CURRENT STUDENT FAQ

STUDY VIDEOS etc iCLOUD

STUDY RESOURCES LINK

STUDY VIDEOS etc DROPBOX

STUDY RESOURCES LINK

100%

Que : Why do I need to get 100% in the theory test?

Ans : When you drive your car, do you 100% know the traffic lights, red vs green or orange lights of by heart?

When you drive your car, do you 100% know that white lights are on the front of other cars and red lights on the back, so if you see white lights you know it is coming towards you and if you see red lights you know it is going away from you? And you 100% know that a flashing orange light on the side of a car shows which way it is about to turn.
Same for boats, there are certain things you 100% need to know.
We don’t ask you useless stuff, we ask you what you MUST know.
Que : Do I need to know all flags of by heart?

Ans : No, but you are told during the course plus in the final revision notes which ones you HAVE to know, so learn these.

The core items are all covered in the email that is sent to you 6 days before the final test date.
There is a minimum “knowledge” and a minimum “skill / practical” level that is required - and so we are required to get evidence that you reach this competence level. And competence in knowing the lights, is 100%.
We make a great effort to make it quite clear what is needed. You even get sent the exam 6 days before your final exam day - and you are expected to know all the answers (relevant to your course level).
You only need to know the items specific to YOUR qualification level, and the exams are set up to make this clear.
Act and USL CODE

Que:
How in-depth must I “know” the Navigation Act, National Law Act, National standards and USL CODE?

Ans:
For the purposes of this course, you get led through it as you go through the course, and at the end, you get given the final written test to practice, so you get told as you go along, what you need to know - for this course. The course is intended to take you through the most relevant parts and to make sure that you are aware of what info is where, and after that - it is left to you to determine the level of knowledge you wish to acquire.

Which takes us to the issue of what is the ‘legal’ requirement and - that's another thing - everyone legally has to know everything - that's how the law works. Under the law, technically legally not knowing is no excuse and we are thus ‘legally’ required to know every letter of every law.

After finish written part

Que : I Finished the written part, now what?

Ans : If you told us a final date, 5 days before your final date and assessment and practical the automated system will send you information that you need.

Some people scan or mail the workbooks to us, but that is not needed. Usually, while you sit doing the exam, I or whichever assessor is assigned to you will be going through all your written work. Any items that are not quite correct in the written work, get a sticky label attached and after you finish the exam, you and the assessor go over the sticky labels. Then while he marks your test, you go over the items that need improvement in the correspondence workbook. It is a well tried and workable process.
About the only time it runs into problems is (mostly with younger) people who are used to the tick and flick mentality of many modern courses, and they don’t actually research the answers or leave many blanks, or just write anything in the spaces, thinking that the assessor isn’t actually going to be bothered reading it all. These people are just sent away. More mature students, however, tend to write decent answers based on common sense, and on real-life experience as well as their research, to fill in the gaps.
Remember it is a correspondence course - so CORRESPOND with us if you have any problems with anything in the workbook, or in the practice revision exam.
Beginner

Que : I am a beginner and I am finding it far more difficult than I first thought. At this stage I’m wondering if I can get through the books and recall all the lights, signals, markers, rules, manoeuvring info, knots, vessel and crew certification etc etc in one hit. I’m not employed as a mariner, nor do I have access to a commercial vessel or people to bounce these things off. I’m quite concerned as to how I will remember all that on exam day.

Ans : Yes, learning boating is a bit like when learning for a car drivers licence or an aeroplane pilots license in that to start with it involves a whole new language and new names for all parts - but in time you don’t even think about operating clutch, accelerator, gear lever, indicator and steering wheel all at the same time - keep going though, it is worth it, and great that you are communicating.

Best cox study apps

Que : What are the best Apps to study for Coxswain Exam:

Ans : 

Rule & Signals
Buoys & Lights
Boat Lights
Nautica Sailing School
Chat / talk to me

Que : Please call me / I want a quick chat / I want to talk to someone about some things.

Ans : We answer in writing. Always. It is a correspondence course and we are experts at corresponding. Unlike most salesmen who prefer to talk and say answers that they can later deny, we prefer to put all our answers in writing, so you have the facts.

We believe it is not as good to answer questions on the phone because too many times this can result in misheard things and later on a person can say “but you said…”
So I will not "say” anything until the day that we are face to face with students doing the final day of practical and assessments. I am happy to send written answers to you as we both can check what I wrote and there can be no confusion. Also written answers only take me a few seconds or even a minute at max to send to you, so I can get to everyone every day. That would be impossible by phone as I don’t want to use a call centre or some receptionist who doesn’t know anything.
It seems most people ask the same things, so I would have to then say the same thing over and over and over to student after student. So I prefer to save my voice for when I am face to face with students. If the answer isn't in our FAQ, please email me and tell me and I will add it.
Because it is a correspondence theory course all things are done by question and answer in written workbooks, and any questions that students have asked for the past ten years have all been answered in writing.
All answers are here in the FAQ.
If not, please ask in writing and I can answer your questions 7 days a week day or night, that way I can answer more students and you get better answers.
If you REALLY hate written answers, then perhaps you should not be doing a blended online plus correspondence course, and you may prefer and be better off spending weeks and weeks sitting in a classroom at somewhere like TAFE where you can chat and talk and listen as much as you want to a classroom full of people. However most people who are workers don’t have the time for that, and want our way of doing things, and likewise we don’t have time to chat to every single student. We are providing for the sort of people who don’t like the way other RTOs do it, we are not competing with them, we are providing a much needed service customised to a particular need.
But we do chat on the final day, thats when we focus on face to face and you get proper verbal time then. We REALLY want to give you the best possible answers. Sorry if this offends you, it is not personal, we are not trying to avoid talking to you - we just have a way of doing this so that it works for us and for you. If you really want to ‘chat’ and do not want to ask questions in writing, perhaps call an RTO that has more office workers and more government subsidy perhaps or which focusses on chatting to students rather than training them. EVERY thing is a balance, and the more they spend in one area, the less you get in another.
So if you have a real question, please write it down, and it will be properly answered, in writing.
Change date

Que : Can I change the date that I booked?

Ans : After you book, the kit gets mailed to you.

