Published on Australian Maritime Safety Authority (https://www.amsa.gov.au)
Existing vessels (as defined in marine order 504) may continue to operate under the crewing requirements that applied to the vessel on 30 June 2013.
Appropriate crewing is the number of crew that are needed to safely operate a vessel.
For domestic commercial vessels less than 80 m long, and less than 3000 GT, and less than 3000 kW total propulsion, appropriate crewing must be determined by the owner. This should be documented as a part of the vessels safety management system. Read more about safety management systems and general safety duties.
If your vessel is ≥80 m or ≥3000 GT or ≥3000 kW you need to apply for approval for your appropriate crewing determination. Read about how to apply below. The owner is still required to carry out an appropriate crewing determination prior to applying to AMSA.
The owner of the vessel must determine the level of appropriate crewing through a process referred to as 'crewing evaluation'. Appropriate crewing may change depending on the tasks and the kind of operation being carried out.
Marine order 504, Schedule 1 clause 6 (4) lists the factors that must be considered when carrying out a crewing evaluation:
Minimum crewing is the minimum number of certified and uncertified crew, including the master, applicable to a vessel based on length.
Appropriate crewing may be the same as minimum crewing if the risk assessment carried out by the owner determines that minimum crewing is adequate to eliminate or minimise all risks. This must include the master and each crew member having at least 10 hours rest in every 24 hour period.
The outcomes of this evaluation must be documented in the safety management system (SMS) and be readily available to the master and crew.
There are a number of situations in which a vessel may be operated with less than the minimum crewing. Examples of these situations include:
A vessel may be operated with only one crew member if:
A 30 metre passenger vessel operating 3-hour cruises on Sydney Harbour is permitted to carry 100 passengers.
Based on the size of the vessel, the engine power, and a crewing evaluation, the owner determines that the appropriate crew when the vessel is operating at full capacity consists of the master, one engineer, and three deckhands.
When the vessel is carrying only 20 passengers, the owner determines that the appropriate crew consists of the master, engineer, and two deckhands.
The appropriate crewing, in this case, takes into consideration all factors affecting the operation of the vessel including the:area of operation, the duration of the voyages, the duties of the crew, the supervision of passengers, and the emergency procedures of the vessel.
The minimum crewing for this vessel is two certified crew however the appropriate crewing determined is higher.
The owner of a 9 metre fishing vessel operating on the Brisbane River for up to 10 hours at a time, has determined that the appropriate crewing for the vessel consists of one person.
This evaluation took into account all factors affecting the operation of the vessel, including the area of operation, duration of voyages, fatigue, and the requirement for at least 10 hours rest in each 24 hour period, duties required of the crew, the equipment carried by the vessel, the emergency procedures in place, and the support available to the vessel.
The minimum crewing for this vessel is one certified crew member—the master. In this case the appropriate crewing and the minimum crewing are the same.
The owner carries out a crewing evaluation to determine the number of crew required to safely carry out the vessel’s operations including the management of fatigue.
The owner consults the minimum crewing table to ensure that appropriate crewing is equal to or higher than the minimum crewing.
Learn about minimum crewing below.
| Vessel | Total minimum figure for master and crew (including engineer) | Master | Engineer |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≥55 m and <80 m# | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| ≥35 m and <55 m# | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| ≥12 m and <35 m# | 2* | 1 | 1 |
| <12 m | 1** | 1 | |
#Provided the vessel is <3000 GT and <3000 kW.
*In the case of a vessel ≤750 kW propulsion power, the master and engineer roles may be combined in the one person if the master holds a certificate which permits the holder to operate the engines of the vessel. In that case, there must still be another crew member on board to make up the total of 2. In the case of a vessel >750 kW propulsion power, the master and engineer roles cannot be combined in the one person.
**If the master of the vessel does not hold a certificate which permits the holder to operate the engines of the vessel, there must be an additional crew member on board who holds an engineering certificate.
If you operate a domestic commercial vessel ≥ 80 m long, or ≥ 3000 GT , or ≥ 3000 kW total propulsion you must apply for an appropriate crewing determination as part of your application for a certificate of operation.
This should be done at the same time as applying for a certificate of operation (new or renewal). The owner is then responsible for ensuring the vessel operates in accordance with the appropriate crewing determination.
Your application for an appropriate crewing determination needs to include detailed information on the vessel and its operations, along with your assessment of the appropriate crewing.
Where relevant, the application will need to include the following supporting documents:
For details on how to apply for a crewing determination contact RAVCrewing@amsa.gov.au
The owner records the crewing assessment (use the template for guidance) and appropriate crewing outcomes in the vessel’s safety management system. The owner must make
Note: there may be more than one appropriate crewing solution depending on the variety of operations, circumstances, or conditions under which the vessel operates.
The table on a vessel’s certificate of survey does not reflect minimum or appropriate crewing. Owners must determine appropriate crewing for each type of vessel operation.
The table on a vessel’s certificate of survey indicates the maximum number of persons the vessel is authorised to carry in each category.
You can decrease the number of passengers to increase crew or special personnel if:
You cannot decrease crew numbers to increase passenger numbers.
If you want to increase the maximum number of persons in any category outside of the principles above, please contact an AMSA accredited surveyor, or AMSA Connect.