Master Class 5

The Australian passenger vessel fleet is as vibrant and varied as any around the world and has a role for you that will take you places. From city ferries to high speed catamarans on the Great Barrier Reef, luxury yachts on Sydney Harbour and Antarctic ice-breakers.

As an expert boat handler you will manoeuvre vessels in and out of berth, in and out of ports and environmentally sensitive areas like marine parks. With experience you could become a sought after Master transporting vessels from the Gold Coast seaway to Perth; carry cargo valued at millions of dollars; or commanding a commercial fishing vessel for days at a time.

People who work on commercial vessels are employed by large and small operators in both blue water and coast fleets. You would have leadership skills, challenge your crew and passengers with safety and abandon ship drills and give instructions to the ship's crew on watchkeeping, logbooks and monitoring the marine radio, the engines and radar.

Forget the old stereotype! Modern vessel engines are high-powered and the Marine Engine Driver Grade 3 qualification (to operate vessel engines and deck machinery of greater than 75Kw) is considered fundamental to your employability. More importantly, the owner of a whale watching vessel off the east or west coast of Australia will only pay for a dual ticket Master, one with both Master Class 5 and Marine Engine Driver Grade 3 certificates of competency. It's smart business!