your laptop or mobile device and find time in sea, ETA first port, distance in nautical miles, bunker consumption, from any of the vessels AIS position. Turn on the marine weather forecast layer if you want to estimate delay due to bad weather. The weather is updated every 24th hour with a 15 days forecast. Turn on the ECA / SECA zone layer and find the bunker consumption. The sea route calculator is excellent for cases such as: your vessel is en route to Tubarao, and your broker asks if your vessel can go to Madre de Deus instead and when she will arrive. You can calculate the sea distance from any of the vessel’s position to any ports to find the deviation time from the vessels existing position, and the ETA to the possible new destination. Click on the vessel and the sea route calculator icon on the vessel card. On web you can click and drag the line to add waypoints or alternative routes (just as you do in Google maps).

Combine layers of information with the sea route calculator

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You can add the layers of information you prefer like, and here are some of the layers you can combine with the Sea Route Calculator: 

  • Daily updated marine weather layers (wind, currents, perception, waves) and a 15 days forecast for wind, perception.
  • Daily updated piracy information.
  • Daily updated ice conditions.
  • ECA / SECA zones (local and IMO defined zones).
  • Switch between default maps and satellite mode.  
  • Access information about canal constrains (draft, LOA and beam). If your vessel is bigger, we will route her the shortest way around.
  • Add bunker ports and learn where you find bunkers available, bunker grades and prices. We daily update the bunker information.
  • Add Polar codes, Load Line or International Navigating Limits (INL).

Click on the layers you add and find detailed information about the specific layer.

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The Sea Route Calculator is a backbone of our software products

We have a dedicated team working with the sea route calculation so while you are getting familiar with the sea route calculator, we will continue improving it and make it even smarter. We will add more features and layers of information to solve more user cases, and we will make sure it is super responsive on all your devices.

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We are dedicated to developing ShipAtlas based on user feedback, so your feedback is highly welcomed.

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If you have ideas or wishes, want to propose improvements, or find bugs, please send us a chat so we can discuss.

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Digital Logbook

Switching to a digital system provides you with the necessary tools to fully utilize all of the data collected. with sealogs, make the most of the information gathered to improve productivity and safety., because paper and water doesn't mix..

With a paper logbook, there is no backup. Once gone, all your information is gone. SeaLogs started after a logbook was lost, it contained six months' worth of information.

Since then, we've spiced the traditional logbook up. Regarded as a legally binding and official document, our electronic logbook solution is the foundation of recording everything and anything happening onboard.

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Your paperless logbook has three core sections:

Crew, voyage, and engine room.

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Designed to capture all details relating to your most valuable asset - your crew. Keep track of who's onboard and document any visitors including their activities.  Capture sea time automatically behind the scenes and streamline your crew training and drills to easily see when it was last completed. SeaLogs makes managing your crew and their training requirements a breeze.

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We focus on the safety of your vessel and the Voyage you are on with boat fleet management software .

Keep track of the daily checks by carrying out vessel compliance software and use our Trip Report section to record details of your voyage such as locations, departure/arrival times, the number of passengers carried, pilot transfers, tug movements, rivers rafted, and much more.

Stay up to date with the weather and tidal information in your local area through our smart integrations.

Track and manage unusual activities and events such as customer complaints, rough weather, marine mammals, and accidents with SeaLogs nautical software. 

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Focused on your machinery and your propulsion details by using the engine room logbook feature from our maritime application software. 

Digitally record your Engine Log details such as engine hours, coolant levels, temps, pressures, and more. Keep track of your fuel, oils, and lubes along with other hazardous substances that are carried and used.

Worry no more, we understand that no two vessels are the same

Our top tier plans are customisable to provide you with the flexibility and information you need. Use SeaLogs to ensure you are relevant and purposeful. Stay focused to improve safety, compliance and efficiencies in your business today.

Fullers Group saves hours each day by using SeaLogs onboard of their 21 vessels fleet to have an insight of activities and events happening onboard.

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Your data is valuable, use it with SeaLogs.

Create a safer, compliant, and efficient maritime business today.

The maker of Mike Lynch's yacht says it took 16 minutes to sink and the crew should have had time to rescue passengers

  • Mike Lynch and six others are dead after his superyacht sank off Sicily's coast.
  • The Bayesian sank during a storm. The Italian Sea Group CEO said the yacht took 16 minutes to sink.
  • Giovanni Costantino told the Financial Times the ship was "designed to be absolutely stable."

