Qualifying near coastal sea service

We assess your sea service based on the requirements in Marine Order 505 (Certificates of competency – national law) 2022.

You can find the sea service requirements for each certificate on our website under domestic qualifications. We may ask to see different types of evidence depending on your application type. In most cases, you will need to provide more specific information when you apply for a certificate for the first time.

AMSA will not assess or review any sea service gained prior to an application being lodged.

Evidence of sea service

You will need to provide sea service documents the first time you apply for a certificate. There are a few exceptions to this - you do not need to provide sea service documents if you are applying for a:

• sailing master coastal near coastal
• sailing master offshore near coastal
• coxswain grade 3, unless you are applying using a recreational boat licence

You will also need to provide sea service documentation when you apply to renew the following certificates:

• master less than 45 metres near coastal
• master less than 100 metres near coastal
• marine engine driver grade 1 near coastal
• engineer class 3 near coastal

Types of sea service documents

Preferably, your sea service will be recorded on an AMSA 771 form as this gives us the right information we need to make a decision. However, you can also use:

• the on board sea service record from an AMSA approved task book
• a letter from a supervisor, the vessel operator, owner, master or chief engineer. Download a sea service letter template DOCX23.05 KB 
• a sea service log book that was issued by either a maritime safety agency or AMSA

If you can't get a supervisor, vessel operator, owner, master or chief engineer to issue you a letter or sign your sea service record, you can submit an AMSA 771 form along with a Commonwealth statutory declaration stating why you were unable to get your sea service record signed, and that the information on the form is valid and correct.

Task books

Completing an AMSA approved task book reduces the amount of sea service you need for a new certificate or to add an endorsement to an existing certificate. If you choose to use a task book you must have it signed off by a representative of a registered training organisation that runs the course for that certificate, then send us a copy of the first page including your contact details and the assessor’s signature. You do not need to send us your task book if it’s been signed by a registered training organisation representative. A task book cannot be backdated. 

You can get a task book from us or from some registered training organisations.

How to count sea service

A day is any time you have worked at least 8 hours, doing work that relates to the certificate you want to apply for. If you work for less than 8 hours, you can add your days together until you have 8 hours, which will count as one day. If you work for more than 8 hours in a 24-hour period, you can only count one day even if you worked more than one shift.

If you need to provide sea service to renew your certificate, all of that sea service needs to be within the past 5 years before your application is lodged.

Completing an AMSA 771 form

Sea service completed for different tasks or on different vessels should be recorded on separate forms. For example: if you spent 240 days working 4hr days doing engineering duties between 2015 and 2019 and during the same time period spent 320 days working 9 hour days doing deck duties, this should be recorded on different forms.

You should record your time-on as the time you start work, which can include pre-operating checks and does not have to be when the vessel departs the mooring or wharf. You should record your time-off as the time you finish work.

Types of sea service

Deck Certificate

To get a deck certificate such as a master less than 24m near coastal, you have to complete deck duties which can include:

• navigation, including chart work
• mooring
• anchoring
• cargo

Deck duties should be recorded as:

Engineering Certificate

To get an engineering certificate such as a marine engine driver grade 2 near coastal, you have to complete engineering duties which include operating or maintaining main or auxiliary machinery used for:

• propulsion
• mooring
• anchoring
• cargo

Engineering duties should be recorded as:

Dual Certificate

For dual certificates, such as coxswain grade 1 near coastal and coxswain grade 2 near coastal, you can submit sea service for a combination of deck and engineering duties.

Dual certificate duties should be recorded as:

In Charge of Navigational Watch

To apply for a master less than 45 metres near coastal or a master less than 100 metres near coastal, you need to make sure you have recorded enough sea service as ‘in charge of a navigational watch’.

A person is considered to be in charge of a navigational watch or officer of the watch, when they are in charge of the navigation of the vessel. They can also be in charge of a bridge team, which is there to support in the navigation process. The master is always in command, however, during long voyages a chief mate or deck watchkeeper may take charge of the watch while the master is resting or doing other work.

A person is not in charge of a navigational watch when working:

• as a general purpose hand
• as a navigational watch rating
• under training
• to assist a master
• under the direct supervision of the person in charge of the vessel

Areas of operation

There are no longer restrictions to sheltered waters for any certificates that can operate to the outer limits of the EEZ. You can check where you can use your certificate in Schedule 1 of Marine Order 505.

A coxswain grade 3 near coastal can be used in the following areas:

• as a tender within 1nm of the parent vessel, unless endorsed to operate within 3nm of the parent vessel
• a marina
• a mooring area in sight and communication of a marina
• inland waters
• smooth waters (check with your state or territory government to find out which areas are smooth waters)
• waters within 1nm of the shore
• waters of an aquaculture lease, approved for daily transit to and from an aquaculture lease, or within 1nm of an aquaculture lease
• waters approved as a water ski area

A coxswain grade 2 near coastal can be used in the following areas:

• sheltered waters (smooth and partially smooth waters)
• within 5nm of the shore or an aquaculture lease

A coxswain grade 1 near coastal can be used in the following areas:

• inshore waters (i.e. inland waters and waters within 15nm of the shore)
• as a tender within 3nm of the parent vessel

A sailing master coastal near coastal can be used in the following areas:

• inshore waters
• as a tender of a parent vessel within the EEZ

A master inland waters near coastal can be used in the following areas:

• inland waters (ie non-tidal waters)

Sea service accrued on private luxury yachts

Privately owned luxury yachts are often referred to as 'white boats' or 'superyachts'. We will accept sea service accrued on luxury yachts provided you are being paid to work on the vessel and the vessel is not primarily at anchor or docked. Task books can also be completed while working on a luxury yacht. The yacht can operate anywhere in the world and your sea service does not need to be completed within Australian waters.

If you claim commercial sea service on a luxury yacht, you may be required to provide further evidence as proof of the commercial nature of the sea service and the period of time that you were employed. You may need to provide evidence such as:

• a letter from the vessel owner or operator with details of the vessel confirming that you were in paid employment, and the nature and period of employment
• an original or copy of your employment contract which clearly identifies the vessel/s, duties you undertook and the period of your contract
• originals or copies of your pay slips