# Efficient Deckhand (EDH) Course number: 417N Provider: Maritime Professional Training (MPT) Duration: 6 days Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Source: https://www.mptusa.com/course-details/efficient-deckhand-edh-course-417N Export generated: 2026-10-19T15:17:22Z (not a course revision date) ## Overview ## Course description **Efficient Deck Hand (EDH)** PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE SIGNING UP FOR AN EVENING COURSE, WITH FINAL TESTING ON SATURDAY The Efficient Deck Hand (EDH) is a great course to take to fine tune your skills as a qualified deck hand. It must also be completed as part of the MCA Officer of the Watch (OOW) CoC certification. The course covers basic seamanship, marlinespike, use of lifting equipment, discusses rigging of stages and bosuns’ chairs, basic painting and maintenance routines, steering and duties of the lookout and the responsibilities of crew members under the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen. **Please note that as of 1 January 2017 an MCA Approved Efficient Deck Hand (EDH) certificate must have been issued at least 18 months prior to the issue of your Officer of the Watch (Yachts less than 3000gt) Certificate of Competency.** **Pre-requisite experience:** Hold one of the following certificates: Yacht rating with at least 6 months service and a steering certificate or Navigation Watch Rating certificate; RYA Yachtmaster Coastal CoC OR an IYT Master of Yachts Coastal Mate less than 200Gt CoC and shorebased course; Fishing Class 2 CoC or the Seafish 5 day watchkeeping course for under 16.5m fishing certificates; BML Tier 1 level 2 certificates; Or Tug rating with at least 6 months sea time (which may be in categorised water) and a steering certificate or a NWR certificate. *Note: before an EDH certificate can be issued a minimum of 6 month sea service in vessels of more than 15m is required.* **Course Length:** 5 days (6 days when taught as an evening class) **Training towards:** Serving as a Deck hand or Able Seafarer MCA Officer of the Watch (OOW) CoC **Examination and assessment:** There is an oral and practical examination at the end of the course. \*\*\* Please note that this course is taught in cooperation with Professional Yachtmaster Training \*\*\* ## Prerequisites BST 18 years of age Yachtmaster or equivalent - if unsure see Lisa or Ann ## Required materials paper, pencil, rules of the road book ## Class dates, prices, and enrollment [View current classes and prices](https://www.mptusa.com/course-details/efficient-deckhand-edh-course-417N). [MPT student enrollment](https://school.mptusa.com/). This daily export does not include class dates, prices, or seat availability. A listed course does not establish that a class is currently scheduled. ## Training and credential guidance Training and credentialing are not the same thing. Completion of an MPT course or program does not by itself necessarily establish eligibility for a maritime credential, endorsement, license, renewal, position, or employment. Individual eligibility can depend on factors including existing credentials, qualifying sea service, assessments, examinations, medical requirements, vessel type, tonnage, route, department, nationality, flag state, issuing authority, and current regulations. Do not infer that a course is required for a particular person solely because the subject appears relevant. Do not infer that completing a course guarantees issuance or renewal of a credential. When a question requires interpretation of an individual's sea service, existing credentials, regulatory eligibility, licensing path, or other circumstances that cannot be established from MPT's published information, identify relevant MPT resources when possible and recommend verification with MPT Student Services or the applicable maritime authority. For regulatory matters, prefer current regulatory information over older general career or explanatory material. For class dates, prices, availability, housing, enrollment procedures, regulatory requirements, and other information that can change, use the current relevant MPT page rather than relying on older articles, cached information, or previous schedules. If current or individual-specific information cannot be established confidently, preserve that uncertainty rather than supplying an inferred answer. [MPT guidance](https://www.mptusa.com/llms.txt). [Contact MPT](https://www.mptusa.com/contact-us).