Once you get the kit, you can open it and look at it and start. You will quickly realise whether you will finish sooner, or later than the date you booked when you enrolled, and this is when you should change your date.
We give you ten days from when you get your kit mailed, to change the date of your final practical date.
Just email us and we will change the date, no problems at all. Free.
After that, if you want to change the date, and change it again, and again and again and again, you can do that as much as you want, but each change of date will cost $100. So make up your mind once you get the Kit, tell us the date, and work to that deadline. And finish it. We REALLY want you to finish and will do what it takes to assist you to gain competency properly. But if you change and change and change, it is going to cost you.
Checklists

Que:
It says I must look at the vessel check list and make sure you know the regulations. Where is the vessel checklist?

Ans:
Every vessel should have checklists in its SMS, you will see some checklists in our SMS. If you are using our boat the SMS is available to you in the USB thumb drive or the website address www.perthboatschool.com.au/sms or you can even email me for the very latest, as we are editing it all the time. Students edit it.

Don’t stress about it, just know your way around the SMS, it is a real live document with mistakes and lists and todo items that we and students work on improving all the time, like a real SMS and real checklists. If you are using your own boat, you need to know your own SMS and use it on the day.

Collision Regs Rule 5 Lookout

Que : The Collision Regs Rule 5, Section 1 is not asking what you would look out for. It is asking how you would look out for dangers.

Ans: Collision Regulations Rule 5:
This is the most important rule, it is LOOK OUT.

Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and or the risk of collision.
 
When the rule says “ALL AVAILABLE MEANS” what it means can be taken to include;
1) your sight
2) your hearing
3) your crews sight
4) your crews hearing
so don’t let them have headphones on and listening to music
5) your passengers sight
6) your passengers hearing
thats why in aircraft they ask you to keep your blinds open at takeoff and landing, so that passengers can see anything going wrong and tell the crew
and then also these you may already have worked out ...
7) radar
8) binoculars
9) charts
10) gps
11) depth sounder
12) radio
13) AIS
14) Compass - because you look out for your direction by using your compass, and looking out to ensure you are going in the correct direction ensures you don’t go aground or into the path of another vessel if you are in a traffic separation area etc.
Distress Signals

Que : There is a question about Distress and Emergencies, is it asking for what would indicate to me another vessel is in distress such as distress flag, lights, day shapes, bells, horn, flares etc ?

Ans :  yes.

The law says you must assist a vessel in distress.
So you need to know what a distress signal is, because if you see ANY distress signal you MUST assist. So logically you need to know what all distress signals are.
If they are in distress and you do not assist, when they were clearly in distress and doing or showing or there was one of the distress signals visible to you - then you as a skipper will be in big trouble. So you need to know what to watch for, and what distress signal you all react to if you see it.
Diamond Hazard signs

Que:
I cannot find information about the diamond Hazard signs.

Ans:

So far as the Hazardous Materials part of the Environment unit it should be covered in the relevant part of the Australian Boating Manual page 119 (depending on the version you have).

It is only lightly covered in the Small Ships Manual that is a PDF in your thumb drive. Page 18 and 19.

Most people have posters at work or find the diamond placard interpretations online - which is part of the aim of the exercise, which is not to actually know the placards but to be able to find them, which will be an ongoing exercise on some vessels.

There's a placard finder on this website:
https://www.seton.com/signs/shipping-truck-signs/vehicle-placards-safety-signs.html?p=2

And a summary of the main points on this page:
https://www.hazmatschool.com/blog/meaning-of-hazardous-signs/

there are also many videos online, describing the system eg:
https://youtu.be/JCj4kQiivxI
https://vimeo.com/230110193

Wikipedia also has some information on the standard that the placards are based on:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFPA_704
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazardous_Materials_Identification_System
This Wiki page which has more pictures and less words:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangerous_goods#Classification_and_labeling_summary_tables
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHS_hazard_pictograms
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangerous_goods
which are all better more informative pages than the information on the Australian Dangerous goods Code which is not as user friendly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Dangerous_Goods_Code

In summary basically the diamond panel has four areas:
• Red - Fire hazard
• Blue - Health hazard
• Yellow - Reactivity
• White - Specific hazard

The numbers in the first three areas range from 0 to 4, with 0 signifying no hazard and 4 signifying a severe hazard. For example, in the Reactivity area:
• 0 = Stable
• 1 = Unstable if heated
• 2 = Violent chemical
• 3 = Shock or heat may detonate
• 4 = May detonate

In the Fire hazard area, the numbers indicate the flash point:
• 0 = Will not burn
• 1 = Above 200 degrees F (93 C)
• 2 = Below 200 degrees F
• 3 = Below 100 degrees F (38 C)
• 4 = Below 73 degrees F (23)
Concrete is an example of a class 0 fire hazard. Paper and wood are class 1.

In the Health hazard area:
• 0 = No hazard
• 1 = Slightly hazardous
• 2 = Hazardous
• 3 = Extremely hazardous
• 4 = Deadly

In the Specific hazard area, you will see things like:
• OXY - Oxidizer
• ACID
• ALK - Alkali
• COR - Corrosive
You may also see a "W" with a bar through it (meaning "use no water"), or the radiation hazard symbol for radioactive materials.

Electric bilge diagram

Que : I cannot find a simple electrical circuit diagram of an electric bilge pump.

Ans : There are many hundreds online, just search in Google, search for these words

3 way bilge pump switch diagram
Find the SIMPLEST one, best will be one that only has battery, 3 way switch, float switch and bilge pump.
Emergency Signals

Que:
The question asks 'what do these emergency signals mean', I cannot find anything for 1 short and 1 long blast at least 3 times in succession.

Ans:
Go into Google and type your exact words,
"1 short and 1 long blast at least 3 times in succession”
and you will get a heap of answers….

Many answers are in the huge array of resources available to skippers online.

Footprint / Emissions

Que : How a Coxswain operating on a vessel could use alternative technology to limit growth?

Ans : It refers to growth of energy use and also use and wastage of resources.

As this is a unit on Environment - we need to think about the Environment when answering questions.

Environmentally they want us to be more sustainable and to restrict growth of usage and waste of resources, growth of carbon footprint, growth of effect on the environment, growth of negative impact etc. We aren't doing profit or total revenue, we must think like greenies for this unit.
Reduce growth of ... Energy use, resource use, carbon footprint ....

