Marine Engine Driver Grade 3, Engineering Certificate of Competency
- What your certificate will qualify you for
- Sea Service
- ROPES books
- The paperwork and payment
- Training
- What you need to renew
To be eligible for this Certificate of Competency you must be at least 18 years old.
Your Certificate of Competency will expire after 5 years. It is up to you to renew it.
What your Certificate of Competency will qualify you for
With a Marine Engine Driver Grade 3 Certificate of Competency you are qualified to take charge of machinery, including engines, as Chief Engineer on vessels with a propulsion power less than:
- 500 kilowatts for restricted offshore operations within 30 nautical miles from the coast.
- 250 kilowatts for offshore operations within 200 nautical miles from the coast.
Sea Service
You must provide us with evidence of sea service which will differ if you have an approved trade qualification or not.
- With no approved trade qualification applicants must have a minimum of 120 days (6 months) sea service on vessels not less than 75kW (approx. 100hp) propulsion power.
- With an approved trade qualification applicants must have a minimum of 60 days (3 months) sea service on vessels not less than 75kW (approx. 100hp) propulsion power.
Approved trade qualifications are:
- Marine Fitter
- Diesel Mechanic
- Motor Mechanic
Qualifying sea service shall consist of service on vessels with:
- no less than 75 kW (approx 100 hp) propulsion power for the following periods
- not more than 50% of the qualifying sea service shall be in outboard powered vessels
- at least 50% of the total service shall be within the last 5 years
- the period of qualifying service shall not include more than 33% of time spent in engineering maintenance and refit.
You need to provide evidence of this sea service which can be in the form of one of the following:
- A Record of Service book signed by the Master, Owner or Agent of the vessel.
- a testimonial from the Master or owner of the vessel(s) on which the service took place on a company letterhead.
- A Statutory Declaration with all the required details.
- Evidence in any format above must clearly show the actual number of days served at sea, duties performed, vessel name/survey number, vessel length, propulsion power, operational areas and commencement and completion dates of service. Any gaps (e.g. Sick Leave or Annual Leave) should be indicated.
For a full Marine Engine Driver Grade 3 Certificate of Competency, sea service may be reduced by up to 50% on completion of a Record of Practical Experience and Sea-Service (ROPES) Book.
The national Record of Practical Experience and Sea-Service (ROPES) book has been designed to allow you to gain relevant workplace experience and to record the details of your sea service in a format that can then be submitted to any marine authority for assessment.
ROPES books can be purchased for a fee from the Commercial Marine Qualfications office.
The paperwork and payment
If this is the first time that you are applying for a Certificate of Competency you will need to submit the forms listed on the forms page.
You can pay on line, in person or you can mail your payment, if paying by mail please do not send cash.
Training
To obtain this certificate you need to undertake a written and oral exam. Remember that passing an exam is only part of the process.
Before we issue you with a Certificate of Competency you will need to do the following training and provide evidence of the following:
- Certificate in Elements of Shipboard Safety or Occupational Health & Safety at Sea.
- Current Senior First Aid Certificate. We will not accept expired certificates.
What you need to renew
Certificates of Competency are issued for 5 years and can be renewed at any time in the 12 months before it expires or at any time after it has expired.
You need pay the appropriate fee and complete the forms listed on the forms page.
