- Vessel
- Sailing vessel under 24 metres
- Propulsion
- Under 100 kilowatts
- Sea service evidence
- Not required for either certificate
- Checked
- September 2026
These are the two certificates that turn a recreational sailing career into a commercial one in Australia. They are unusual in the AMSA catalogue in two respects: they require a recreational qualification as a prerequisite, and AMSA does not ask for sea service evidence when you apply.
Sailing Master Coastal
Command and operate the engines of a sailing vessel under 24 metres, with propulsion power under 100 kilowatts, in inshore waters. It may carry passengers.
AMSA requires you to hold one of:
- commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster Coastal
- IYT Master of Yachts Coastal (Sail, or Power and Sail)
Sailing Master Offshore
The same vessel limits — under 24 metres, propulsion under 100 kilowatts — but out to the limits of the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone. Beyond inshore waters it is limited to no more than 12 passengers.
AMSA requires you to hold one of:
- commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean
- IYT Master of Yachts Limited (Sail, or Power and Sail)
The engine qualification
Both certificates authorise you to operate the engines as well as command the vessel, so both require an engine qualification. AMSA accepts any one of:
- Coxswain Grade 1 near coastal
- Marine Engine Driver Grade 3 near coastal
- MAR Maritime Training Package MAR037
- RYA Diesel Engine plus Australian Sailing Powerboat Handling
- RYA Diesel Engine plus RYA Level 2 Powerboat
- IYT Boat Engineer Grade 1 plus Small Powerboat & RIB Master
The last three combinations are why a diesel engine course keeps appearing on this site as more than a nice-to-have. For a sailor already holding a Yachtmaster, a two-day diesel course and a powerboat ticket are a far shorter route than a Coxswain certificate.
The rest of the requirements
- at least 16 years old when the certificate is issued
- able to speak, read and understand English
- medically fit for the duties required
- a current first aid certificate (HLTAID011 Provide first aid)
- marine radio — SROCP for Coastal, LROCP for Offshore
The radio certificate is the one difference in the supporting paperwork: the Coastal certificate takes the Short Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency, the Offshore certificate takes the Long Range one.
The commercial endorsement matters
Note the word "commercially endorsed" on the Yachtmaster requirements. A recreational Yachtmaster certificate is not the same document; the commercial endorsement is a separate RYA process with its own medical, sea survival and first aid requirements. Budget for it as a distinct step.
Source: AMSA — Sailing Master Coastal and Sailing Master Offshore near coastal, checked September 2026. Requirements change — confirm the current position with the issuing authority before you plan around anything on this page.
People also ask
Do I need sea service for a Sailing Master certificate?
AMSA states that sea service evidence is not required when applying for Sailing Master Coastal or Sailing Master Offshore. The prerequisite Yachtmaster qualification has its own sea time requirements, so the sea time is demanded — just by the RYA rather than by AMSA.
Can I skip the Yachtmaster and take a Coxswain certificate instead?
You can hold a Coxswain certificate and work commercially within its limits, but it is not a substitute for a Sailing Master certificate. They authorise different things. Which is right depends on the vessel and the role, not on which is easier to get.
How big a vessel can I command?
Both certificates are limited to sailing vessels under 24 metres with propulsion power under 100 kilowatts. Beyond that you are into the Master certificates.
Still working out where to start?
Three questions — your experience, the boat you want to sail, and your goal — give you a starting course and the schools that teach it near you.