Coxswain, Deck 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 will expire after five years. It is up to you to renew it.
What your Certificate of Competency will qualify you for
- With a Coxswain Certificate of Competency, you are qualified to take charge of trading and fishing vessels less than 12 metres in length within 15 nautical miles of the coast, or of the seaward limit of waters designated as smooth or partially smooth.
- Where the vessel's propulsion power is less than 250 kilowatts (335 horsepower), you may also act as Chief Engineer within 15 nautical miles of the coast or of the seaward limit of waters designated as smooth or partially smooth.
- If you want information about working as a Coxswain on the River Murray and inland waters there is a fact sheet available for this Certificate of Competency.
Sea Service
You need at least 12 months (360 days) sea service on a recreational or commercial vessel of which not less than 3 months (90 days) shall be on vessels less than 24 metres long.
You need to provide Commercial Marine Qualifications 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 full Coxswain 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 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 Qualifications office. For more information please contact a Commercial Marine Qualifications Officer on (08) 8348 9562 or (08) 8348 9506.
The paperwork and payment
If this is the first time you are applying for a Certificate of Competency you will need to submit the following forms:
- Application for a Marine Certificate of Competency (MR 502a).
- Certificate of Medical Fitness (MR 504).
- Character Declaration, Passport Photo and 100-Point Identification (MR1134).
You can pay on line, in person or you can mail your payment to Commercial Marine Qualifications. If paying by mail please do not send cash. Our fees are available on this site.
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 training course is only part of the process of obtaining your Certificate of Competency.
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 or Occupational Health and 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 to complete and provide the Commercial Marine Qualifications office:
- Application for Marine Certificate of Competency (MR 502a).
- Medical Declaration for Renewal of Marine Certificate of Competency (MR 504c).
- Eyesight (Vision) Test for Renewal of a Marine Certificate of Competency (504b) which must be signed by an optometrist or doctor to show that you have passed an eye test.
- Identification requirements by providing a copy of a document such as a photographic driver's licence, signed by a Justice of the Peace or Authorised Officer as being a true and correct copy.
- On line payment for the renewal fee or send payment to the Commercial Marine Qualifications office.