LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF FIJI

MARINE ACT, 1986
(ACT NO.35 OF 1986)

Legal Notice 11

MARINE (CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY (REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS) (RATINGS)) REGULATIONS, 1989

IN exercise of the powers conferred upon me by sections 98, 99, 143 and 212 of the Marine Act, 1986, I have made the following Regulations -

Short title

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Marine (Certificate of Competency (Required Qualifications) (Ratings)) Regulations, 1989.

Object

2. These Regulations prescribed the qualifications a person who wishes to qualify as a deck watchkeeping rating, an able seaman or an engine room watchkeeping rating must posses before the Marine Board can issue him with a certificate of competency as a rating.

Regulations to be read as one

3. -(1) These Regulations are to be read as one with the Marine (Certificate of Competency and Manning of Vessels) (General) Regulations, 1989, and the other Regulations, referred to in those Regulations.

(2) In particular words and phrases defined in the Marine (Certificates of Competency and Manning of Vessels) (General) Regulations, 1989 have the same meaning when used in these Regulations.

Deck watchkeeping rating - necessary qualification for certification

4. -(1) The Marine Board shall not issue a deck watchkeeping rating certificate to a person unless he satisfies it -

(a) that he is more than 16 years old;

(b) that he is medically fit (particularly regarding eyesight and hearing);

(c) that he -

(i) has completed seagoing service which includes at least 6 month's sea experience associated, in particular, with navigational watch-keeping duties; or

(ii) has successfully completed appropriate training which includes at least 2 months of approved seagoing service; and

(d) that he has experience or training which has given him -

(i) the ability to understand the basic principles of fire-fighting, first aid, personal survival techniques, health hazards and personal safety;

(ii) the ability to understand orders and to make himself understood by officers of the watch on mailers relevant to his duties;

(iii) the ability to steer and to comply with helm orders, together with sufficient knowledge of magnetic and gyro compasses for the performance of those duties;

(iv) the ability to keep a proper lookout by sight and hearing and to report the approximate hearing of a sound signal, light or other object in degrees or points;

(v) familiarity with the change-over from automatic pilot to hand steering and vice-versa;

(vi) knowledge of the use of appropriate internal communications and alarm signals;

(vii) knowledge of pyrotechnic distress signals;

(viii) knowledge of his emergency duties; and

(ix) knowledge of shipboard terms and definitions appropriate to his duties.

(2) The Marine Board shall not consider any experience, service or training required for the purposes of paragraphs 1 (c) and (d) to have been acquired through the performance of duties associated with navigational watchkeeping unless it is acquired under the direct supervision of the master, officer in charge of the navigational watch or a qualified rating.

(3) The Marine Board may consider a person to have met the requirements of paragraph 1 (c) and (d) if he satisfies the Board that he has served in a relevant capacity in the deck department of vessels for a total period of at least 1 year during the 5 years immediately before these Regulations came into operation.

Able seaman - necessary qualifications for certification

5. -(1) The Marine Board shall not issue an able seaman certificate to a person unless he satisfies it -

(a) that he is over 18 years old;

(b) that he is medically fit (particularly regarding eyesight and hearing);

(c) that he has completed -

(i) at least 18 month's approved seagoing service in the deck department of a vessel; or

(ii) equivalent service to the satisfaction of the Marine Board; and

(d) that he has experience or training which includes experience or training as a rating forming part of a navigational watch on seagoing vessels of 200 gross registered tons or more which has given him -

(i) the ability to understand the basic principles of fire-fighting, first aid, personal survival techniques, health hazards and personal safety;

(ii) the ability to understand orders and to make himself understood by officers of the watch on matters relevant to his duties;

(iii) the ability to steer a vessel and to comply with helm orders, together with sufficient knowledge of magnetic and gyro compasses for the performance of those duties;

(iv) the ability to keep a proper lookout by sight and hearing and to report the approximate bearing of a sound signal, light or other object in degrees or points;

(v) familiarity with the change-over from automatic pilot to hand steering and vice-versa;

(vi) knowledge of the use of appropriate internal communications and alarm signals;

(vii) knowledge to pyrotechnic distress signals;

(viii) knowledge of his emergency duties; and

(ix) knowledge of shipboard terms and definitions appropriate to his duties;

and who also passes the Marine Board's oral and practical examination for able seaman, the syllabus of which is set out in the Schedule.

