1. Complete an onboard familiarisation of your specific duties and important information about the vessel. The purpose of familiarisation training is to ensure you are aware of important safety and security procedures concerning the vessel in both operational and emergency situations.
2. Apply for a Seaman’s Discharge Book (SDB). Usually, the vessel will help you with this. However, they won’t chase you, and you must be driven to show you want it. The SDB is for immigration and taxation purposes.
3. Print off and bind your MCA Training Record book (TRB) to ensure that you complete it in real-time and hard copy as you complete tasks on board. This book is a requirement for the OOW qualification application, and section A will need to be completed to obtain the Yacht Rating Certificate.