MARINERS’ TESTS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 66, 11 December 1930, Page 12

MARINERS’ TESTS

Revision of Rules IMPERIAL STANDARD Minister’s Approval Important revisions of the rules for the examination of masters and mates on foreign-going and home-trading vessels have been approved by the Minister of Marine, Hon. .1. B. Donald, and they will be Gazetted next week. The revisions have been made as the result of action by the Imperial Board of .trade and the alterations will come into effect on January 1. The Board of Trade recently set up a departmental committee to report on the rules for these examinations with an instruction that recommendations should be made if alterations or additions were considered necessary. Notable alterations have been made to the rules by the board as a result of this inquiry and the changes approved by the Minister have in certain instances been made to applv particularly to New Zealand. The age limits for all grades of certificates have been raised as recommended by the committee. The sea service for foreign-going first mates and masters has also been revised in accordance with the committee’s proposals. The practice of issuing separate certificates for steam and sail has been abolished. In future one certificate only will be issued for mechanically, propelled vessels with a provision for sailing-ship endorsement where a candidate is qualified to sit for and passes the prescribed examination. Watch-keeping Service. The provisions relating to watch-keep-ing service have been revised and a new provision has been added allowing certain time served in the Royal Air Force to count toward the qualifying sea service for masters’ and mates’ certificates. In addition the marking system has been revised and a number of minor alterations has been made. In order to obtain Imperial validity New Zealand foreign-going certificates are required to be obtained on examinations and qualifications of the standard of those of the Board of Trade and this factor has been responsible for the present revision of the rules. In accordance with the provisions of the new rules, a candidate for a foreign-going second mate’s ticket must not be less than 20 years of age, and he must have served four years in foreign-going ships or the prescribed equivalent of six years in hometrading vessels. A candidate for a foreigngoing mate’s certificate must be not less than 21. years of age and he must have served five and a half years of foreigngoing ships or eight years three months in home-trading vessels. To sit for a foreign-going master’s certificate a candidate must be not less than 23 years of age and he must have served seven years in foreign-going or ten and a half years in home-trading ships. A candidate fo£ a home-trading second mate’s certificate must have reached the age of 19 years, anti he must have served three vears at sqa or one year at sea and two vears in extended river limits. To' sit for a home-trading mate’s ticket a candidate must have reached the age of ZU vears and have served four years at sea or two years at sea and two years in extended river limits. Candidates for hometrading masters’ certificates must have reached the age of 23 years and must have served five years at sea or three years at sea and two years in extended river limits. laical Pleasure Yachts. To sit for a master’s certificate for a cargo vessel under 25 tons register, a candidate must not be less than 23 years ot age and lie must have served four years at sea or two years at sea and two Ini extended river limits. The same conditions apply to candidates for masters certificates for fishing boats. To sit tor a master’s certificate for a river boat a candidate must have reached the age of -o and the same age stipulation is made for those who wish to sit for master certificates for 'sailing vessels plying in rivers !ll The B written examination for a yacht master’s certificate will be the same as that for a foreign-goinff master s certificate, ex coL in reTpeet ot navigation, chart work, Ship’s business and engineering knowledge. A candidate for a certificate tor yachts sailing in New Zealand waters must have reached the age of 19 years This examination will be Purely Y° lu " £ the certificate will not entitle the holder Io command any vessel except a pleasure yacht,