They want to see if you know about improvements in engines, planning, navigation, systems to make efficiencies etc - because the marine industry tends to be quite inefficient and use old tech…

If you think of a commercial boat as all of these:

a house
a factory
a workplace
a transporter

all merged into one.
We all know how a house has to be aware of energy use, how they need to recycle and so forth, and there are things that a factory does and that a transporter does, such as planning, operating economically, efficient engines servicing etc. It is all applicable to our sector, the commercial boating sector.

Boats can reduce emissions by changing trim.
Look at this:
https://www.ebdg.com/services/trim-optimization/

Fuel Calculation

Que : I am having a problem working out the calculation with fuel in the Navigation section of the bookwork.

Ans : The object of the exercise is not an academic exercise, it is not about finding an answer from me or Google or YouTube.

It is really a test to see if you can figure out what amount of fuel you need. Most rescues occur because people haven’t calculated their fuel usage, so it is now a priority that all commercial skippers need to be able to calculate fuel usage.
Somehow.
Without someone else telling them each and every variation and calculation.
Boats have various ways to calculate it, much like car fuel calculations seem to have a multitude of variations in how you work it out.
Whatever works for you is the best way.
How do you work out the fuel.
You are about to do a really long trip up the coast and need to calculate what you need to carry.
If you cannot find the information for any and all motors - how will you ever be able to operate a boat?
The maths is simple.
Finding consumption from engine manufacturers is more difficult.
Figuring out what the  ‘real life’ fuel usage will likely be is very difficult because revs links to speed and distance and fuel usage and there are many variables and the fuel usage varies with hulls and weather also.
So you will need to use the facts that you can find, then make assumptions on as the many other things  (and note these because we want to see how you got to the answer).
It will enable you to develop a way that best works for you.
How Long do I Get to Finish it?

Que : Is there a fast track?
Can I just come in and do it fast?

Ans : The course is competency based, you can do the theory as fast as you want, anytime up to 6 months. there is no minimum set time, there is just a minimum set competency. You need to know certain things 100%

But is is not a tick and flick.
This course is a lot different to those “shonky” courses that many of us in Australia have become used to seeing in the mining, construction and other areas at work, where merely being present and ticking the attendance list is often enough to get a certificate or ticket, just by paying for it and sitting in a classroom for long enough.
But - in our industry we require crews and skippers to actually know what we train, we (and AMSA and ASQA)  are trying to raise the standard and the items we train and assess are actually items that industry want their coxswains to know.
Remember Industry creates the Training Package, not AMSA, so industry want better well trained skippers.
Inshore Definitions

Que : What is INSHORE?

Ans : Inshore operations ( according to NSCV Part B) inshore operations means operations of a vessel that are conducted laterally along the coast from either the base or a regular port of departure of the vessel that is:

  • Within 15 nm to seaward from:
    • (a) the baseline of any of the following:
      • (i) the Australian mainland;
      • (ii) the Tasmanian mainland;
      • (ii) a recognised island; or
    • (b) sheltered waters limits.
Marine notices

Que:
On the AMSA link I cannot find it. https://www.amsa.gov.au/about/regulations-and-standards#collapseArea235 only seem to run to mid 2018, is there a 2019 list I am missing?

Ans:
On the page you linked to - click the top left little box. It will take you to this page headed CURRENT MARINE NOTICES.
https://www.amsa.gov.au/about/regulations-and-standards/marine-notices
Links keep changing, so use the AMSA search.

Marine Pollution

Que : Marine Pollution

Ans : The discharge of oil or oily substances from ships is prohibited unless strict conditions are met. In order to satisfy these conditions, ships must be fitted with special equipment and installations, as required by the regulations.
However, a ship of less than 400 gross tonnage (other than an oil tanker) need only be capable of storing oil residues on board, and discharging them to reception facilities ashore. Failure to comply with Australian MARPOL 73/78 legislation can result in penalties of up to $200,000 for an individual and $1 million for companies.
Best Practice Guidelines for Waste Reception Facilities (Internet resource)
Impacts of Shipping (Internet resource)

Requirements for reporting pollution incidents
A pollution report (POLREP) must be made to AMSA when an incident involves:
1 A discharge or probable discharge of oil, or noxious liquid substances carried in bulk, resulting from damage to the ship or its equipment, or for the purpose of securing the safety of a ship or saving life at sea.
2 A discharge or probable discharge of harmful substances in packaged form, including those in freight containers, portable tanks, road and rail vehicles and ship borne barges.
3 An operational discharge in excess of that permitted under MARPOL 73/78.

In addition, all illegal discharges of garbage should be reported to the local authorities or to AMSA.

Reference: Australian Annual Notice to Mariners, Notice 31, Requirements for Reporting Pollution Incidents.

Notice to Mariners

Que : In the workbook we are asked to refer to Annual Notice to Mariners. The only one I can find online is available only for purchase from http://www.chartandmapshop.com.au/280511/Annual-Australian-Notices-to-Mariners-2013/0

Are you aware of one that is free?

Ans : This should be on your USB thumb drive in your Kit.

Australian Annual Notices to Mariners 2015.pdf
Chapter 25, page 103
However if it is missing let us know if it doesn’t work and we can send you a new link to one.
or
BUT Links can move all the time:
Other people have found other links….
Not Under Command

Que:
How can a vessel not under command be making way?

Ans:
Under Command means more or less “out of control”
So it could be stuck in gear and have no steering, or any other malfunctions. If you look on youtube you will see many crashes caused by control system malfunctions. They were “not under command”.

Page Numbers

Que : PAGE NUMBERS DON’T MATCH

The references to the ABM / Small Ships Manual in the course Workbook are sometimes different to my page numbers.

Ans : Yes.

