Ecuador
- Who issues it
- Armada del Ecuador — Dirección Nacional de los Espacios Acuáticos (DIRNEA), through Capitanías de Puerto [Ecuadorian Navy — National Directorate of Aquatic Spaces, through port captaincies].
- Buoyage
- IALA region B
- Collision rules
- Reglamento de Choques y Abordajes
Do you need a licence?
For non-commercial yachts, Capitán de Yate covers coastal trips in national waters up to 50 TRB; Capitán de Yate de Altura covers national or international passages. Yacht skippers need maritime documents. Small-craft exemptions were not confirmed.
Capitán de Yate · Yacht skipper
- What it lets you do
- Skippers non-commercial recreational yachts up to 50 TRB on coastal voyages in Ecuadorian national waters.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Capitán de Yate de Altura · Offshore yacht skipper
- What it lets you do
- Skippers non-commercial recreational yachts on offshore voyages in national or international waters.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Professional deck titles
Marinero de Cubierta
STCW II/4- What it lets you do
- Deck rating in the national merchant-seafarer ladder.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Marinero de Primera de Puente
STCW II/5- What it lets you do
- Higher deck-rating grade, also listed as Timonel.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Tercer Oficial de Cubierta
- What it lets you do
- Third deck-officer grade; the first step in the national merchant-officer ladder.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Segundo Oficial de Cubierta
- What it lets you do
- Second deck-officer grade, above Tercer Oficial de Cubierta.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Primer Oficial de Cubierta
STCW II/2; II/3- What it lets you do
- First deck-officer grade; the next promotion is Capitán de Altura.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Capitán de Altura
STCW II/2; II/3- What it lets you do
- Master grade at the top of the national merchant deck-officer ladder.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Radio certificates
Operador Restringido del Sistema Mundial de Socorro y Seguridad Marítima
ROC- What it lets you do
- Restricted GMDSS operator certificate, IMO course 1.26.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Operador General del Sistema Mundial de Socorro y Seguridad Marítima
GOC- What it lets you do
- General GMDSS operator certificate, IMO course 1.25; needed for Capitán de Yate de Altura.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Oficial de Radiooperaciones
- What it lets you do
- Radio officer grade under STCW IV/1 and IV/2; requires general GMDSS training.
- Where to study
- Study it in Academy
Ready to study for it?
The Academy is free with an account: lessons for every topic, timed mocks marked like the real exam, and your progress saved.
Official sources: ESMENA, Armada del Ecuador — Yacht-course intake and skipper-grade descriptions, 2025 · DIRNEA — Resolution ARE-DIRNEA-SPM-004-2023, Registro Oficial 332, 15 June 2023 · INOCAR — Guayaquil port approach, section 5.7.4.5: IALA system B · ESMENA — Offshore yacht-skipper course catalogue and collision-rule terminology · ESMENA — Merchant-officer promotion intake, 2025 · ESMENA — Restricted GMDSS operator certificate, IMO 1.26 · ESMENA — General GMDSS operator certificate, IMO 1.25 · Registro Oficial — Publication record for the 12 December 2024 amendment to ARE-DIRNEA-SPM-004-2023