Master Class 5/Skipper Grade 3, Deck Certificate of Competency
- What your certificate will qualify you for
- Sea service.
- ROPES book.
- 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 will expire after 5 years. It is up to you to renew it.
What your Certificate of Competency will qualify you for
- With a Master Class 5/Skipper Grade 3 Certificate of Competency, you are qualified to master a commercial fishing or trading vessel less than 24 metres in length, within 200 nautical miles of the coast.
- Chief Mate on a trading vessel less than 35 metres in length within 600 nautical miles
- Chief Mate on a fishing vessel less than:
-
- 80 metres in length for operations within 200 nautical miles
- 35 metres in length for operations within 600 nautical miles
- Watchkeeper on a fishing vessel less than 80 metres in length within 200 nautical miles.
- Watchkeepter on a fishing or trading vessel less than 35 metres in length within 600 nautical miles.
Sea Service
Master Class 5/Skipper Grade 3 Certificate of Competency
You need at least 30 months (600 days) sea service which must include:
- 15 months on a commercial vessels,
- 12 months of which shall be in vessels greater than 8 metres.
- service on vessels less than 5 metres will not be accepted..
- 12 months of the total service shall be within the past five years.
- at least 50% shall be beyond the limits of sheltered waters.
- The period of qualifying service shall not include more than 15 per cent of time spent in 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 (if possible on company letterhead). This testimonial should clearly indicate the name and registration number of the vessel, rank/duties on board, dates of commencement and completion of service. Any gaps (e.g. sick or annual leave) should be indicated.
- A Statutory Declaration with all the above details.
For a Master Class 5/Skipper Grade 3 Certificate of Competency only, sea service may be reduced by up to 50% on completion of a Record of Practical Experience and Sea-Service (ROPES) Book.
ROPES Books
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 Qualifications 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 our 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 of Competency you need to undertake a training course or provide evidence of training. You will need to contact the training providers to obtain course details. Remember that passing a course of study 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. These are normally part of your course but can be undertaken seperately
- Marine Radio Operator's Certificate of Proficiency or equivalent.
- Certificate in Elements of Shipboard Safety.
- Current Senior First Aid Certificate. Expired certificates will not be accepted.
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 to pay the renewal fee and complete the forms listed on our forms page