The references to the ABM and the Small Ships Manual in the Knowledge Assessment Workbook sometimes mention page numbers that can differ from the version of books that you may have because there are 6 different versions of Small Ships Manual and now 6 versions of Australian Boating Manual (ABM), and different people have different versions. Most companies have copies that students use. The digital versions of both also have different page numbers to the hard copies and between all those versions there are over 20 different versions and options. Sometimes we specify which book to look at, but the best option is to use the index. Or better still, read the chapter.  eg a question may suggest that you look at Small Ships Manual Version 5 Page 247 or Australian Boatin Manual version 5 pg 170, and it will just say  SS V5 Page 247 or ABM5
pg 170.
In reality all students could / should study the entire chapter or the entire Small Ships Manual. All of it.
But to help (those students who can figure out the versions) we have added some page numbers (and sometimes mentioned which version) to make it easier for you to find the actual page in the chapter with the most important info for the most common versions of books out there. But the exercise of finding the right page is not the point. This is not an exercise to see if you can find a sentence from a certain page and copy it. The idea is that students read it all, then understand and put things into their own words.
We could (and we have been told that we should) just remove every single page number from the kit and just tell people to read the entire relevant chapters, but we thought leaving the page numbers of the most common versions of the books would assist some people. If the page numbers confuse you, just ignore them and read the entire chapter, or use the index to find the items you are looking for. Most people that are doing the course to learn something, study the entire Small Ships Manual, and also study the relevant chapters of the Australian Boating Manual.
When AMSA publish the new Version 7 Small Ships Manual, and they are available for sale, we will make all numbers match the new version and the new version of the book will be in the Kit. But while we wait for AMSA, we have no other option.
The answers are all there in the study books, just in different page numbers to those we quote. Almost all of the Small Ships Manual has to be known, so a Coxswain should read and know all of it. So page numbers being different shouldn't be a problem as all the knowledge is in it.
We have even had some students get most answers by searching Google and wikipedia and various boating sites, as well as really getting to know the AMSA site really well - as they haven't liked the Australian Boating Manual. However the best method is to follow the method described in the course. ie Study the study booklet from your kit first, read all of what it says to read and follow the instructions - and it will all work out. Its not a tick and flick course, however we have the highest pass rate of any correspondence course in the country, so it does work.
We are changing it all the time, based on changes in Government / AMSA and also on what students say. This course is more up to date than any other course in Australia, and that is only because we keep updating it and we make allowances for different versions etc. We REALLY want everyone to pass and get really properly competent and qualified, so will do what it takes to get you to know what you need to know, so you can pass the final tests at the end. So it really needs to be learned, there are no shortcuts, but if you follow the system - you will get there.
So step 1: get the Australian Boating Manual, or look at the Small Ships Manual and read it hen start studying and reading and learning and then answering the written questions. Take notes when it tells you to and work through it.
Remember its a Correspondence - so correspond regularly…I am here to help you to get through, properly. If you don’t understand something, just ask.
When we say to study the chapter on anchoring on for example pg 121, if the version of book happens to have it on page 96, thats not what the course is about. We could just say - find the chapter on anchoring and read it.
Most questions can be answered and the answers found via any choice of methods and we often try to give options, online, Australian Boating Manual, Small Ships Manual, and also items on the USB thumb drive. Students are all different so we cater for the broadest possible range of students, even those with learning difficulties are able t complete this course. However we don’t hold peoples hand and allow them to simply copy paste answers. They are expected to actually get involved and learn, rather than being spoon fed, which can be difficult for some to begin to accept.
It is totally impossible to have every single page reference of every version for every question, so thats why people are expected to just read the chapter to study the relevant item. The specific page numbers may match up for some students, but for other students they have to turn a few pages or look for the relevant chapter heading.
If there is any particular question you cannot answer, let me know…
FINAL PRACTICAL DAY

Que : What size boat and what survey class is it that we will be using for the Practical? Some of the questions require my knowledge of this.

Ans : 2C survey and 5.99m long with a 150HP 4 stroke Yamaha outboard.

Que: What can I expect on the practical assessment day?

Ans: This is covered during the course. You will see items mentioned in various places all through the correspondence course and then at the end more information is sent to you in an email that you will receive five days before the final practical day.

We try to not bombard you with too much about the practical early on as the correspondence theory written course is more than enough for you to focus on at the start.

So if you start with and finish the theory written correspondence items in the kit, then when we send you the practical information five days before the final exam day then that is the time to revise your theory and also look at what we send you about the practical. We actually send you the final written exam and the final practical exam, so you know exactly what you will get asked.

On the practical day you will need to bring correct AMSA approved ID such as a passport, birth certificate and that information is sent to you, or you can even find it on AMSA website. You can’t do the exam without this ID.

You will be told to bring in a list of things. You will get the list five days before the practical these will include bringing in a completed filled in Risk Assessment. You can either do this on your own company paperwork, or on the card that is in your Kit, a Temporary Notice to Mariners check for the area you are doing the practical in, a Weather Report, the Tide information and you also need to go through your Kit and make sure everything is filled in, look at all the sheets of paper in the Kit. Everything is in there for a reason.

Bring your entire Kit in to us on your Practical Final assessment day. And most important make sure you absolutely completely finish your written workbook and bring it in. Nearly finished is not good enough, you will just be sent away. You need to fill it all in.

Also bring Clothing appropriate to the forecast.

If you are doing the Grade 2 or the Grade 1 bring bathers, wetsuit if you want and a change of clothes, towel etc

The notes you get sent 5 days before the test will actually tell you all the items that the trainer will be doing with you. For example;
Refuelling the boat
How to deal with dangerous goods
You will need to do basic very basic troubleshooting You will also have to do a simulated lockout tag out You will also let off a red handheld flair and an orange smoke flare
You will do very basic firefighting which does not include a fire you will have to show that you can set off a CO2 fire extinguisher also show that you know how to point it at the fire also how to use a fire blanket and a fire hose. All of these are in the Thumb Drive, and you can even find most things on YouTube as well as on the instructions manuals for these things.

Grade 1 people will also need to use the outboard service manual to answer some basic questions, they will also remove an outboard impeller and replace it and the propeller and replace it.

Once you get to the water and into the boat the items are fairly standard of what you will need to do. It is not too far different to the recreational skippers ticket with a few extra things added.

You will depart the berth safely do a figure eight, drive ahead, drive astern, pick up a man overboard, pick up a mooring, turn in a confined space and simulate towing another boat using the large floating dock. You will also anchor and berth the boat.

