| Criteria | Guidance for on-water tasks |
| 1. Vessel, crew and passenger preparation | Pre-departure checks - Vessel seaworthiness: inspect the vessel to make sure it is maintained and in good condition. This should include:
- Checking hull integrity (look for obvious signs of corrosion, hull damage or decay)
- Checking for watertightness (for example bungs are secure)
- Check oil, cooling, fuel, batteries, steering, ropes and lines
- Check tools and spares on board and that they are safely stowed
- Including spark plugs, spanner, spare battery
- Locate and check all safety and fire-fighting equipment, ensuring all is in date and operational. Must include:
- Life jackets
- Life buoys
- EPIRB / distress signals
- Communication systems – radio check Tx and Rx
- On board alarm systems
- First aid kit
- Required fire-fighting equipment
- Check maintenance logbook
- Confirm that engine and other equipment are serviced and maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions
- Check total load, number of passengers allowed and stability
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Safe working practice awareness in relation to: - Situational awareness
- Safety Management Systems
- Confirm familiar with and follow organisation’s SMS
- Domestic vessel legislation. Including familiarity with:
- the duties of owners and masters
- section 27 of the National Law Act – what is reasonably practicable to ensure safety
- Fuelling – sufficient quantity for voyage and/or safe re-fuelling opportunities
- Consideration of appropriate quantity of fuel should allow for emergencies / unforeseen circumstances
- Pollution prevention – noise, wake, wash, waste, bilge water. This should include:
- Knowledge of the local requirements for sewage, grey water and oil discharge, draining of bilge, garbage disposal
- Understanding what a reportable incident is (for example, oil spills, sewage discharges) who to report to and how to report it
- Considering noise, sub-marine habitats (when anchoring) and marine life
- Knowledge of environmental zoning charts related to area of operation
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Ability to communicate: - Instructions to crew and passengers
- Must include: crew inductions, passenger briefings, safety information, change of conditions, manoeuvring
- Operational intentions to employer / relevant persons ashore (intended area of operation and planned time of return)
- Must include the use of correct terminology for parts of a vessel during communications (e.g., bow, stern, port, starboard, helm, tiller, cleat)
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| 2. Weather and tides | - Check forecast for weather and sea conditions and plan voyage and operations accordingly. Must include:
- accessing and applying weather and wind information and forecasts (sources can include Bureau of Meteorology website, radio, television, VHF marine radio services)
- identifying risks in the area of intended operation (for example, wind strength, wave height)
- knowledge of local weather conditions (for example, cyclones, mist, fog, rain, southerly blusters, squalls)
- assessing the conditions on the water, including effect of wind, effect of tidal flow, effect of current, wash from other vessels, sea conditions
- anticipating the impact on passenger safety and taking appropriate action (for example, avoid heavy weather conditions, monitor weather conditions and maintain situation awareness at all times)
- Check current tides and plan voyage and operations accordingly. This includes:
- correctly interpreting tide tables
- knowledge of tides, depth of water at any given time, tidal streams and currents in area of operation
- passage planning relating to tides
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| 3. Navigation | Comply with: - Navigation aids – marks, buoys, signage and shapes
- Collision regulations and avoidance techniques, including:
- Maintain a proper lookout at all times
- Safe speed
- Overtaking
- Head-on situation
- Crossing situation
- Action by give-way vessel
- Action by stand-on vessel
- Responsibilities between vessels
- Risk of collision and action to avoid collision
- Restricted visibility
- Sound signals: port, starboard, astern, unsure of intentions
- Local regulations and signage: speed limits, restrictions etc
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- Safely use any on-board navigational equipment
- Compass, GPS, depth sounder, charts
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| 4. Manoeuvring | Safely manoeuvre the vessel: - Should include recognising the features of the vessel that relate to its handling characteristics, including displacement and planning hulls, outboard and inboard propulsion units, rudders and propellers
- Must carry out the following manoeuvres safely in normal conditions at:
- ahead
- astern
- port
- starboard
- figure of 8
- Operate the vessel at varying speeds and with consideration of other vessels
- Manoeuvre vessel on and off the plane (if applicable)
- Control the trim and tilt of the engine (if applicable)
- Safely berth and un-berthing the vessel, including:
- throwing, securing and casting off lines
- maintenance of sufficient speed for control
- use of forward, backward and sideways force of propeller
- regard for tide, wind and sea state
- considering the stability of the vessel and whether the ramp/jetty/pontoon is slippery and equipment is stowed correctly
- safely embarking and disembarking passengers. Ensuring passengers are seated with hands inboard
- Control the speed of the vessel
- Utilise wind/tidal stream/current when manoeuvring the vessel
- Anchor and retrieve anchor, considering:
- length of chain/line necessary
- effect of wind and tide
- position of other vessels
- how anchor is lowered and set
- anchor drift
- engine power
- use of deck equipment
- Safely pick up and release a mooring, considering:
- other vessels
- downwind approach
- boat hook handling
- tidal flow
- approach speed
- motor to reduce strain on line
- mooring line and fouling of propeller
- use of deck equipment, including windlass, bollards, winches, cleats, bow rollers
- Perform an emergency stop
- Examples of manoeuvres that would be completed to demonstrate competency:
- Approach boat ramp with other vessels in vicinity
- Drive into a headwind
- Cross the wash of another vessel
- Handle in a following or quartering sea
- Safe approach to a floating object or pontoon
- Safely retrieve a person overboard
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| 5. Rope work | Check lines and ropes for deterioration and wear, and stow correctly |
| Handle lines/ropes safely and correctly |
Ability to tie and use basic knots, including - Bowline
- Round turn and two half hitches
- Reef
- Clove hitch
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| 6. Emergencies | Identify potential hazards on board, such as: - Lack of safety equipment or out of date safety equipment
- Weather conditions and forecast
- Smoking
- Faulty equipment
- Medical issues
- Dangerous goods
- Engine spark
- Loose lines
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| Identify the local rescue services, methods of contact, access points and timing |
| Identify the appropriate actions for fire, collision, grounding, flooding and person overboard. The appropriate action should be in accordance with the vessel’s Safety Management System. |
For emergencies: (by simulation) - Ability to use firefighting equipment, including:
- identifying location and class of fire
- raising fire alarm
- wearing appropriate PPE
- using appropriate method/equipment/extinguisher for fire
- communication with crew and passengers
- prevention of further outbreak
- Ability to communicate with, and given clear instructions to, passengers and crew in the event of an emergency
- For example, person overboard procedures, emergency lighting, use of pumping/baling equipment, EPIRB use
- Correct use of marine radio in an emergency
- Vessel abandonment procedures. This must include:
- Preparing for rescue: respond to muster and abandon ship signals, organise survival equipment, simpulate operating an EPIRB, radio distress calls, participate in drills
- Vessel abandonment: don a lifejacket and check, assist others, muster passengers and crew
- In water survival: stay with vessel if partially afloat, stay together in a group, maintain morale and communication, lookout maintained for rescue craft, follow rescue instructions
- Don a lifejacket and check
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| 7. General | Emergency contact details Inform someone prior to departure and on arrival |
| Know the operational limits of a Coxswain Grade 3 Near Coastal certificate |
