MERCANTILE MARINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20744, 11 December 1930, Page 17

MERCANTILE MARINE.

CERTIFICATES OF OFFICERS.

REVISION OF RULES.

IMPORTANT ALTERATIONS MADE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. 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, and they will be gazetted next ytfsek. These revisions have been made as a result of action by the Imperial Board of Trade, and tho alterations will come into effect on January 1. Age limits for all grades of certificates have been raised. The sea service for foreign-going first mates and masters has also been revised. The practice of issuing separato certificates for steam and sail has been abolished and in future one certificate only will bo issued, with a provision for a sailing ship endorsement. 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 the qualifications must be 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 a prescribed equivalent of six years in hometrading vessels. A candidate for a foreign-going mate's certifiate must be not less than 21 years of age and he must have served five and a-half years on foreign-going ships or eight years and three months on hometrading vessels. To sit for a foreigngoing master's certificate a candidate must be not less than 23 years of age and be must have served seven years in a foreign-going or ten and a-half years in home-trading ships. A candidate for a home-trading second mate's certificate must have reached the age of 19 years and served three years at sea, or one year at sea and two years in extended river limits. To sit for a home-trading mate's ticket, a candidate must have reached the age of 20 years and have served four years at sea or two years at sea and two years in extended river limits.

Candidates for home-trading masters' certificates must have reached the age of 23 years and they must have served five years at sea, or three years at sea and two years in extended river limits. To sit for a master's certificate for a cargo vessel under 25 tons register, candidates must be not less than 23 years of age and must have served four years at sea, or two years at sea and two in extended river limits.

The same conditions apply to candidates for masters' certificates for fishing boats. To sit for a master's certificate for a river boat, candidates must have reached the age of 23 years, and the same age stipulation is made for those who wish to sit for masters' certificates for sailing vessels plying in rivers and harbours.