Grade one and Grade 2 doing basic survival will also have to abandon ship so will have to know how to do a Mayday call and have to know how to activate an EPIRB. They have to jump in the water and tread water for 5 minutes, then they get thrown a life jacket and have to put a lifejacket on in the water, then they have to swim in a life jacket for 50 m. You also have to tow another person or a dummy for 50m and have to know what is the H.E.L.P. position and do it and demonstrate how to swim in a conga line.

Only Grade one have to do the survival craft unit. Grade 1 has to read the instructions and set the life raft off from the boat. The trainer will help you once the life raft is deployed. You will have to jump safely into the water while wearing a lifejacket, then turn the capsized life raft over while in the water. You then climb into the life raft from the water and then deploy the drogue while you are separate from the boat. The trainer then drives off and you wave to him to come and rescue you, and he comes back to rescue you. You haul all the items back into the liferaft, including the drogue and anything that could get caught up in your rescuers propeller.

You then also have to answer some questions.

All grades have to know the set of knots including figure 8, sheet bend, reef knot, clove hitch, round turn and 2 half hitches and the rolling hitch. You will need to prepare and throw a heaving line after attaching it to a heavy rope using a double sheet bend and you will then also have to coil and hang up the heaving line you used.

Grade 1 and grade 2 then also need to do an eye splice and a short splice and also whip the end of a rope with some thin twine or cotton thread that is provided.

All grades of Coxswain students, Grade 1, 2 and 3 all have to know 20 out of 20 day shapes that they get asked from the flip cards and grade 1 and grade 2 also have to know an additional 30 night lights and get them all correct.

Now each of the items that I have just mentioned above are really all separate ‘sections’ so if for example a person is no good at rope work or useless at knots or doesn’t know the lights or is not up to the standard in one small section, they can fail that one small section but still keep going and do everything else. All they then need to do is demonstrate at a later time that they can now do that small section. Sometimes you can do it later in the day or the next day or at some other time you can come back to Woodman Point and redo it.

Some people come in a few times, sometimes just for an hour, just to do some things they were not able to pass the first time.

Que: Do I need to practice on a boat before the practical?

Ans:  It is assumed

that you already have been out on boats and do you have at least some practical experience on boats, and if so then that is really all you need. At the basic coxswains level you are expected to only have had recreational boating experience and so long as you have got that you should be fine. The practical competency level required is quite low and it is all really more about safety rather than requiring a great boat handling skill level. So long as you are safe and careful and considered in what you do you will be fine, no speeding, no high revs, no slamming between gears, just smooth and take it easy and be safe. 

If you do have a friend with a boat and can go out with them and practice, then I would say practice these:

Departing the berth safely 

Do a figure eight, ahead, and astern, 

Pick up a man overboard, 

Pick up a mooring, 

Turn in a confined space - what this means is like a 3 point turn. Turning without moving forwards or backwards far, like you do in a car. Except in a boat you might do a 4 or 5 or 6 point turn, the idea is to show you can go back and forth, turning the outboard in the correct direction each time to achieve a turn in as small as space as possible. 

And also anchor properly and finally berth the boat carefully at a dock.

POLICIES

Que : I want more than 6 months to finish the course, I need to delay it more because:

  • I cannot use computers
  • I prefer classroom
  • I have too much other work
  • I just got married / divorced / a baby / a death in the family / the dog ate it etc
What can I do?
Ans : You have 6 months to finalise it.
When you booked we made this clear.
You read it and you accepted it.
Practical Day List

Que:
What do I need on the Practical / Final Assessment Day?

Ans:
This is covered during the course and finalised in an email you will receive 5 days before the practical day.
As in “real life” you are expected to make up a list as you go along….
Hint:
There are some items….
Temporary Notice to Mariners
Weather
Tides
Clothing appropriate to the forecast
Bathers, wetsuit and a change of clothes, towel etc if doing Grade 2, or Grade 1.
Add more…

Procedures

Que:
The study book says “Write a list of procedures required for the vessel on exam day. Does this mean things like MOB, berthing, unberthing, crane operations, anchoring, abandon ship etc”

Ans:
This is being changed at the moment and the latest Final Practical day information gets sent to all students 5 days before they come in. Email us and ask for the latest SMS, which is the one you will use. There is also an SMS in your Thumb Drive that was in the Kit. Students read it, know it and have it with them and use it on the day. They make suggested changes and that all goes into their digital evidence file, of their contribution and understanding.

RADIO Exam on Practical Day?

Q: Should I do my Radio Exam on the same day as my Practical Day?

ANSWER: Doing it on a separate day is definitely easier for you.
As there is so much to do and to study for, we find many students struggle to fit the radio exam in on the same day, and even if they do fit it in, they fail more often than if they are doing it on a separate day with less stress.

You MUST give the iiCaptain office written notice at least 3 business days or more BEFORE the date that you want to do the exam, because iiCaptain office has to organise it with the Office of Maritime Communications (OMC) that controls all exams from Tasmania. OMC release the exam portal online, and you do the online exam in the iiCaptain office in front of an iiCaptain assessor. More notice is better as there may not be an assessor available, so the earlier you contact the office, the more chance of an assessor being available.

RISK

Que : I can not find the dangers of refuelling using a plastic jerry can, transporting a plastic jerry or storing an outboard motor.

Ans : 