Insider Today

The maker of Mike Lynch's doomed superyacht said the luxury sailing vessel was "absolutely stable" and never should have sunk as he blamed the crew for an "incredible mistake."

The 183-foot ship — named the Bayesian — sank during stormy weather near Palermo, Italy, in the early hours of Monday local time.

Fifteen people, including Lynch's wife , were rescued, while seven others — including Lynch, a UK tech tycoon — have been confirmed dead.

Divers discovered the body of the final person missing from the superyacht on Friday, the Italian coast guard said, according to reports. The Washington Post and CNN both reported that the last body found was believed to be Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah.

Giovanni Costantino, the CEO of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi, the firm that built the Bayesian in 2008, said the ship was "designed to be absolutely stable" as it had the second-tallest mast in the world.

"The torture lasted 16 minutes. It went down, not in one minute as some scientists have said. It went down in 16 minutes," Costantino told the Financial Times . "You can see it from the charts, from the [Automatic Identification System] tracking chart."

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Business Insider could not independently verify his statement, and Costantino did not immediately return requests for comment.

Costantino added that the yacht's skipper "should have locked everything up, saying: "He should have gathered all passengers in the safe point. This is protocol. No one should have been in their cabin."

In an interview on Thursday with Reuters , Costantino placed the blame for the deadly tragedy on the yacht's crew members, saying that they made the "incredible mistake" of not being prepared for the powerful storm that rolled in.

"This is the mistake that cries out for vengeance," Costantino told Reuters, which reported that the storm was projected in shipping forecasts.

Maritime legal experts previously told BI that the operator of the sunken yacht should lawyer up in anticipation of claims from families of the dead or the survivors themselves.

"The boat suffered a series of indescribable, unreasonable errors; the impossible happened on that boat ... but it went down because it took on water. From where, the investigators will tell," Costantino told Reuters.

An investigation into the exact cause of the sinking is ongoing.

Authorities previously confirmed a strong storm had been in the area, though search-and-rescue experts have suggested that multiple factors could have contributed to the disaster.

One theory is that soaring temperatures in the area caused passengers and crew to leave windows and doors open, which would have allowed water to fill the ship quickly during the storm.

"The boat sank because it took on water," Costantino told the FT.

He added that a large opening just above the waterline on the stern could have been left open and become flooded.

Out of the 15 who escaped, nine were crew members. One of them, a chef named Recaldo Thomas, was confirmed dead Monday.

Stephen Askins, a lawyer specializing in maritime cases, told MailOnline that the crew was likely already awake before the ship sunk, while the passengers may have been sleeping below deck.

"The water came in from [hatchways] left open," Costantino told the FT. "There is no other possible explanation. If maneuvered properly, the boat would have comfortably handled the weather — comfortably."

Matthew Schanck, a maritime search-and-rescue consultant, previously told BI that the disaster was "shocking" because Lynch's vessel was a "modern, state-of-the-art superyacht" that would have been commercially certified with the appropriate safety regulations in place.

Witnesses told BBC News they saw a waterspout — an uncommon weather phenomenon consisting of tornadolike wind and water — before the ship went down.

"This tends to have been the accepted theory, that the vessel was hit by a waterspout and the crew didn't see it coming because it was nighttime and dark," Schanck said.

He added that this scenario made sense but questioned how witnesses would have noticed a waterspout if the crew hadn't seen it.

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Final Body Is Recovered From Yacht That Sank Off Sicily

Hannah Lynch, the 18-year-old daughter of the British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, was on board a yacht that was hit by a storm and went down in the early hours on Monday.

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Rescue workers in orange wet suits on the deck of a boat with a green body bag.

By Emma Bubola and Elisabetta Povoledo

Emma Bubola reported from Porticello, Italy, and Elisabetta Povoledo from Pallanza, Italy.

For nearly a week after a violent storm sent a luxury yacht to the bottom of the sea off the coast of Sicily, Italian scuba divers plunged deep underwater, moving through ropes and fallen objects inside the yacht in a desperate search for the six people missing.

On Friday, the recovery of the body of Hannah Lynch, 18, put an end to the wrenching search and to the slim hopes that any of the missing people might have survived.

Ms. Lynch, the daughter of the British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who also died in the yacht’s sinking, was the last person to be formally unaccounted for since Monday after tragedy struck a group that had been celebrating her father’s acquittal in a high-profile fraud case.

