Sea service
Qualifying sea service
One of the requirements for obtaining a marine licence is that you must gain a certain amount of experience on ships, which we refer to as qualifying sea service.
Acceptable methods of recording service are Record of Service (ROS) books, Record of Practical Experience and Sea Service (ROPES) books or statutory declarations (PDF, 123 KB). In all cases you record the days you have served on the vessel, where a day is defined as a minimum of seven and a half hours served. Maritime Safety Queensland then converts your service into months, where a month is defined as 20 days. Part days are calculated by a marine examiner.
If you complete a workplace-based task book provided by an authorised registered training organisation you will qualify for a 50 per cent remission in the qualifying sea service requirements relative to the licence level. If you complete a ROPES book you will qualify for up to a 50 per cent remission in the qualifying sea service requirements relative to the licence level, with a sliding scale of remission for a book that is not 100 per cent complete.
By formally recording sea service you are making a factual recording of the actual service you have completed. For example if you are working as a deckhand on a commercial vessel only operating in partially smooth waters, the duties are recorded as ‘D’ and the area of operation is recorded as 'PS'. Falsifying sea service is an offence.
Maritime Safety Queenlsand will calculate sea service according to the National Marine Safety Committee Circular — Principles for assessing sea service (PDF, 39 KB). This document covers the following:
- calculation of sea service
- applying for a restricted certificate
- employment in a dual master/engineer role
- sea service on longer voyages (voyages of longer than 24 hours — service in vessels where there are long periods underway in a watchkeeping situation covering periods underway both day and night
- sea service in recreational vessels, other industries or on a vessel in a non-deck or engineering role
- completing ROPES or equivalent programs for enhancing the quality of sea service.
Notes for guidance of candidates detail the amount of sea service required for each type of marine licence.
Maritime Safety Queensland may accept sea service in recreational ships, other industries or on ships in a non-deck or engineering role as appropriate sea service.
The type of sea service we regard as being appropriate is work that you undertake that provides you with the necessary experience to perform the duties of the marine licence you are applying for such as:
- shiphandling and manoeuvring
- steering and navigating safely as a bridge watchkeeper
- berthing and unberthing
- anchoring
- docking
- operating and maintaining propulsion and auxiliary machinery.
Additional information about recording sea service
- A Maritime Safety Queensland examiner must confirm and stamp (ratify) your sea service in a ROPES or ROS book within three months of leaving a ship or approximately every six months of a calendar year. However, when working for organisations with multi-ship operations where you are required to move through the fleet to perform your duties, you have 12 months to have ROPES or ROS book entries ratified.
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Statutory declarations (PDF, 123 KB) must support sea service not ratified within these times.
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- Your sea service should be ratified by a Maritime Safety Queensland examiner in the area where you are working.
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- Sea service gained before being issued a ROS book must be supported by statutory declarations. Sea service gained before being issued a ROPES book must be supported by either statutory declarations or a signed and ratified ROS book.
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- A ROPES or ROS book issued by another state or territory may be used to declare Queensland sea service. If your sea service was accrued overseas or interstate it must be verified by the relevant state, territory or international authority otherwise a statutory declaration from the owner or master of the ship must be submitted.
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- Overseas sea service must be supported by a sea service assessment application form and supporting evidence such as statutory declarations, discharge certificates, a complete set of the ship's registration documents, an original letter from the master or owner of the ship attesting to the time and type of service and ships brochures or programs.
Sea service assessment
Part of obtaining a marine licence is meeting the relevant sea service requirements. You will need to submit your documentation at a Maritime Safety Queensland regional office for it to be assessed. You will need:
Find out more information about sea service
