MISSION
Our mission is to provide the necessary levels of training required by both the mega-yacht and local boating industries. Our philosophy of ensuring that our efforts are far above the industry average will guarantee the highest degree of excellence while maintaining our motto of "Inform and Entertain".

QUALITY POLICY STATEMENT
PYT is proud to be a SANS ISO 9001:2000 accredited academy. We were audited and certified by the South African Bureau of Standards during 2008. SANS 9001:2000 is an international Code of Practice for Quality Management Systems.

Our policy is to ensure that the highest standards of tuition are delivered and our range of courses presented is broadened in order to keep pace with the requirements of the mega-yacht industry. We will ensure that our quality system complies with PYT, our students and SANS 9001:2000 requirements. We are committed to a policy of continuous improvement.

It all goes back a few years when Colin Schwegman joined Ocean Sailing to meet their need for a skilled instructor that had both sailing and teaching experience.

At the time Keith Stewart - who Colin knew from sailing together 25 years previously - was taking early retirement cruising the blue waters of the Indian Ocean islands, so Colin invited Keith to join him as a fellow instructor.
In 2001, they decided that they were tired of working to make others rich and went on their own, forming Professional Yachtmaster Training (PYT). Starting around the dining room table and with Keith's 34 footer ready and waiting in the bay, PYT quickly took off. Within months they moved to the epicentre of sailing in Durban, aka as Fenton Lane, where they took over a hairdresser, an engine shop and a laundromat and broke through adjoining walls to accommodate the business's growth.

Keith and Colin's vision of building up a training academy that would take people from beginner level on a career path in the megayacht industry became more and more achievable. They concentrated on the serious side of the sailing business - training crew for the rapidly expanding global megayacht industry.

At the beginning of 2005 PYT raised the bar with the purchase of the old Fenton Inn just two doors away. After a couple of months of serious refurbishment, they transformed what was a colourful local watering hole into a home with the image and prestige appropriate for PYT. More lecture rooms, additional simulator equipment, a workshop and accommodation for students saw their vision of being one of the world's top megayacht training academies become a reality.

Today, although PYT is an English speaking academy, its corridors echo with the accents of people from all over the world.

OUR APPROACH AND A WORD OR TWO ABOUT OUR PASS RATES

When you come to PYT for training we want to make one thing very certain - that you leave us so satisfied that you will return for advanced training AND you will recommend us. To us your visit is the beginning of a long term relationship and our investment in you is as important as yours in us.

PYT achieves very high pass rates, but please don't get the wrong idea - this is not because we make it easy. In fact we have a reputation as hard task masters and are becoming known in the megayacht centres of the world for the calibre of our graduates.

Our success rate is higher because our classes are smaller, so each pupil's training is more personalised and we go the extra mile to help get you to the required standard. This includes giving you more time on nav and radar simulators (because of our high ratio of simulators to students) and taking time after hours with a pupil to get something right, all as part of the course.

If you look at the pedigree of the people who'll train you (click here…), you'll see that we combine the highest levels of professional education and maritime skills with hands on experience of the megayacht and superyacht industry.

We have been there, done it and got the t-shirt. Whether it's hanging out (or on!) at the Sunset Bar in St. Maarten as the Sunday evening Air France flight goes full thrust, earning a t-shirt jumping naked from the top deck at Willy T's in BVI (ok, ok, so we only watched and didn't get that t-shirt), taking in a bit more than just the atmosphere at Flloyd' s, finding a job and inspiration at Mary's crew house, or just chilling in Antibes, we've been there.