Engine room watchkeeping rating-necessary qualifications for certification

6. -(1) The Marine Board shall not issue an engine room watchkeeping rating certificate to a person unless he satisfies it -

(a) that he is over 16 years old;

(b) that he is medically fit;

(c) that he has adequate experience or training in fire-fighting, basic first aid,personal survival techniques, health hazards and personal safety;

(d) that he has the ability to understand orders to make himself understood in matters relevant to his duties;

(e) that he has -

(i) shore experience relevant to his seagoing duties supplemented by an adequate period of approved seagoing experience;

(ii) undergone special training either before going to sea or on board ship supplemented by an adequate period of approved seagoing experience, or

(iii) at least 6 month's approved seagoing service;

(f) that he has an adequate knowledge of -

(i) engine room watchkeeping procedures with the ability to carry out a watch routine appropriate to his duties;

(ii) safe working practices related to engine room operation;

(iii) terms used in machinery spaces and names of machinery and equipment relevant to his duties; and

(iv) basic environmental protection procedures;

(g) that he has the ability to operate boilers safely and to maintain the correct water levels and steam pressures; and

(h) that he is familiar with his watchkeeping duties in the machinery spaces of the vessel on which he is to serve and, in particular, he has -

(i) a knowledge of the use of appropriate internal communication systems;

(ii) a knowledge of escape routes from machinery spaces;

(iii) a knowledge of engine room alarm systems, including an ability to distinguish between the various alarms with special reference to fire extinguishing gas alarms; and

(iv) a familiarity with the location and use of fire-fighting equipment in the machinery spaces.

(2) The Marine Board may consider a person to have met the requirements of paragraphs (1)(c) to (g) if he satisfies the Board that he has served in a relevant capacity in the engine department of vessels for a total period of at least 1 year during the 5 years immediately before these Regulations come into operation.

Dated this third day of May 1989.

A.V. TORA
Minister for Communications, Works and Transport

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SCHEDULE

EXAMINATION SYLLABUS FOR ABLE SEAMAN (ORAL AND PRACTICAL)

1. The meaning of common nautical terms (navigational marks).

2. The names and functions of various parts of ship e.g. ballast tanks, bilges, air pipes, strum box.

3. Knowledge of the compass card 0° - 360°. Ability to report the approximate bearing of an object in degrees or points on the bow.

4. Reading, streaming and handing a patent log.

5. Preparation and markings on a hand lead line, taking a cast of the hand lead and correctly reporting the sounding obtained.

6. Markings of the anchor cable.

7. Understanding of helm orders.

8. The making of knots, bends and hitches and their common uses. In particular the following knots -

(a) reef knot;
(b) timber hitch;
(c) clove hitch;
(d) rolling hitch;
(e) figure of eight;
(f) bowline, and bowline on the bight;
(g) sheet bend, double and single;
(h) round turn and two half hitches;
(i) marline spike hitch;
(j) sheepshank;
(k) wall and crown.

9. To whip a rope’s end using common whipping and sailmakers whipping.

10. To put a seizing on a rope and wire.

11. To put a stopper on a rope, wire hawser or derrick lift.

12. Splicing. In particular -

(a) short splice;
(b) eye splice;
(c) back splice,

both on natural and synthetic fibre ropes.

13. Slinging a stage, rigging a bosun chair.

14. Knowledge of -

(a) rigging a derrick;
(b) driving a winch;
(c) the use and operation of a windlass in anchor work;
(d) precautions to be taken in the stowage of chain and securing the anchors for sea.

15. A knowledge of the gear used in cargo work and an understanding of its uses and its general maintenance with particular reference to wires, blocks and shackles.

16. The safe handling of hatch covers, battening down and securing hatches.

17. The use of purchases and tackles and its mechanical advantages.

18. A knowledge of -

(a) rope construction and types being -

(i) natural fibre;

(ii) synthetic fibre;

(iii) wire rope; and

(b) rope coiling, maintenance, storage and its uses.

19. Flags: Knowledge of flags commonly used abroad ship.

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