Entry & progression
Governing: Marine Order 74 (2015), s 7 and Schedule 1, read with Marine Order 70 (2014). Next: L1.2.
The first surprise
Most crew assume "chief mate" means a management-level ticket, like the MCA's Chief Mate (Yacht). Read Schedule 1 of Marine Order 74 and you find something else. The Chief Mate <3000 GT (Yachts) carries exactly the same permitted duties as the Watchkeeper Deck <3000 GT (Yachts).
| Grade | Permitted duties (MO 74 Sch 1) |
|---|---|
| Watchkeeper Deck <3000 GT (Yachts) | OOW on yachts <3000 GT, any area; rating in a nav watch; if endorsed, master on yachts <200 GT and <24 m |
| Chief Mate <3000 GT (Yachts) | Identical to the watchkeeper grade |
| Master <500 GT (Yachts) | Master <500 GT; OOW <3000 GT; Able Seafarer - Deck |
| Master <3000 GT (Yachts) | Master or OOW <3000 GT; Able Seafarer - Deck |
AMSA's own page says it in plain words: the certificate lets you perform the duties of a Watchkeeper Deck <3000 GT (yachts) in any operating area. What separates the two grades is the training (advanced firefighting and medical first aid - L1.3) and the revalidation standard (L1.4), not the capacity on the crew list.
What counts as a yacht
MO 74 s 4 defines a yacht as a vessel that is:
- less than 3000 GT;
- in commercial use for sport or pleasure;
- carrying no cargo; and
- carrying not more than 12 passengers.
It need not carry sail, and may be a training vessel, sail training vessel or short range yacht. AMSA calls a yacht of 24 m or more a large yacht, and Australian-flag yachts of that size need a Certificate of Compliance (Large Yacht) under Marine Order 52 (2022), which applies the REG Yacht Code Part A with an Australian annex.
Where the ticket bites
MO 74 governs masters and deck officers on a regulated Australian vessel that is a yacht. On a foreign-flag yacht in the Med or Caribbean, the flag State decides what it will endorse - do not assume. A domestic charter boat in the Whitsundays sits under the National Law and Marine Order 505, not MO 74; see Australia: AMSA, the National Law and STCW.
The Master <200 GT endorsement
Pass a separate final assessment and the certificate can be endorsed for master duties on yachts <200 GT and <24 m (load line length), in any operating area. Useful on a shadow boat or a smaller yacht; irrelevant as a route to commanding the mothership.
CAUTION - Two endorsements people forget MO 74 s 8(2): on a yacht fitted with ECDIS you must also hold the ECDIS proficiency endorsement. s 8(1): master duties on a sailing vessel need a sailing vessel endorsement.
So why hold it?
- It carries AFF and MFA, the short courses a yacht chief mate is expected to have.
- Its revalidation standard matches the senior grades (AFF refresher rather than basic firefighting).
- It is a recognised stepping stone in AMSA's MO 71 to MO 74 crossover table (L4.4).
The honest view: the title promises more than the schedule delivers. When a captain or crew agent asks for "a chief mate", they are asking about experience and management competence as much as paper. This course covers the ticket in Module 1 and the job in Modules 2 to 4. The foundations are in Watchkeeper Deck <3000 GT (Yachts); do not expect them repeated here.