Learn About The Officer of the Watch, OOW: and Approved Certification

An OOW 3000gt is an Officer of the Watch authorized to operate in a vessel deck of up to 3000tonnes. The OOW in this category should have the necessary training, education, certifications, and seagoing services on some yachts to qualify.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency has structured education and training for yacht restricted Certificate of Competency.

Certification of OOW 3000gt

MSN Provides Details Of Certification of OOW <3000gt as follows;

Masters and deck officers operating the UK registered yachts of 24 metres in load line length, and less than 3000gt operates under MSN1858. MSN1858 certifies deck officers serving the commercial vessels that do not carry cargo and more than 12 passengers.

The MSN also certifies OOW dock officers operating yachts of 24 metres and load line length and less than 3000gt, which are non-commercial, used for pleasure and sports, and do not carry cargo or more than 12 passengers.

Candidates who qualify by completing and passing the OOW course in the UK will receive an STCW Certificate of Competency(CoC) for OOW<3000gt to operate in yachts and sail training vessels.

Qualifications for Certification

There are conditions you need to meet to obtain the UK STCW certificate of competency.

Minimum age limit
A minimum period of seagoing service
Complete technical and safety training
Complete and pass education and training programs
Pass medical fitness requirements
Pass MCA oral test

Requirements for Your First Sea Voyage for OOW <3000gt

ENG 1 certificate of medical fitness
Personal survival techniques
Firefighting and prevention
First Aid qualification
Personal safety

Required seagoing service

You require a seagoing service of up to 36 months on a yacht vessel of any size, including 365 days of seagoing service on ships at least 15 meters. The 365 days seagoing service includes 250 days on actual sea service, 90 days in the yard and a maximum of 14days consecutive standby service, say waiting for the guests to arrive.

A Training Record Book for capturing training details for at least six months is a requirement. The captain or chief engineer signs off against each activity you perform. However, you are not required to have a Training Record Book if you can prove 36 hours of actual seagoing service on vessels of at least 24 metres in the load line.

Course Certification

You require several auxiliary courses and MCA-approved OOW yacht courses before obtaining MCA Officer of the Watch for Yachts <3000gt.

STCW Safety Certificates- includes RYA Basic Sea Survival, First Aid, and Basic Fire Fighting.
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased certificate
Yachtmaster Coastal Coc
Advanced Sea Survival Certificate
OOW Navigation and Radar certificate- issued after passing exams
OOW General Ship Knowledge certificate
Efficient Deck Hand Certificate
Leadership and Operation certificate
ECDIS certificate
A medical certificate, ENG 1
GMDSS- General Operators Certificate

Recommendation

Complete the oral preparation course before attending the Oral OOW exam.

Points to Note

The period of standby should not exceed the length of the previous voyage.
Actual sea service is when you are at sea and on passage.
You are not required to have a shore-based certificate if you received your Offshore CoC before 31st July 2003.
An advanced Sea Survival Certificate gets an endorsement, as “not for use in ships with davit launched lifeboats.”