There were 10 crew members and 12 passengers on board the 180-foot vessel, the Bayesian, when it was hit by a storm and went down about 4.30 a.m. on Monday, the boat’s management company said on Friday.

Fifteen survived.

The body of the ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas, was found on Monday, a few hours after a downpour hit the northwestern coast of Sicily, near the port of Porticello, where the yacht had been anchored.

But it took several days to recover the bodies of the six passengers who were apparently trapped inside the yacht: Mr. Lynch and Ms. Lynch; Jonathan Bloomer, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Christopher J. Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

On Friday, a round of applause could be heard from the firefighter’s tent set up on the dock in Porticello after the last body was pulled out in what the corps described as a “complex” search operation at a depth of about 165 feet. The firefighters said they had made 123 immersions into the sea to try to retrieve the bodies.

The body bag was then loaded onto an ambulance. A local man had left a small wooden cross on the rocks in front of the dock where the bodies were brought ashore.

Mr. Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was among those who managed to reach the safety of a raft. They were rescued by a sailing schooner that had been bobbing about 150 yards from the yacht.

In a statement, the family thanked the search teams and said that it was enduring a “time of unspeakable grief.”

“The Lynch family is devastated, in shock and is being comforted and supported by family and friends,” the statement added.

As prosecutors from the nearby city of Termini Imerese began conducting interviews with the survivors and possible witnesses, the crew and passengers of the Bayesian have been confined to a local hotel, where the news media have been denied access.

Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, said on Thursday that the survivors had turned down the psychological assistance his department had offered to them.

In Porticello, the sprawling presence of rescue services made a haunting backdrop for an otherwise tranquil port town. People sunbathed and ate ricotta-filled pastries, and stores selling sandals and dried fruit opened as normal, while coast guard and firefighting vessels came and went from the shore, taking scuba divers out to the shipwreck.

Other reminders of the tragedy could be seen along the coast, among palm trees and ice cream shops, with groups of onlookers staring out at the sea, now tranquil and flat.

Local and national news organizations have complained that prosecutors have not issued a statement or held a news conference. Prosecutors may shed more light on the yacht’s sinking when they hold a news conference on Saturday.

The marine accident investigation branch of the British transportation ministry was also looking into the shipwreck of the vessel, which was registered in Britain.

One of the major questions is what caused the boat to sink: Was it the fault of the boat maker, of the crew or of a powerful act of nature — or some combination of the three? None of those who were onboard the Bayesian have spoken publicly.

The luxury yacht, built by the Italian manufacturer Perini Navi and launched in 2008, had the second-tallest aluminum mast in the world, according to its makers.

Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which in 2022 bought Perini Navi, has been assertive in defending the design and construction of the yacht, saying that the Bayesian would be “unsinkable” if the proper procedures were followed.

But yacht design experts have cautioned that the lesson of the Titanic, the ocean liner that sank on its 1912 maiden voyage, showed that no vessel, no matter how robust, was worthy of that label.

Nautilus International, a maritime-focused labor union, criticized any implication that the crew had been at fault, especially at this stage. In a statement , the union’s general secretary, Mark Dickinson, said, “Experience tells us that maritime tragedies are always the result of multiple, interconnected factors,” and he urged people to refrain from drawing any conclusions until a thorough investigation had been carried out.

The investigation into the causes will take months, prosecutors said.

Michael J. de la Merced contributed reporting.

Emma Bubola is a Times reporter based in Rome. More about Emma Bubola

Elisabetta Povoledo is a reporter based in Rome, covering Italy, the Vatican and the culture of the region. She has been a journalist for 35 years. More about Elisabetta Povoledo

Who was onboard tech mogul Mike Lynch's Bayesian yacht?

Topic: Disasters, Accidents and Emergency Incidents

Six people are missing, including a man dubbed the British Bill Gates, after a luxury yacht sank off the Sicilian coast.

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch — freshly acquitted from a decade-long trial — had invited his work colleagues aboard a trip through the Mediterranean coast when a freak storm saw the yacht sink within moments.

Fifteen people escaped from the sinking vessel. The search for the missing continues.

Here's what we know so far: 

What happened?

The Italian coastguard said the yacht — the Bayesian — was anchored off the shore of port city Porticello, near the Sicilian capital Palermo, when it was hit by bad weather sometime after 4am on Monday, local time. 

