Marine Engine Driver Grade 2, Engineering Certificate of Competency
- What your certificate will qualify you for
- Sea service
- ROPES books
- The paperwork and payment
- Training
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 Marine Engine Driver Grade 2 Certificate of Competency, you are qualified to take charge of machinery, including engines, as Chief Engineer on:
- Seagoing vessels with a propulsion power between 500 kilowatts and 750 kilowatts in waters 15 nautical miles from the coast (Inshore waters), or of the seaward limit of waters designated as smooth or partially smooth.
- Seagoing vessels with a propulsion power between 250 kilowatts and 500 kilowatts in waters up to 200 nautical miles of the coast (Offshore waters).
- Seagoing vessels with a propulsion power of less than 250 kilowatts for Australian Coastal and Middle Waters (within 600 nautical miles of the coast).
You can also act as the Second Engineer on vessels where:
- The propulsion power is between 750 kilowatts and 1500 kilowatts for waters up to 200 nautical miles from the coast.
- The propulsion power is between 500 kilowatts and 750 kilowatts for Australian coastal and middle waters (within 600 nautical miles of the coast).
Sea Service
You must provide us with evidence of sea service which will differ if you have an approved qualification or not.
- With no approved trade qualification applicants must have a minimum of 12 months (360 days) approved service on vessels of not less than 150kW (approx. 200hp) propulsion power.
- With an approved trade qualification applicants must have a minimum of 3 months (90 days) approved service on vessels not less than 150kW (approx. 200hp) propulsion power.
Approved trade qualifications are:
- Marine Fitter
- Electrical Fitter Mechanic
- Diesel Mechanic
- Motor Mechanic
- Refrigeration Mechanic.
Some trades under the Australian Quality Framework have content which is also part of our approved trades. If your trade has a large amount of the content found in the approved trades we will assess it on its merits.
With Marine Engine Driver Grade 3 - Applicants must have a minimum of 6 months (180 days) approved sea service on vessels of not less than 150kW (approx. 200hp) propulsion power.
You need to provide us with evidence of this sea service which can be in the form of one of the following:
- Record of Service book signed by the Master or owner of the vessel.
- Testimonial from the Master or owner of the vessel(s) on which the service took place.
- Statutory Declaration with all required above details.
For a full Marine Engine Driver 2 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.
Only engineering related activities can be counted towards your sea service, any deck related activities will not be counted.
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 from the Commercial Marine Qualifictions office for a fee. For more information please contact the Qualifications Officer on (08) 3489 506 or (08) 8348 9562
The paperwork and payment
If this is the first time that you are applying for the certificate you will need to complete and send to Commercial Marine Qualifications:
- 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 us If paying by mail please do not send cash. Fees are available on this site.
Training
To obtain this certificate 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 of obtaining your certificate.
Before we issue you with a certificate you will need to do the following training and provide Commercial Marine Qualifications with evidence of:
- Certificate in Elements of Shipboard Safety or Occupational Health & Safety at Sea.
- Current Senior First Aid Certificate. Expired certificates will not accepted.
What you need to renew
Certificates 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 to Commercial Marine Qualifications with:
- 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 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 Commercial Marine Qualifications.