You must be one of the smarter ones, and I DO mean that. We find that the smarter PhD students and professors and people who are very smart and precise and accurate and correct in what they do seem to struggle with questions that require common sense, as in those things that commoners know. Labourers and workers can answer these practical things based on what is to them common knowledge, simple and basic items which they know, not based on book learned ‘stuff’. Your looking for precise written answers to things is the problem here. Because no committee somewhere made up a list telling everyone what every risk is, some academics struggle. But it is their way to start to learn about the boating world in which there is no way you can learn everything about everything from books.
Lets consider the situation using an analysis of what the problem is one word at a time:
It is Plastic
It is Portable
It carries inflammable liquid
Plastic = soft, it can get cut, squashed, or even melted. This is common knowledge and so you are expected to apply this knowledge to the issue of plastic fuel containers and how you transport them. Something sharp leaning against it will pierce it.
Portable = it can roll over and the plastic lid can even get knocked off quite easily when packed in a ute or truck with other gear.
Sparks and static also happen a lot and screwed in connections get loose when the plastic is left in tropical or hot sun.
You could go on and on and on about the risks.
These questions are placed in certain places in the course to gauge the students ability to transfer and apply (commonly expected) knowledge from one area, into another area. i.e. knowledge of what plastic is and what portable means and what inflammable liquid is, can be used to transfer to the carrying and use of plastic portable jerry cans. We use these questions to see if a student is competent at using a wide range of common or expected knowledge of life, to apply it to their actions on a vessel, to reduce risk. We can see by students answers what they are competent at, and we thus adjust the way we train on the final day. We can then adjust the final final practical day to fill the ‘gaps’ we need to fill and also the final assessment content is varied based on real life expectations.
The questions and answers often have multiple (sneaky) reasons, and are there to answer more than simply the question they are asking.
Another example is to make a website link incorrect in order to see if the student is able to deal with this and find a new place to get the info - this tells us that the student is competent in finding the answers in the future when coxswain rules change. It is sort of like teaching someone how to read a chart, rather than teaching them how to get from A to B. We don’t teach A to B, but then we test you to see if you can get from A to B, then if you can do that, we know you can also work out how to get to D, E and G etc. It is sneaky but satisfies requirements in the easiest way. Sometimes just one answer in the book is actually answering 3 or more things for AMSA and the training package.
Many things can actually be found online if you really really seriously don’t have any idea about plastic fuel containers.
eg type the words "risk transporting plastic fuel containers" into Google and you will get many answers.
Find the ones that you think apply to you as a boater.
As a Coxswain there will be many many things that need to be learned and we cannot teach every single one, so what we are doing is teaching concepts, teaching overview, teaching you to think like a good Coxswain. We look for evidence of resourcefulness to assist students to find answers for themselves and to figure out improvements in their life as a Coxswain, because you will need it.
SMS

Que : SMS SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

What do I need to do I am using your boat, please send the SMS

Ans : Perth Boat School has an SMS on:

Look at the SMS and then email us some text with your contribution to improving it. Add things that are needed, edit things, improve it.
there is more on SMS in the thumb drive and AMSA guidance on SMS for you is on this site:
SMS / Risk Assessment / SWM

Que : My company does not have a SMS relevant to marine works. Shall I print out and bring an example SMS from the AMSA website?

Ans : Students have to prove they are familiar with the concept of an SMS, know how to work on one, how to develop a template into a working realistic SMS relevant to whatever job they will be doing.

We don’t need you to prove that you can copy and paste, or print something. The key concept we are looking for is, “has the student studied the material sufficient to (1) learn, and (2) apply, the knowledge. We need evidence of this, and the only way to prove you can apply the knowledge is to do it, to create a simple, relevant sms, or edit one, improve on one or in some way show you can do what is relevant to your job. The job that you will be doing when you get the qualification.
But it cannot be just a copy, some thought and understanding actually has to be shown. “Apply” knowledge is the key to this.
You can email this - most people do that as they are digital. We keep a digital file for all students in folders.
So if we ever need to, we can refer to other students work from Dampier Salt / Rio Tinto. If there are issues, we go over those on the final day.
We do need evidence form you that you have contributed to this document and are at least able to use it and figure out what is needing editing etc. Some / any improvement can always be done. So what students do is look at their SMS / SWP / SWMS for a part of the boating activities, particularly the area that relates to what their job will be, and they see if the document matches the real life on the workplace risks of what really, practically is likely to occur, then they write a few paragraphs or a list or two, improving some part of the SWP, or a procedure, or an emergency process etc - just something to show you are involved and understand the purpose and use of the document.
Ours is online at www.perthboatschool.com.au/sms if you are using our boat on the day download this, read it and send us an email with suggested improvements that will make your workday better, safer.
Smooth Water description

Que : Where can I find smooth or Partially smooth water

Ans : 

www.transport.wa.gov.au/.../geographical-limits-of-smooth-waters-e-area.a...
Mar 11, 2015 - Find out about the geographical limits of smooth and partially smooth waters in Western Australia, suitable for all vessels, including 'Class E' ...
Special Mark

Que : What is the light rhythm and colour of the special mark and then asks why it is the way it is. I can only find information about what the light is and its rhythm however I cant find any info on the reason it has this rhythm. I understand that it is a yellow light that can be any rhythm other than that of the cardinal, iso danger or safe water mark and I'm only guessing it has this rhythm to clearly distinguish it from the other markers. Would this be correct?

Ans : Yes. And this shows your thought process and ability to calculate C when given A and B, so shows the next stage of thinking that a skipper / coxswain needs, where you take knowledge of some things and use that to figure out other things. PERFECT.

Que : I can't find the reason behind the light rhythm for special markers?

Ans : Special Mark has no specific light rhythm other than cannot conflict with the white lights rhythms of Cardinal , Isolated Danger, Safe Water so you must realise that it is different, i.e. "Any Rhythm" other than those in the area.

Part two of same question refers to WHY is there this rhythm, obviously the answer is so that yellow light cannot be confused any of the white light rhythms (which can appear yellow).
Questions such as these are in the question book specifically to see if the student has the ability to work things out, and not to just look for answers given by other people, but to learn A and B and thus work out C by themselves. There are a number of these sorts of things in the books.
Squat and Interaction

Que : Where is this, I cannot find the info

Ans : The Question is about “squat” and “interaction”. These words can usually be found in the index, but if not, the easiest way to learn is to watch videos or read online. Different people learn via different ways, so we try to give you as many options as possible.

It is in the Small Ships Manual Version 5 (the file is in your thumb drive) the index shows it on page 253, 254, 255 and also squat is on page 207 using PDF search and also a little on the top of pg 268.
Google will show you also, I just typed the words “squat” and “interaction” into google and got the following.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_effect
http://www.marineinsight.com/marine-navigation/how-squat-bank-and-bank-cushion-effects-influence-ships-in-restricted-waters/
There are also many videos in YouTube that show the effects:
squat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5gGYT9totw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq8EQVl7GG0
failed interaction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvyNMIEZbG4
good interaction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jwb0-r0haw
interaction info:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niAnMR9WBLA
Statutory, Vessel and Company documentation

Que:
Despite reading the study material I’m struggling to understand what is the difference between Statutory, Vessel, and Company documentation. What is the short summery version definition?

