STCW95 Basic Safety Training in Trinidad & Tobago

After I obtained the Yachtmaster Offshore title I was conscious that I also needed a commercial endorsement to start my career in the yachting world, and that would require taking the STCW95 Basic Safety Training.

The STCW95 (Standars of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Basic Safety Training is the minimum requirement to get employment on a ship (any vessel of more than 24m in lenght) and it is valid for working on board tankers, cargo ships, cruise ships and Superyachts. With both Yachtmaster Offshore and STCW95 it is possible to obtain the MCA Master of Yachts (up to 200grt) certificate.

Basic Safety Training includes Fire Fighting, First Aid, PSSR (Personal Safety and Social Responsibility) and Sea Survival courses. In five days of both theoretical and practical classes you will have to pass a test in any of these categories.

There are many schools that offer STCW95 Basic Safety Training in almost every country as it is a requisite of IMO (International Maritime Organization) for seafarers.

I was looking for one of this school in Europe. The medium price for the complete course is about 1000/1200 euros in Europe, and 800/1000 $ in the Caribbean. As I was already in the Caribbean I started to have a look around and with an advice of a friend I contacted the UTT Maritime Campus of Chaguaramas in Trinidad.

The program and the school seemed to me really worthy and the course fee of 300$ was the cheapest I found. I flew from Willemstad, Curaçao to Port of Spain, Trinidad with LIAT for aprox 300 $ and so I got the cheapest STCW95 around.

After the first night at Crew’s Inn (nice and posh but bloody expensive!!) I was lucky to meet Rui on the course that helped me to find an apartment in Maraval for 1/8 of the price. The Guest House is in Maraval (Cor.Woodbine Gardens, Saut D’eau Road, Maraval – (868)-629-1017 ) and is run by the lovely Michelle who has several rooms really clean and comfortable. That was for me also a way to discover the hospitable and friendly people of the island and the culture (food in particular, so tasty and spicy !).

It was the cheapest option I could find but it had high standard of teaching as well. The courses are well organized and the brand new campus of Chaguaramas has all the facilities (fire ground, pool and nice classrooms) to learn the theoretical and practical outcomes you need to pass the final test.

The most exciting part was Fire fighting. It was the matter I knew less and the practical experience was phisically and psychologically demanding as we fought real fire with all the tools and protective garments during a really hot and shiny day in Trinidad.

I just sent to RYA in Southampton the copy of my certificate and of the Yachtmaster Offshore to issue the Master of Yachts 200 tons Limited