Coxswain Grade 1 Study Guide: What You’re Actually Tested On
If you've enrolled in your Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal course – or you are thinking about it – you've probably already worked out that 'the assessment' is not one exam that you simply sit and pass.
There are several parts that must come together before AMSA will issue your Certificate of Competency. If you do not understand the full process from the beginning, it's easy to finish the course and then discover that your sea service, medical or other paperwork is not ready.
This guide explains what you are actually being assessed on, where people commonly come unstuck and how to prepare so that the practical assessment is the easy part.
What 'the assessment' actually means
To obtain a Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal Certificate of Competency, you need to complete:
MAR20324 Certificate II in Maritime Operations (Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal) through a Registered Training Organisation;
an AMSA Mandated Practical Assessment, known as the AMPA;
the required qualifying sea service;
a current medical and first-aid certificate; and
an ACMA marine radio certificate.
The MAR20324 qualification has 13 units covering vessel handling, navigation, safety, seamanship, basic engineering and maritime regulations.
The AMPA is the practical assessment most people think of when they talk about 'doing their Coxswain practical.' However, it's not always completed in one day. Some parts may be assessed during the course, while the vessel-handling tasks must be demonstrated aboard a suitable vessel.
The completed AMPA is valid for 12 months from the date the assessor signs the cover page. If you have not completed your sea service and applied to AMSA before it expires, you may have to complete another AMPA.
How much sea service do you need?
You have two options.
If you complete an AMSA-approved task book, you need 30 days of qualifying sea service on commercial vessels at least 5 metres long. Without a task book, you need 150 days on commercial or recreational vessels at least 5 metres long. The work must be in a deck, or combined deck and engineering, capacity and must be relevant to the Coxswain Grade 1 certificate.
A “day” of sea service does not simply mean going out on a vessel for the day. AMSA counts eight hours of relevant work as one day. If you work shorter shifts, you can add those hours together until they total eight hours. If you work more than eight hours in one 24-hour period, however, you can still claim only one day.
Your sea service can be recorded on AMSA Form 771, in the sea-service section of your task book, in an approved logbook or in a suitable letter from the vessel operator, owner, master, chief engineer or supervisor.
Make sure the record includes the vessel details, dates, hours worked and the duties you performed. It should be signed by someone who can genuinely confirm that service.
AMSA checks the evidence when you submit your application and may contact the vessel owner, operator or person who signed it. The final decision about whether your sea service qualifies belongs to AMSA.
The best advice is to record your sea service as you go. Don't wait until the end of the course and try to remember months of vessel movements, working hours and duties.
Read more about sea time in our blog about how the hours have changed.
What the AMPA is testing
During the practical assessment, the assessor wants to see that you can safely operate a small commercial vessel – not just steer it.
You will be expected to demonstrate vessel handling, including berthing, unberthing, anchoring, picking up a mooring and working with wind and current. You will also need to show that you can complete pre-departure checks, operate the vessel’s machinery and respond correctly if something goes wrong.
Navigation is another important part. You need to know where you are, where you are going and how you will get there safely. This includes using charts and navigation equipment, understanding buoyage, checking the weather and tides, and preparing a basic passage plan.
The collision regulations are often a pressure point. It is not enough to remember that one vessel gives way to another. You need to understand lookout, safe speed, risk of collision, lights, shapes, sound signals and the actions required in different situations. The assessor may describe a situation and ask what you can see, which rule applies and what action you would take.
You will also be assessed on emergency procedures such as person overboard, fire, flooding, machinery failure and abandoning the vessel. The assessor is looking for calm decisions, clear communication and safe priorities.
The theory you need to understand when studying for Coxswains Grade 1
You cannot hide weak theory once you're on the water. The candidates who make the practical look easy are usually the ones who already understand why they're carrying out each task.
Before undertaking the AMPA, you should be confident with the collision regulations, basic stability, weather, navigation and the safety responsibilities that apply to a commercial vessel. You need to understand how loading, free surface effect and water on deck can affect stability. You should be able to read a marine forecast and recognise when the conditions are unsuitable for your vessel.
You should also know the basics of the National Law and understand how a vessel’s Safety Management System works in practice. This is the material that is easy to skim over, but it's also the knowledge that allows you to make the right decision when something changes unexpectedly.
How to prepare
Read ahead before starting the course. If you already understand the basics of COLREGs, navigation and stability, your course time can be spent developing your skills instead of trying to learn everything at once.
Keep your sea-service records and task book up to date. Have them signed as you go and check that the person signing has completed all the necessary details.
Practise the practical skills repeatedly. Berthing, anchoring, person-overboard recovery and pre-departure checks should become familiar routines. You should be able to carry them out while maintaining a lookout and communicating clearly with your crew.
Also keep an eye on the dates. Your AMPA, medical and first-aid certificate must be current when you apply. AMSA may request updated medical or first-aid evidence if either certificate will expire within 90 days of your application.
Where people come unstuck
The most common mistake is treating the AMPA as the only hurdle and forgetting about the paperwork behind it. Mariners are traditionally hands-on people, so the practical side is often the easiest part to focus on. Applications can still be delayed because an AMPA has expired, a task book has not been properly signed or the sea-service evidence cannot be verified.
Others arrive with weak theory and try to learn stability and the collision regulations on the day – on a moving deck, under pressure and with an assessor watching. That's the hardest possible time to learn it.
A strong recreational boating background certainly helps, but commercial vessel operation is a different standard. You're expected to understand your legal responsibilities, follow the vessel’s Safety Management System and make decisions as the person responsible for the safety of the vessel and everyone aboard.
Study with the manual built for this ticket
The Small Vessels Manual was written by Captain Cal Callahan, a Master Mariner who spent many years commanding near-coastal commercial vessels before gaining his Master Unlimited qualification.
It was written specifically for people working towards Australian near-coastal certificates. It explains seamanship, navigation, stability, COLREGs, safety, basic engineering and maritime regulations in straightforward language and is mapped to the relevant course units.
The Small Vessels Manual website has a section dedicated to the COLREG’s; this is animated and covers everything you must know about each Rule. Get the full understanding of the Rules and apply this during the AMPA. If you want the theory sorted before stepping aboard for your practical assessment, the Small Vessels Manual is the study companion built for this pathway.
Get your copy of the Small Vessels Manual – either as an eBook or a printed edition.
