Sea Service Requirements.

Sea service for MCA certification must meet the following criteria:

• May be performed on vessels of any flag.
• Must be performed on ships of at least 24m in registered length or not less than 80gt proceeding to sea (Proceeding to sea means beyond categorised waters around the UK or beyond harbour limits for waters outside the UK.
• At least 6 months sea service must have been undertaken within the preceding 5 years of the issue of a CoC.
• For CoC’s as Chief Mate or Master watchkeeping service is defined as time spent as the duty officer in full charge of a navigational watch for no less than 8 out of every 24 hours while the vessel is engaged on a voyage.
• For unlimited CoC’s at least 6 months service must be spent either on vesels of more than 500gt or on voyages outside the NCV area or harbour limits for waters outside the UK.
• For CoC’s requiring at least 12 months seagoing service, no more than 2 months service spent standing by a new vessel during the final stages of construction, in dry dock or undergoing repairs can be counted.

Published:     July 2017.