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Engineer watchkeeper

This is an international qualification for Australian registered vessels operating in international waters.
This certificate enables you to work as an engineer watchkeeper on certain vessels.

With this certificate you can perform the duties or functions of:

  • Engineer watchkeeper officer on ships of any propulsion power in any operating area
  • If endorsed, you can perform Second engineer duties on ships less than 3000 kilowatts in any operating area
  • If endorsed, you can perform Chief engineer duties on ships less than 3000 kilowatts in near coastal waters.

Eligibility

To get an engineer watchkeeper certificate of competency you must meet medical, sea service and course requirements. The requirements depend on whether you are getting a certificate for the first time or revalidating an existing certificate. Each requirement and how to prove that you meet them is explained in these instructions.

This certificate is issued under Marine Order 70 (Seafarer certification) 2014 and Marine Order 72 (Engineer officers) 2014made under the Navigation Act 2012.

Important disclaimer

These instructions are summary information only. We make decisions about seafarer certificates under Marine Order 70 (Seafarer certification) 2014, Marine Order 71 (Master and deck officers) 2014, Marine Order 72 (Engineer officers) 2014, Marine Order 73 (Ratings) 2014 and Marine Order 74 (Master and deck officers – yachts) 2015. Please refer to these marine orders for full details of eligibility and other requirements for certificate applications.

New certificate

What do I need to do?

To get this certificate, you need to:

With additional sea service and training courses, you can qualify for:

Revalidate certificate

What do I need to do?

To revalidate your certificate, you need to:

With additional sea service and training courses, you can qualify for:

Endorsements

There are two endorsements you can add to your Engineer watchkeeper certificate of competency.

Endorsement as Second engineer

This endorsement adds Second engineer duties to your Engineer watchkeeper certificate of competency on ships less than 3000 kilowatts in any operating area. To add this endorsement, you must have completed:

  • at least 12 months sea service on ships greater than or equal to 750 kilowatts propulsion power
  • have completed an approved program of study that meets the standards specified in STCW Code section A-III/3.

Endorsement as Chief engineer

This endorsement adds Chief engineer duties to your Engineer watchkeeper certificate of competency on ships less than 3000 kilowatts operating in near coastal waters. To add this endorsement, you must have completed:

  • at least 24 months sea service on ships greater than or equal to 375 kilowatts propulsion power
  • 12 months of this sea service must have been done while holding the STCW endorsement as Second Engineer (less than 3000 kilowatts), Marine engine driver grade 1 near certificate of competency, or an unrestricted Marine engine driver grade 1 certificate of competency
  • have completed an approved program of study that meets the standards specified in STCW Code section A-III/3.

Read get an endorsement for your certificate

 

Last updated: 

Friday 20 January 2023