Eyewitnesses said it vanished quickly beneath the waves shortly before dawn.

Managers of the sailing vessel Bayesian, Camper & Nicholsons, confirmed to the ABC that the Bayesian encountered severe weather and subsequently sank. 

"Our priority is assisting with the ongoing search and providing all necessary support to the rescued passengers and crew," they said. 

"The wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude," a coastguard official told Reuters.

Sicily's civil protection agency head, Salvo Cocina, said a waterspout — a tornado over the water — could have struck the yacht.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mr Cocina added. 

Storms and heavy rainfall had swept down Italy in recent days after weeks of scorching heat, lifting the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea to record levels and raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts told Reuters.

"The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius, which is almost 3 degrees more than normal. This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms," meteorologist Luca Mercalli said.

A group of rescuers gather around a stretcher

Rescuers recover the body of one of the people aboard the Bayesian.  ( AP: Lucio Ganci )

Captain Karsten Borner of the Sir Robert Baden Powell vessel told journalists he noticed the Bayesian nearby during the storm, but after it calmed he saw a red flare and realised the ship had simply disappeared.

Mr Borner said he and a crew member boarded their tender and found a lifeboat with 15 people, some of them injured, who they then took aboard and alerted the coast guard.

Search crews, including helicopters and divers, are continuing to search the wreckage, lying at a depth of 49 metres.

Specialist divers reached the ship on Monday but access was limited due to objects in the way, the fire brigade said.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was "providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families".

Sicilian prosecutors have also opened an investigation into the event. 

Who is missing?

A collage of three men

Lawyer Chris Morvillo (left), entrepreneur Mike Lynch, and Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer are among the missing. 

There were 12 passengers and 10 crew members aboard the yacht. 

Mr Cocina said the crew and passengers hailed from a variety of countries, including Britain, the United States, Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.

Of the 22, one man is confirmed dead and another six people are still missing. 

They are believed to be inside the hull, fire rescue spokesperson Luca Cari said.

Fabio Cefalù, a fisherman who said he responded to a flare from the vessel but found it sunk, said he stayed at the site for three hours without finding anyone.

"I think they are inside, all the missing people," he said.

Rescue teams recovered the body of the yacht's onboard chef on Monday, identified as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas.

The still missing people include: 

  • Mr Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah 
  • Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of global financial services company Morgan Stanley International
  • Chris Morvillo , a lawyer at the British multinational law firm Clifford Chance. He worked on Mr Lynch's lawsuit against Hewlett-Packard
  • The identities of the remaining two missing are still unconfirmed

Who was rescued? 

Fifteen people escaped from the sinking ship. 

Eight have been hospitalised and others were taken to a nearby hotel.

A picture of a woman inside a plane

Charlotte Golunski was among those rescued, recalling the harrowing moments she held her child Sofia above the waves.  ( Supplied: Facebook  )

Among those rescued were:

  • Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, who was the owner of the yacht
  • Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter, Sofia. Ms Golunski is a partner at Mr Lynch's firm, Invoke Capital. She says she momentarily lost hold of Sofia in the water but managed to hold her up above the waves until the lifeboat was inflated
  • Ms Golunski's husband James Emslie
  • New Zealand captain of the yacht James Catfield. He told Italian newspaper La Repubblica the crew didn't see the storm coming
  • A lone Dutch citizen was identified by the Dutch foreign ministry as being rescued, but was not identified

Who is Mike Lynch?

Mr Lynch, once hailed as Britain’s king of technology, was recently freed from a Silicon Valley lawsuit that tarnished his legacy. 

The 59-year-old Cambridge-educated mathematician created Autonomy , a search engine that could pore through emails and other internal business documents to help companies find vital information more quickly. 

He received the OBE for his innovation in 2006. 

He then sold the software to Hewlett-Packard (HP) for $US11 billion ($16 billion) in 2011, with Mr Lynch personally netting $US800 million. 

HP valued Autonomy at $US46 billion ($68 billion) in the months leading up to the deal.

A man in a suit smiles

Mike Lynch in 2019 leaving the High Court in London.  ( Reuters: Henry Nicholls/File Photo )

But the deal quickly turned sour after he was accused of forging the software's financial records to make the sale.

As part of a decades-long legal battle against HP, Mr Lynch was extradited to the UK on criminal fraud charges. 

He steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he was being made a scapegoat for HP's own bungling. 