Ans:
Statutory - made by Government, rules and laws, i.e. Dept of Transport, AMSA, licences such as Fishing or tourism licences, permits etc.
Vessel - about the boat, how to operate it, operation manuals and instructions and checklists
Company - documents specific to the company only.

Survey Exempt Boat

Que : I “know” our boat is or used to be “survey exempt” and under the new AMSA system our boat has a certificate of operation as a 2C workboat, and it also says something about restrictions, but I can not find any correspondence to say that is exempt from survey. Would we have received anything from AMSA to say this or is the cert of operation that.

Ans : Excellent - that is the purpose of the course, to get you to look at your own operations and to ensure that every step of the process is correct and legal / compliant with both AMSA and OHS and any other regulations relating to the operation.

 
This is a common occurrence, vessels that are Grandfathered (see the Guidance paper on AMSA website) can operate in certain circumstances under their “old” requirements. But - what often happens is most people haven’t kept records of the “old” (i.e. grandfathered) requirements, and so they have no evidence of what they are actually required to do, to have on board etc.
 
If your vessel is on a Certificate of Operation, then when someone applied for the Certificate of Operation they will have filled in that it was Survey Exempt and they should have had evidence of that being so.
Many Survey Exempt vessels still use the lists for safety equipment, eg we have copies of the old WA survey Exempt document which is not available as a document via DoT anymore - we just happen to have kept ours, because we have to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. What is says on your CoO is what you are allowed to do.
Survey Intervals MyBOAT

Que:
I am having problems finding the answers in the books.

Ans:
The aim of this part is not just those specific survey details.

This question in the course is put here so that we can get verification (evidence) that you know about MYBOAT and AMSA website and have used it successfully to find some survey equipment requirements.

We need some evidence so if you can please fill in whatever details you can and even write comments in the margin, that then is the evidence we need 'that you know about AMSA and have seen the myBoat portal’ where you can look and find details about your boat in future.

Many items in this Coxswain Course are designed to set you up for being a competent Coxswain in the future and sometimes when we ask for facts we really don't need the facts - what we are looking for is a way to get evidence that you know how to find the facts - because if you can find ‘some' things, then you can find ‘other' things and as a Competent Coxswain in the future you will/may at some stage be required to find detail details and safety equipment list etc for a Boat that you are in command of. Now you know. This is part of the problem studying a subject that involves rules that are in flux. So long as you can find Survey Requirements on the AMSA site - Check out MY BOAT.

TNTM

Que : I am told to get a TNTM before my practical (next week). I have had a look on the Department of Transport's website and I cannot find one for my location.

Ans : Before you, as a commercial Coxswain skipper take a vessel out you need to check the weather (whatever is relevant to your operations and location and vessel etc, i.e. wind, tide, warnings etc…). You also need to check the TNTM’s because something may have occurred the day before you head out, and you may drive straight into a sea container floating in the port, or some other danger and the TNTM may have warned you about it. So you need to show me that you have checked. You can check the day before and print it, or you can check it on your mobile the night before and keep a screen grab, or you can even in front of me on the day. The idea is "real life" proving to me that you are a good skipper and that you do all these checks. The fact that you looked and cannot find one for your location is great - as that proves to me that you have looked, so just give me proof that you looked, other than your word that you did it - I don't really know whether you did look, or if you just said you did. So give me a screen grab, a print out, or any 'evidence' that provers you actually looked - will be fine. We need to keep evidence that you did these things, and that can be a digital photo, a screen grab, or something else you may think of, it is no limited.

Towing

Q:  When setting up a tow from behind, create a checklist of 10 items you would include: I am unsure of the wording here – Is this towing a vessel behind me (as the tow-er) or setting up to tow the towee FROM their behind ie: push. I am assuming the first as I have no idea how to push a vessel from astern?

A:

Tow from Behind:

There are 3 ways you tow a boat.
1) from in front, i.e. you are in front
2) from alongside
3) from behind, when you are behind the other boat. Actually you are sort of alongside, but mostly behind, so in a way you are pushing. As most vessels that a Coxswain works with, have an outboard at the back and an anchor at the front, it is not possible to come up behind a boat and simply push it the way a tug boat would push a barge.
In your USB thumb drive there is a Small Ships Manual and in the Towing section, you can see an image on pg 259 that shows the lines and setup.
Obviously the one we want you to draw is not the same, otherwise that would only show us if you can copy something. We need to see that you can learn from seeing one situation and put that knowledge into solving a similar towing situation, this time we provided you with a barge and you are required to show it towing (pushing from behind/alongside).
Also, in the Australian Boating Manual (Edition 6) in chapter 8: Boat Handling & Towing, Fig 8.27 is very similar to what we are wanting you to draw in your workbook.
A good video showing how this works in real life is here;
As a Coxswain does not operate a tugboat, we don’t ask you to do anything a tug would do, however towing of the sort in the video and dealing with barges is a common task for Coxswains.
Variation Deviation

VARIATION AND DEVIATION

Many people get all confused and stressed by the variation and deviation and that is because it is often trained by mathematic boffins who seem to have fun making it seem more complicated than it needs to be. It is not academic, it is not bookwork or formulae, it is real life.

Really, it is all as simple as this.
Step one, you are sitting at home looking at a chart and decide to go from point A to point B. You know charts are TRUE.
So A to B is the TRUE bearing. Easy.
But when you walk outside you can see there are no TRUE lines painted on the earth that match the chart for us to follow so the only way to know the direction we need to go is to use MAGNETICS, using the magnetics of the earth.
So we need to convert the TRUE heading we want to go, to a MAGNETIC bearing that will be of use in the real world. We do this by using the Variation information.
Once we have converted TRUE (chart) to MAGNETIC (real world) we know the MAGNETIC bearing we follow to steer from A to B.
We then go to the boat, look at the compass and want to use the compass to tell us what the Magnetic bearing is, so we can head form A to B. If the COMPASS was perfect that would be fine, we would steer the boat using the compass and follow the MAGNETIC bearing.
BUT compasses have errors. If our compass is not perfect, then we need to figure out whats wrong and we need to make an adjustment to our heading. This is where the compass error (i.e. compass DEVIATION) come in.

A Deviation Card is simply a card telling you how wrong your magnetic compass is.

