What is qualifying sea service?
Sea service is the time you spend working on board a vessel, performing duties that are relevant to the certificate you’re applying for.
Sea service may also be referred to as:
- qualifying sea service
- seagoing service
- sea time
- service at sea.
Not all time spent at sea is ‘qualifying’ sea service. Your sea service generally only counts if:
- you served on an eligible vessel
- you performed duties relevant to your certificate
- your service meets any voyage, tonnage or propulsion requirements
- you can provide acceptable evidence of your service.
If your sea service does not meet these requirements, AMSA may not be able to accept it.
Eligible vessels
Qualifying sea service is generally accepted on commercial vessels operating at sea.
Depending on the certificate you're applying for, the vessel may need to meet minimum requirements for:
- gross tonnage
- propulsion power
- type
- voyage duration.
Some vessels have special conditions, and some are not accepted for certificates.
Check the requirements for your certificate before you apply.
Vessels with special conditions
Some vessel types have additional rules about how qualifying sea service is counted.
If you've served on one of the following vessels, check the guidance before applying:
- Floating production, storage and offloading units (FPSO/FSO)
- Trailer hopper suction dredgers
- Semi-submersible drill rigs (contact AMSA)
- Floating cranes (contact AMSA)
Vessels that are not accepted (ratings only)
Sea service on non-propelled vessels is generally not accepted for certificates of proficiency (ratings).
This includes:
- jack-up drill rigs, including when they are being towed
- non-propelled barges used in port construction.
How AMSA calculates sea service
We calculate sea service by looking at the time you worked on board a vessel and applying standard rules set out in the Marine Orders.
The way sea service is counted is the same for all STCW certificate types. What differs is the type of duties, vessels, and evidence required for each certificate.
Calculating days worked
A day counts when 8 hours of work is completed in a 24-hour period.
If you work more than 8 hours, it still only counts as one day.
Calculating months worked
AMSA calculates your qualifying days of sea and converts them into months.
30 days = one month.
Example
If you worked 27 days on one voyage and 30 days on another your total sea service is:
- 27 + 30 = 57 days
- 57 ÷ 30 = 1 month and 27 days sea service
You do not need to calculate months yourself
AMSA will calculate your total qualifying sea service during assessment.
Recording onboard training and tasks
Some certificates require documented onboard training in addition to qualifying sea service.
This may include:
- a training or cadet record book
- task and guided study (TAGS) books
- an AMSA-approved documented training program.
You must complete and have these records signed before you apply.
Check the requirements for your certificate to find out what training records are required.