Deck

SAMSA Skipper: Categories R, E, D, C and B

SA-SKIP-DAY

Modules
4
Lessons
14
Questions
70

Independent study. xplor is not a SAMSA-accredited training provider and awards no certificate or Certificate of Competency. The national small vessel certificate is obtained only through examination by a SAMSA-appointed examiner or training and examination at a SAMSA-accredited institution, with sea time logged on real vessels. AI-drafted content pending subject-matter-expert review.

Drafted from the Merchant Shipping Act 57 of 1951; the Merchant Shipping (National Small Vessel Safety) Regulations 2007 (GNR 705, GG 30151, as amended by GNR 731, GG 31218, 2008); the draft replacement regulations of 2024 (GN R4374, GG 50129) and 2025 (GN 3482, GG 53304); SAMSA Marine Notices 13 of 2011 and 13 of 2007 (section 10), MIN 09-22 and MIN 06-24; SAMSA's list of valid marine notices (January 2025) and small vessel brochures; the SA Sailing skipper ticket pages; and secondary material from the SA Small Craft Association, Boating SA, NSRI and training providers..

Rule notes (5)

  1. Rule to know

    SA's 1951 Merchant Shipping Act is still in force

    The Merchant Shipping Bill B12-2023 was introduced on 11 May 2023 but, when checked on 27 September 2026, had not passed either House. Draft regulations gazetted on 24 December 2025 were still made under the Merchant Shipping Act 57 of 1951. Treat anything you read about the new Act as proposed, not law.

    Sources

  2. Rule to know

    Small vessel certificates still run on the 2007 Regulations

    The National Small Vessel Safety Regulations 2007 remain the working rules. Replacement drafts were published in 2024 and on 5 September 2025 (GN 3482, GG 53304), but none was confirmed as gazetted in final form. Check for a commencement notice before relying on any draft change.

    Sources

  3. Rule to know

    SAMSA medical on UK ships: accepted, but it is not an ENG1

    MSN 1815 (M+F) Amendment 7 (13 August 2026) lists South Africa among countries whose seafarer medicals are accepted on UK ships, but it does not let SA doctors issue an ENG1 and does not cover non-commercial pleasure yachts. The RYA commercial endorsement names only ENG1 or ML5. In the other direction, SAMSA requires examination by a SAMSA-approved practitioner. Carry both if you work in both systems.

    Sources

  4. Not confirmed

    Small vessel figures come from MN 13 of 2007, not the current notice

    Sea-time routes, entry requirements and endorsement rules in the SAMSA skipper courses are taken from MN 13 of 2007. SAMSA lists MN 13 of 2011 as the valid notice, but its text could not be obtained, and pass marks come from an agency syllabus (2008). Confirm figures with SAMSA or your examiner before booking.

    Sources

  5. Recent change

    Small vessel interim certificates: extensions ended 31 March 2025

    An interim small vessel certificate issued after a pass is valid for six months while the card is printed. MIN 06-24 extended affected interims only to 31 March 2025, and no later extension was found. If your card has not arrived, chase SAMSA rather than sailing on an old interim.

    Sources

SA-SKIP-DAY-M1 · The framework

3 lessons

SA-SKIP-DAY-M1-A The Act, the regulations and the policy notice, how vessels are categorised and who needs a certificate.

In preparation
SA-SKIP-DAY-L1.1The legal framework in 2026South African small boat law still runs on a **1951 Act and 2007 regulations**, with two draft replacements on the table. Know which is which before you quote anything.PreviewSA-SKIP-DAY-L1.2Vessel categories A to RYour certificate is limited by category, and the category is defined by **distance from shore**. Get the definitions exactly right; the exam and the enforcement officer both will.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L1.3Who needs a ticket: pleasure, commercial and the 15 hp lineWhether you need a certificate depends on **what the boat is used for** and on two thresholds: 15 hp and 9 m. The age rules then follow from the use.Locked

SA-SKIP-DAY-M2 · The certificates

4 lessons

SA-SKIP-DAY-M2-A The day certificate ladder, entry and sea-time routes, the examination, and endorsements that make a ticket usable.

In preparation
SA-SKIP-DAY-L2.1The certificate ladder: Local Waters to Day Skipper BSAMSA issues one national certificate with different levels. The day tickets run **Local Waters, R, E, C and B**, split at **9 m**. There is no separate Category D ticket.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L2.2Entry requirements and sea timeEvery day ticket has the same front door: **ID, eyesight test, doctor's certificate, over 16**. Behind it are three sea-time routes, and choosing the right one saves months.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L2.3The examination and the interim certificateThe day tickets are examined in writing and on the water. Pass marks are high in the safety sections and **100% in the give-way rules**. You leave with an interim, not the card.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L2.4Endorsements, and the ticket on a yacht CVEndorsements turn a basic ticket into a working one: **dive, surf launch, passenger, sailing, night**. Then the question every SA deckhand asks: will a yacht accept it?Locked

SA-SKIP-DAY-M3 · The boat and how it is operated

3 lessons

SA-SKIP-DAY-M3-A Vessel certification and marking, Annexure 2 equipment by category, and the operating rules skippers are prosecuted under.

In preparation
SA-SKIP-DAY-L3.1Certificate of fitness, safety certificate and markingThe skipper's ticket is half the paperwork. The boat needs its own: a **certificate of fitness** for pleasure craft, a **local general safety certificate** for commercial ones, and an approved number.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L3.2Safety equipment by categoryAnnexure 2 is a table the exam loves. Learn the **pattern** rather than 41 lines: what changes between A, B–D and E/R, and what the small-boat table asks for.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L3.3Operating rules at seaA handful of regulations decide most prosecutions: **kill switch, 25% fuel reserve, voyage information, lifejacket wear, alcohol limits**. None needs a textbook, all need habit.Locked

SA-SKIP-DAY-M4 · The seamanship the exam tests

4 lessons

SA-SKIP-DAY-M4-A Rules of the road and buoyage, South African weather, surf and launching, basic navigation and emergency procedures.

In preparation
SA-SKIP-DAY-L4.1Rules of the road, buoyage and flagsThe give-way section is the one paper where **100% is the pass mark**. Add IALA Region A buoyage and five code flags, and you have what the examiner will test on the water.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L4.2Weather on the South African coastSmall boats die in weather they saw coming. The exam wants **synoptic charts, the Cape south-easter, the westerly buster, berg winds and the barometer**; the sea wants you to respect them.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L4.3Launching, surf and barsThe south and east coasts are launched through surf. The standard certificate **does not cover it**: that takes the surf launching endorsement and a lot of apprenticeship.LockedSA-SKIP-DAY-L4.4Basic navigation and emergenciesCompass, variation and deviation, dead reckoning and a cross-bearing fix, then the drills: **man overboard, fire, capsize, flares and the Mayday call**. Learn the numbers, rehearse the drills.Locked