He was eventually cleared of all charges in June this year. 

Although he avoided a possible prison sentence, Lynch still faced a bill from a civil case in London that HP mostly won during 2022. Damages haven't been determined in that case, but HP is seeking $US4 billion. 

Following the San Francisco trial, Mr Lynch said he would return to the UK and do what he loved most: "[being with] my family and innovating in my field."

The holiday appeared to be something of a celebration after Mr Lynch's acquittal, with guests including some of the people who had stood by Lynch throughout the ordeal.

Italy Boaters Missing

This picture shows the rescue operations off the Sicilian coast.  ( AP: Italian Coast Guard  )

In a separate act of tragedy, Mr Lynch's co-defendant in the trial, Stephen Chamberlain, died on Monday, after a road accident left him critically injured.

Mr Chamberlain — Autonomy's former vice-president of finance alongside Mr Lynch — was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning and had been placed on life support. 

What is the Bayesian?

The luxury yacht is 56m long sailboat, with a 75m mast labelled as the tallest aluminium mast in the world.

It was previously named Salute when it flew under a Dutch flag.

The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and a crew of 10, according to online specialist yacht sites. It was last refitted in 2020.

Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros (about $AU 321,000) a week. 

Two boats in the sea

This picture taken on Sunday shows the Bayesian (left) and the Duch sailboat Sir Robert Baden Powell anchored off the coast line.   ( AP: Fabio La Bianca/Baia Santa Nicolicchia )

The ship also won a string of awards for its design. 

Ms Golunski said the yacht had travelled through the Aeolian Islands, Milazzo and Cefalù before sinking. 

It is likely the yacht's name would resonate with Mr Lynch because his PhD thesis and the software that made his fortune was based on Bayesian theory.

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Five bodies found in sunken superyacht, officials say

Divers have found five bodies in the sunken wreckage of a superyacht that sank off Sicily this week, Italian officials told news agencies and local media Wednesday, leaving one person still missing.

Three bodies were brought ashore and two others were also found inside the shipwreck, Salvatore Cocina, head of the Sicily civil protection agency, told the Associated Press, after divers were photographed by the agency unloading body bags. Cocina did not identify the deceased.

The British-flagged, 183-foot-long Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew members roughly half a mile from the Sicilian fishing village of Porticello when it encountered what authorities called a “violent storm” about 4 a.m. Monday.

Of the 15 people rescued, eight – including a 1-year-old girl – were taken to hospitals in conditions that were not life-threatening. The body of the yacht’s chef, identified as Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian Antiguan, was found during initial recovery efforts.

Among the passengers was Mike Lynch, 59, the British founder of the tech venture capital firm Invoke Capital and co-founder of the tech firms Autonomy and Darktrace. This summer, he was acquitted of all charges after a decadelong U.S. fraud trial related to the 2011 sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard.

The voyage on the Bayesian, owned by a company controlled by Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was intended to be a celebration of his legal victory, Britain’s Telegraph reported.

Among those missing were Lynch; his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; and attorney Chris Morvillo, a partner at Clifford Chance in New York who represented Lynch in the recently concluded legal battle, and his wife, Neda. Bacares, Lynch’s wife, was among the survivors.

It’s not clear exactly what type of storm struck the Bayesian, but weather data suggests it was probably a tornadic waterspout or severe thunderstorm.

Charlotte Golunski, a guest of Lynch who was rescued, described to Italian media holding onto her 1-year-old daughter, Sophie, amid the storm. “For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea,” she told Giornale di Sicilia. “Then I immediately hugged her again amid the fury of the waves.”

Lynch sold Autonomy, which was once England’s biggest software company, to Hewlett-Packard in 2011 for more than $11 billion. He was subsequently accused of overvaluing the company and was charged in the United States with fraud. He was acquitted in June.

The Bayesian was built in 2008 by Italian shipmaker Perini Navi, according to the SuperYacht Times.

The Sir Robert, a Dutch-flagged sailing vessel anchored nearby, responded immediately to help survivors before the Italian coast guard arrived.

The yacht sank to a depth of more than 160 feet. The first attempt by fire-brigade cave divers to search inside the yacht was unsuccessful, rescue authorities said.

Bryan Pietsch contributed to this report.

