Entry & progression — near-coastal and port operations
Governing: 2021 Regulations, regs 29 to 34 and Annexure 1; STCW II/3. Builds on: L2.1.
Many South Africans never go deep-sea. They run tugs, pilot boats, research craft and coastal tonnage, then carry those skills to tenders and support vessels in yachting. This lesson covers their certificates.
Near-coastal STCW certificates
| Certificate | STCW | Entry requirements |
|---|---|---|
| OOW (<500 GT near-coastal) | II/3 | Age 18; 36 months deck service on trading ships ≥100 GT, any seagoing voyage, record book, 6 months supervised watchkeeping. Accelerated: 12 months on ships ≥500 GT unlimited |
| Master (<500 GT near-coastal) | II/3 | Hold OOW (<500 GT NC or unlimited); age 20; 12 months as OOW on trading ships ≥100 GT |
| Master (<200 GT near-coastal) | II/3, tonnage-limited | Hold OOW; age 20; 12 months as OOW on trading ships ≥25 GT |
Near-coastal here means inside the SA EEZ. Abroad, STCW II/3 certificates are treated as near-coastal to the issuing country: the UK, for example, carries the limitation across onto its endorsement.
Port operations certificates (national)
| Certificate | Headline entry route |
|---|---|
| Skipper (<200 GT port operations) | Age 18; 12 months deck service on ships ≥25 GT (seagoing, fishing, port or naval ≥14 m), 6 months supervised watchkeeping |
| Skipper (<200 GT PO) via small-vessel ticket | Hold Coastal Skipper ≥9 m or Skipper Offshore ≥9 m; age 18; 9 months on ships ≥25 GT, 6 months supervised watchkeeping |
| Master (<1 600 GT port operations) | Age 20; hold Skipper (<200 GT PO); 12 months under a master on port vessels ≥100 GT |
| Master (port operations) | Age 20; from Master (<1 600 GT PO): 6 months as OOW or master on port vessels ≥1 000 GT |
The small-vessel bridge is worth knowing: the Coastal Skipper and Skipper Offshore certificates in SAMSA Coastal Skipper and Skipper Offshore give you three months off the Skipper (PO) requirement. Port operations certificates are not STCW (reg 2(11)), so they do not travel.
WARNING — Master (<200 GT NC) needs a watchkeeping CoC first Regulation 31 requires an OOW certificate (<200 GT near-coastal or unlimited) before you can apply. The 2021 list in regulation 2 does not include a separate "<200 GT" watchkeeping certificate, so ask SAMSA which OOW it will accept before planning around this one.
Old names you will still see
Annexure 1 converts older titles. A few that turn up on CVs:
| Older title | 2021 equivalent |
|---|---|
| Deck Officer Class 5 / Mate (Coastal) | OOW (<500 GT near-coastal) or Master (<500 GT NC) depending on endorsement |
| Mate (<500 GT) | OOW (<500 GT near-coastal) |
| Skipper (Coastal), Deck Officer Class 6 | Master (<200 GT near-coastal) |
| Skipper (Port Operations) | Skipper (<200 GT port operations) |
| Deck Officer (2013 name) | Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch |
The yacht angle
A SAMSA Master (<500 GT near-coastal) is a serious certificate at home: it lets you command a small commercial vessel on the SA coast. On a foreign-flag yacht crossing the Atlantic it is limited by definition. Holders who move into yachting usually add MCA yacht certificates for the international side while keeping the SAMSA ticket for work in Cape Town, Durban or Knysna between seasons. See Superyachts in South African Waters and OOW/Master yacht CoCs.