This Small Vessel Chief Engineer CoC is a similar level to the old Y1 CoC. You can obtain this CoC by:
- converting your current Yacht or other non SV CoC (information on the conversion routes from Yacht and other types of CoC to Small Vessel CoCs can be found here);
- following the route from your current Small Vessel CoC (detailed below);
- converting your Small Vessel (Limited to Yachts) CoC, by completing extra sea service to meet the requirements for the full SV EOOW, and then following the guidance below. (If you hold a Small Vessel (Limited to Yachts) CoC, you don’t have to upgrade to the full SV EOOW before moving on. You will be issued with an SV Chief Engineer (Limited to Yachts) CoC by following the guidance below).
In order to gain an SV Chief Engineer <3000gt/<9000kW CoC whilst holding an SV EOOW <3000gt/<9000kW or SV Chief Engineer <500gt/<3000kW CoC, you will need to do some classroom training, some sea service, and finally an oral exam.
The courses that you must undertake for this are:
SV Chief Engineer Statutory & Operational Requirements certificate¹
SV Auxiliary Equipment II certificate¹
Human Element Leadership & Management (Management Level) certificate¹
SV Applied Marine Engineering certificate
General Engineering Science I certificate²
General Engineering Science II certificate²
¹ NOTE: these courses are only required if you currently hold the SV EOOW CoC. If you did these courses for your SV Chief Engineer <500/<3000 CoC you do not need to complete them again.
²NOTE: if you hold a relevant engineering qualification (degree, HND/HNC or equivalent) you may be eligible for exemptions from General Science I & II, click here to apply
NOTE: Updating Training for CoC applications– anyone serving on board ship, who holds any of the following certificates must, as of 1st January 2017, have documentary evidence of either completing the training course or updating training within the last 5 years:
- Personal Survival Techniques
- Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boats (CPSC & RB)
- Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boats (PFRB)
- Basic Fire Fighting
- Advanced Fire Fighting
Required Service:
You must prove a minimum of:
whilst holding an SV EOOW <3000gt/<9000kW CoC –
6 months actual sea service on vessels of at least 350 kW and 6 months actual sea service on vessels of at least 750 kW
or,
whilst holding SV Chief Engineer <500/<3000 CoC –
Complete 6 months actual sea service on vessels of at least 750 kW
(if seagoing service has already been completed on vessels of at least 750kW to gain SV Chief Eng. 500GT CoC then you may complete this on 350kW vessels)
NOTE: Sea Service Allowance/Exemption for Yacht Engineers:
The MCA understand that seafarers serving on Yachts would face difficulties in completing the amount of sea service required, and have made provision for this, reducing the service requirements as follows:
If you are submitting service gained on a Yacht, you would need to show 6 months Yacht service, including 4 months actual sea service for each 6 months required above.
Calculating Sea Service & Watchkeeping
When applying for an SV Chief Engineer Certificate of Competency, your seagoing service must be spent performing engine room watchkeeping duties while in FULL CHARGE of the entire watch or performing UMS duties. A minimum of 4 hours of engine room watch in 24 hours would count as 1 full day of watchkeeping service.
Onboard/Yacht service is counted as the time spent on the vessel and excludes leave and other non-working time.
Sea service means proceeding to sea, and cannot include any yard time if gained on Yachts.
You are able to claim 25% or 3 months (whichever is least) of the required service for service at lay-up, maintenance berth, extended anchorage or in yard/dry dock. (Yacht candidates may only use yard time towards yacht service, not sea service). Any yard service needs to be detailed in a report verified by the Master/Chief Engineer/Company.
At least 6 months of the qualifying sea service must have been performed within the 5 years immediately preceding the date your application is received by the MCA.
The qualifying service must be performed in the Engineering department. In the case of a dual role Engine⁄Deck candidate, half of the service is counted.
A month is defined as a calendar month or 30 days if made up of periods less than 1 month.
Sea service may be performed on vessels of any flag.
Yacht Sea Service Verification Process – please click here to read about regulations for service gained on Yachts.
Applying for an NoE
To do the final oral exam, you will need a Notice of Eligibility. This document is issued once the MCA have assessed your eligibility, and an oral exam cannot be booked until the NoE is issued.
Your service needs to be proved with 2 forms of evidence for each vessel on which you are claiming service time. Usually a Testimonial and a Certificate of Discharge. If you have a discharge book or PYA SRB, this can be used with a testimonial for each vessel.
This is all laid out in MSN 1904 & MIN 642 (there are different types of Engineer testimonial, depending on what type of vessel you are on. The Yacht testimonial can be found as an annex of MIN 642. The Certificate of Discharge and other types of Testimonial can be found as an annex of MSN 1904)
Update to Electronic NoE application process & online oral exams – the MCA have updated the application process to allow for applications to be made online using the submission of electronic documents. If this is your first UK/MCA qualification, you will still need to post your application.
You must send a form of ID with your application. You can send a copy of your passport, signed by your Captain and with their CoC number noted, but you can also send any form of National ID – birth certificate or Discharge Book are usually easier to cope without!
It should be noted that written exam pass certificates have a validity of only three years. If your module pass certificates are more than 3 years old when you apply for an NoE you will have to submit new pass certificates to the MCA before they will issue a CoC.
You will need to download the NoE application form. You must complete the form and send all of your original certificates and testimonials to the MCA.
The NoE will be processed in about 28 days. Once the NoE is issued you are deemed eligible to take the oral exam.
JPMA offers oral preparation courses for the SV Chief Engineer oral exam. Click here for details.