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COMMENTS

  1. Captain's License Sea Time Requirements & Documentation

    Navigating sea time requirements for your captain's license involves documenting a minimum of 360 days of boating experience since turning 16, with at least ninety days in the last three years. You can self-certify your sea time aboard your own boat or provide a sea service form signed by the boat's owner if using others' vessels.

  2. What is Sea Time and How to Get it

    Every day you work under one of the above positions on a ship you receive "sea time" and these accumulated days allow you to work your way toward the next promotion in your department. For example, an OS must complete 360 days (one Coast Guard year) of sea time in order to qualify for the ability to upgrade to Able Seaman — and about two ...

  3. What Is Sea Time?

    Sea time is a term that holds a very important part in a seafarer's professional life. The word "Sea Time" does not mean the total time spent by a seafarer at sea, but it is the total time spent working on a vessel at sea, which is not standstill and is actively sailing for cargo transportation. The sea time requirements for seafarers may ...

  4. Logging Hours for USCG Captains License

    For large commercial vessels you will be issued a CG-718A (Certificate of Discharge Form). This is issued from the ship's master every time you depart the vessel. For all other vessels you will be issued a Sea Service Letter on Company letterhead that exactly follows 46 CFR 10.232. These can be issued from the ship's master, owner, vessel manager or office staff.

  5. Welcome to the Onboard Maritime sea time calculator

    Enter your ship details, the date of joining and leaving in the boxes below to calculate the length of your time at sea. You can add multiple voyages to obtain your total sea time. Sea time is calculated using the same methods required by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. At Onboard Maritime we offer the full range of MCA oral and written ...

  6. Nautical time

    Nautical time is a maritime time standard established in the 1920s to allow ships on high seas to coordinate their local time with other ships, ... nautical standard time zones and the nautical date line were recommended by the Anglo-French Conference on Time-keeping at Sea in 1917. The conference recommended that the standard apply to all ...

  7. PDF Keep 'em Safe, Keep 'em Sailing

    umulates over his or her lifetime.A day of sea service is any day that a mariner served upon a vessel in an assigned position in either the deck or engineering depar. ent of a vessel (not a passenger). The position may include duties such as: handling lines, being a lookout, steering the boat, and other n.

  8. Captain's Licenses: General Sea Service Boating Experience

    Sea service is a measure of a mariner's lifetime experience on boats, whether recreational, commercial, or military. It may be counted from the day a mariner turns age 16 and accumulates over his or her lifetime. A day of sea service is any day that a mariner served upon a vessel in an assigned position in either the deck or engineering ...

  9. Yacht hub : Sea Service Verification

    Nautilus Sea Service Record (SSR) Nautilus SSR is an online platform which allows Nautilus members to log their sea time quickly, securely and efficiently. For the first time ever, users will be able to record, calculate and review qualifying sea service for certification, all within one simple-to-use and completely digital tool. Find out more.

  10. Sea Service & Days at Sea

    Sea Service & Days at Sea — Fred's Oral Prep. Have (since the age of 16 years) a minimum of 36 months Onboard Yacht Service, in vessels of any size, including not less than 365 days Sea Service in vessels of 15 metres or over in loadline length, where the Sea Service is: ii. The balance of 115 days any combination of the following:

  11. USCG License: Guide to Tracking Sea Service Days

    For vessels under 100 GRT you must be underway for at least 4 hrs in a day for it to count as a "day". Whether you're sailing a 1000 ft tanker, 209 ft research boat, or your 14 ft sailboat, a sea day is a sea day. For the person on the tanker and the research boat it means the day they report and the day they depart as long as they work 8 ...

  12. Sea, stand-by, watch and yard time clarified under MCA

    If a candidate has sea service on a yacht of over 3,000 GT that has spent more than 2/3 of its time proceeding to sea, then that sea service can be counted as per MGN 92 (M), i.e. at the full rate. A breakdown of the vessel's movements must be provided with the application. This will be assessed by the MCA on a case-by-case basis.

  13. Seatime Calculator

    Seatime Calculator. This page has been created to allow seafarers to quickly calculate their seatime for applications for Certificates of Competency. We utilise the system of calculation used by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Enter the ship name, join date and leave date and click the 'Calculate' button to calulate the length of the trip.

  14. Sea route & distance

    Calculate sea route and distance for any 2 ports in the world.

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    BednBlue. Fill in the form below and you will soon receive suggestions with the ideal yachts for your trip. A travel expert will contact you shortly to suggest the ideal yachts for your trip. Let a travel expert suggest the ideal yachts for your trip. Your phone number is required so the owner & the captain can contact you during your trip.

