Your qualification must be appropriate to the vessel and area of operation. For commercial use, all certificates must be commercially endorsed.
A commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence will enable you to skipper vessels up to 24 metres in length, operating in category 3,4,5, and 6 waters - up to 20 miles from a safe haven.
A commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence will enable you to work as a Master of commercial vessels of up to 200gt in category 1 to 6 waters - that is up to 150 miles from a safe haven.
This Certificate of Competence can used commercially in its own right, or as a pre-requisite for the MCA's Officer of the Watch qualification, which enables you to work worldwide on vessels of up to 3000gt.
A commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence will enable you to work worldwide as a Master of commercial vessels of up to 200gt.
This Certificate of Competence can be used commercially in its own right. It is also a pre-requisite for the MCA's Chief Mate, Master 500 and Master 3000 qualifications.
For more information about working with RYA qualifications, the categorisation of waters and required certification click here.