The II/3 certificate and near-coastal voyages
1The lesson in plain words
STCW regulation II/3 certifies officers of the watch and masters on ships under 500 GT on near-coastal voyages, an area each country defines.
What II/3 covers
The STCW Convention sets world minimum standards for training, certification and watchkeeping. Regulation II/3 covers two certificates for seagoing ships of less than 500 gross tonnage (GT) on near-coastal voyages: the officer in charge of a navigational watch (OOW) and the master. GT measures enclosed volume. A ship under 500 GT that trades beyond near-coastal limits needs the full certificates instead: an OOW certificate for ships of 500 GT or more, and a master's certificate for ships of 500 to 3,000 GT.
Near-coastal limits
STCW defines near-coastal voyages only as voyages in the vicinity of a Party, as that Party defines them. A Party is a state that has accepted the Convention. So the limits are national: one state draws them as a distance from a safe haven, another along its own coastline. Regulation I/3 lets states agree limits with each other for ships trading between them. Your certificate states the limits that apply. Read them before you accept a ship or a voyage.
The OOW route
The STCW minimum for a near-coastal OOW is an age of at least 18 and either special training with the sea service your flag state's maritime authority requires, or at least 36 months of approved sea service in the deck department. You must meet the competence standard in section A-II/3 of the STCW Code and hold the basic safety training of chapter VI. Many states add their own courses, exams and sea time on top.
The master route
For master of a ship under 500 GT on near-coastal voyages, the STCW minimum is an age of at least 20 and at least 12 months of approved sea service as OOW, plus the master's standard in section A-II/3. On such ships the master often keeps a watch as well. That makes the master both the person who writes the bridge orders and one of the people who follow them.
Same watch rules
A smaller ship and a shorter trade do not mean lighter watch rules. The principles in section A-VIII/2 of the STCW Code, the hours of rest in section A-VIII/1 and the COLREG apply in full. The rest of this unit is those principles, seen from a small ship's bridge.
2Key data
- Ships covered
- Less than 500 GT on near-coastal voyages (STCW reg. II/3)
- Near-coastal limits
- Set by each Party (STCW reg. I/1 and I/3); stated on the certificate
- OOW minimum
- Age 18; special training or 36 months' approved deck service
- Master minimum
- Age 20; 12 months' approved sea service as OOW
- Competence standard
- STCW Code section A-II/3 (OOW and master)
3Key points
- 1
The near-coastal II/3 certificates covered here are for ships under 500 GT on near-coastal voyages.
- 2
Each Party defines its own near-coastal limits; your certificate states them.
- 3
Beyond those limits, even a small ship needs the full II/1 or II/2 certificates.
- 4
The full A-VIII/2 watch principles and A-VIII/1 rest hours still apply on small ships.
4Frequent mistakes
Wrong: Near-coastal means the same distance from the coast in every country.
Right: Each Party defines its own near-coastal limits. Read the limits on your certificate and the flag state's rules.
Wrong: Under 500 GT, a II/3 certificate covers any voyage.
Right: Outside near-coastal limits, a ship under 500 GT needs officers with the full certificates for ships of 500 GT or more.
5Practice case & exam keys
You hold a II/3 master's certificate for near-coastal voyages under 500 GT. Your company asks you to take a 480 GT coaster on a delivery voyage well beyond your flag state's near-coastal limits. What do you check?
Show the answer
Your certificate does not cover that voyage. Beyond near-coastal limits, the master of a ship under 500 GT needs a certificate for ships of 500 to 3,000 GT, and the OOW needs an OOW certificate for ships of 500 GT or more. Check the limits on your certificate and the flag state's rules, and tell the company before you accept.
Exam keys
- II/3: OOW and master, ships under 500 GT, near-coastal voyages.
- Near-coastal limits are defined by each Party, not by IMO.
- STCW minimum: OOW 18 years; master 20 years with 12 months as OOW.
Finish this unit
When you've read it, match the terms, then answer three questions. Get them all right to finish the unit; opening the page alone doesn't count.
My notes for this unit
No notes