  16. Sea Service Verification

    What is Sea Service verification? When progressing your yachting career - whether it be obtaining a Notice of Eligibility (NoE), revalidating a Certificate of Competency (CoC) or moving to a more senior position on board, you need to be able to show an accurate and VERIFIED record of your time at sea. Having testimonials verified by PYA will ...

  17. Ship & Container Tracking

    VesselFinder displays real time ship positions and marine traffic detected by global AIS network. Map Vessels Photos Ports Containers News. Services. Paid. Plans & Prices RealTime AIS Data Historical AIS Data Container Tracking. Free. News. Mobile Apps Route Planner Fleet Explorer Embed map Become AIS Partner. 0 .

  18. Sea Distances Calculator

    Nautical Distance Calculator. Our tool is the most advanced nautical miles calculator available, designed to help you estimate the sailing time, fuel consumption, and cost of your upcoming boat trip. To mark a port or stop on your sea route, simply click or tap on the desired location on the map. Add as many points as necessary, and a line ...

  19. Calculate transit time and distance

    Use our real-time freight calculator to compare rates. Find sailing schedules by route or vessel with multiple shipping lines. Interactive map for freight requests, transport and facilities management. Visual module with map, showing sea and land routings. Freight analytics tool with historical data for sea, land and air shipping.

  20. Free Sea Route Calculator

    The sea route calculator is available in both products; ShipAtlas and ShipIntel. It will give you the shortest route from any vessel's AIS position in the map to any port or combination of ports, and find the distance, time and ETA. You can also route between ports. If you want to change the route on web; click and drag the route (same as you ...

  21. Sea Distance Calculator

    Container Tracker Distance Calculator Nautical Chart IMPA Codes Search Bunker Prices Baltic Dry Index Incoterms Pallets MID Codes Piracy Map 2024 Flag Statistics World Fleet by Ship Type World Fleet by Ship Flag Global Sea Routes Who is Who Navigable Rivers Postal Tracker Plane Tracker Air Cargo Tracker AWB, IATA, ICAO Shipping Resources ...

  22. Digital Logbook

    Capture sea time automatically behind the scenes and streamline your crew training and drills to easily see when it was last completed. SeaLogs makes managing your crew and their training requirements a breeze. The Voyage. We focus on the safety of your vessel and the Voyage you are on with boat fleet management software.

  23. Bayesian yacht: What we know about the luxury boat sank by a ...

    The Italian fire brigade said Monday its divers had reached the yacht's hull 49 meters (160 feet) below sea level. ... newspaper La Repubblica that she woke up at 4 a.m. local time, as the boat ...

  24. Mike Lynch Death: Yacht Maker Said It Took 16 Minutes to Sink

    Mike Lynch and six others are dead after his superyacht sank off Sicily's coast. The Bayesian sank during a storm. The Italian Sea Group CEO said the yacht took 16 minutes to sink. Giovanni ...

  25. Bayesian maker says crew should have had time to rescue passengers

    Giovanni Costantino, chief executive of The Italian Sea Group, which owns several boat brands including the yacht's builder, Perini Navi, told the Financial Times that the Bayesian "was ...

  26. Final Body Is Recovered From Yacht That Sank Off Sicily

    Mr. Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was among those who managed to reach the safety of a raft. They were rescued by a sailing schooner that had been bobbing about 150 yards from the yacht.

  27. Sicily Bayesian yacht sinking

    The vessel disappeared beneath the water at about 05:00 local time (04:00 BST). ... 'For two seconds I lost my baby in the sea' - yacht survivor; Who are the missing and rescued?

  28. Who was onboard tech mogul Mike Lynch's Bayesian yacht?

    The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites and a crew of 10, according to online specialist yacht sites. It was last refitted in 2020.

  29. Five bodies found in sunken superyacht, officials say

    Aug. 21, 2024 Updated Wed., Aug. 21, 2024 at 4:50 p.m. Divers of the Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian Corps. of Firefighters, return to Porticello on a small boat, on Aug. 20, 2024, near Palermo a ...

  30. Sunken Russian warship Moskva: What do we know?

    Reuters. The guided missile cruiser pictured sailing through Istanbul in June 2021. Russia's flagship Black Sea missile cruiser, the Moskva, has sunk after being "seriously damaged". That is as ...