RYA Professional Practices & Responsibilities

This is a compulsory online course for new and revalidating RYA Commercial Endorsement holders applicable from April 2012. When working in a commercial capacity, you are a professional seafarer and you have a duty of care to crew, passengers, and other water users, and you will be held to account if things go wrong.

You can take this course anytime prior to your Commercial Endorsement application or renewal via our RYA Interactive page.

The course is broken down into four modules:

•Commercial environment - showing how you fit into the professional maritime world.

•People - explaining the importance of correct manning, keeping your skills up to date and the safe management of commercial vessels.

•Vessel - teaching about the compulsory carriage and maintenance of safety equipment and how to create and implement risk control and operating procedures.

•Purpose - making sure your vessel is suitable and legal for the work you are carrying out, your obligations in protecting the environment, appropriate planning and situational awareness.

Following the modules there is a mock assesment so you can check you are ready before moving on to the final graded online assesment. It should take around 6 to 8 hours to work through the four course modules. The graded end of course assesment is split into two sections, totalling 2 ½ hours. When you pass, you download and print your PPR certificate which will be vaild either for your first Commercial Endorsement application or your next renewal.

Exemptions from this course

If you hold an MCA Deck Officer's Certificate of Competence as Officer of the Watch, Master 200, Master 500 or above you do not need to take the PPR course. Just send a copy of your MCA certificate to the RYA with your application or renewal form for your commercial endorsement.

Updating your PPR certificate

Once you have taken your first PPR course, at subsequent renewals of your commercial endorsement you will need to take a reduced version of the course and a short test to make sure you are still up to speed with the subject.

Note: If you are over 65 and subject to more regular medical fitness examinations, you do not need to take the PPR course each time you renew your medical. You will simply need to take it when your commerical endorsment is due for renewal (normally every five years).