I want to work on boats

The goal

Be paid to operate or crew a vessel in Australia.

Assumes you have

Recreational sailing qualifications and sea time, usually.

How long, honestly

A full change of paperwork. The sea time transfers; the certificates largely do not.

What it is not

Not a recreational pathway with an extra module bolted on. AMSA certification is a separate system with its own medicals, sea service records and examinations.

1. 1

   Understand the two systems

   Recreational schemes (RYA, IYT, ASA, Australian Sailing) and Australian commercial certification (AMSA) are separate. Start by reading how they relate.

   read this first
2. 2

   Identify the certificate your job needs

   Coxswain, Master and Marine Engine Driver certificates each cover defined vessel sizes and operating areas. The job dictates the certificate, not the other way round.

   job first, ticket second
3. 3

   Record your sea service properly

   AMSA certificates require documented sea service in a prescribed form. Recreational miles only count if they were recorded in a way AMSA accepts.

   start logging now
4. 4

   Get the supporting certificates

   Radio (SROCP or LROCP), elements of shipboard safety, first aid and a medical are typically required alongside the certificate of competency.

   several short courses
5. 5

   Consider the sail-specific route

   AMSA provides for sail-specific certificates, which is where existing sailing qualifications and sea time count for most.

   where sailing counts
6. 6

   Or work overseas insteadoptional

   Yachtmaster with a commercial endorsement is widely recognised in the superyacht and charter industries outside Australia, which is why many Australians work abroad.

   the common alternative

This is the pathway that disappoints people, so it is worth stating early: in Australian waters, a recreational sailing certificate does not authorise commercial operation, however senior it is.

Why Yachtmaster is not enough

RYA Yachtmaster with a commercial endorsement is a genuine professional qualification, and it is recognised in much of the world. Australia runs its own domestic commercial certification through AMSA, under the national law for domestic commercial vessels, and operating commercially here means holding an AMSA certificate appropriate to the vessel and the operation.

This is not a judgement about the quality of the training. It is a jurisdictional fact, and it catches out experienced sailors returning to Australia every year.

What does transfer

• sea time, if it is documented in an acceptable form
• actual competence, which makes the assessments straightforward
• radio certificates, where the Australian certificate is already held
• the habits — watchkeeping, passage planning, maintenance discipline

Check the current rules

AMSA certificate categories, eligibility, sea service requirements and course approvals change. Nothing on this site is a substitute for AMSA’s current published requirements for the certificate you intend to apply for, and you should confirm with AMSA directly before paying for training.