In theory if everything was perfect, the Compass North should point your way to the MAGNETIC North out there in the real world.

So if you are on your boat and you want to steer towards Magnetic North, you “should” be able to look at your Compass and steer to where it says Magnetic North is.
Thats the theory, but the compass may not be correct, it may have errors, it may DEVIATE.
When you look at the Compass in your boat and it “says” you are heading North, in fact the Compass may be wrong, and you may actually be headed somewhere else.
This is where the Compass Deviation Card comes in.

The demo Deviation card provided with your practical kit is just one style of many styles of cards available. Look online and you will see heaps of variations, we can discuss some on your practical day - just remind me when we start the chartwork)

For now, using the provided Deviation card.

If you want to steer towards Magnetic North, then the number of degrees Magnetic North is 0. (Remember North is 0, East is 90, South is 180, West is 270).

If we want to travel Magnetic North (0), the card tells us that the compass is out and it tells us that in order to go North (i.e. 0) we actually need to steer the boat so that the compass “says” 357.
So steering the boat and looking at the compass, when the compass says 357, we will actually he heading North, towards Magnetic North.

On the card looking at Magnetic East (90) we see that we have to actually steer the boat on a heading of 92 to actually really be heading towards Magnetic East (90).

The same goes for all the other bearings.
Some cards only have 4 rows of data with North, East, South and West, others such as this one have North, North East (045), and East (090) and so on, i.e. every 45 degrees. There is no hard and fast rule.

Some cards just have -2 or +4 or -10 etc which tells you the error. There are many ways to set up a card, but the AIM of the card must be remembered. It is not all about formulae and numbers and memory. The idea is to tell the skipper how wrong the compass is, and then the skipper can know what should be steered to go towards the correct Compass heading.

Vessel classes

Que : I cannot find the 4 main vessel classes / water classifications

Ans : They should be in your Study Book plus they are also on the AMSA website, this used to be the web page, if it has changed search for it on the AMSA website, as a Coxswain you will need to know this because every time you get on a different boat, you will need to see its classification and that will lead to you deciding what you can do, where you can go etc. As a skipper you need to know the codes for vessel classes 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as water classification A, B, C, D and E.

VISIT the CLASS

Que:
Can I come down and familiarise with the vessel I will be tested on if that’s possible prior to exam day. I know your books say all the answers are staring at me, but …

Ans:
Yes, sure this week or next? Just email and I will let you know which dates the vessel is in the shed and available.
By all means you can come in. The point of the final day practical assessment is a simulation of your first day “on the job” at a worksite where you are the new Coxswain and that is when you check all the above items. The fact that you want to check them early is a massive positive and something I have to make a point of telling to all students. “Don’t check your vessel for the first time just an hour before your first offshore job using it, or you will end up heading offshore in an illegal boat”. You don’t need to come in, but you can if you want.

Waste Minimisation and Segregation

Que : I cannot find any information regarding waste minimisation and segregation in my ABM, and the www.

Ans : The course is blended learning and clever assessment and is designed to let you achieve 4 things by answering 1 question.

  1. You can prove that you have initiative,
  2. You can prove that you can find things, and
  3. You can prove that you can take knowledge from one area and use it elsewhere, and
  4. You can prove that you have life experiences, and all that I can see from whether you can give an answer that is obvious, but isn’t written in front of you in a book.
Proving competency in Knowledge and Skills is the main focus of adult education and that means not just a matter of copying answers from one book into another, or from the www into our written book, even though it is possible to do this for some small parts of the course
Effectively we train A and B and then see if you can figure out C for yourself.
To help you here is a discussion on the two items waste minimisation and segregation and you will see that you actually already do know the answer, just from your life.
Waste minimising is HUGE, it is a part of our world conversation every day, from school kids, to tv ads, to the local council rubbish bins and the Clean Up Australia programmes - it is everywhere. Now commercial skippers need to start to think about what they do on their own boats and start trying to bring back good old common sense (which of course isn’t common any more) and transfer some things they do on land and on cars, and homes and workplaces, into what they do on boats as coxswains. A commercial boat can be like a house (you live in it), a workplace and a car, because it transports you. So apply those same things you so at home, at work and in the car.
Without looking in a book, many answers can be found inside your own knowledge of the world. Today I had a Coxswain student from Geraldton, and almost every single question that the student ‘couldn’t find’ was actually in the students head, because as soon as I verbally asked the question, they knew the answer.
Just because a question is written, doesn’t mean you need to find a written answer.
If you really cannot think of an answer, and cannot find an answer online nor in any of the books, let me know what the exact question is, and I will re-word it in another way, or give you some clues that will make you get it….. I am trying to make you think differently, this is not school, this is life.
Use less fuel by operating better, planning better running less engine time, efficient engines, etc
Segregation may require some thought and a bit of wider ‘big picture’ view of other places where you segregate. Do you put your fuel storage containers next to the fire place? No. that is segregation. Do you leave matches in the kids bedroom? Do you leave engine oil in the fridge or acid in the food cupboard? Dogfood next to the kids biscuits and bird food near the breakfast cereals. No - obviously they might get mixed up.  Do you put frozen food in the cupboard and bottles of beer in the freezer? No. Why not? Because each has a reason why not. Perhaps some of the same reasons of why you put things in one place and not another in your home or workplace, will be the same on a boat. Think about segregation of items stored on boats…. Some relate to chemical reactions. It really is obvious, you do know the answer…. We aren’t just talking about a 4m dinghy, as a Coxswain you can operate a boat up to 12m, so what might be on that size boat?
We find some of our most academic smartest students struggle the most because they look for perfect 'written answers in a book', when a coxswains job is a fairly simple, physical real world job, and so you should be looking at that level of simple logical user (common) knowledge answers, that can be applied daily on boats.
If you still have problems, tell me the exact question you cannot answer, and I will help more.
Good luck.
Water Classifications

Que : I cannot find the water classes, or the local D and E areas in my state.

Ans : These are the current classes and distances. This is also on the AMSA website.

A = 200nm +
B = inside 200nm
C = inside 30nm
D and E are Partially Smooth and Smooth waters and are determined on a state by state basis and are actually gazetted, so written into law. Each state’s local Dept of Transport or equivalent body does this, so you can find WA’s D and E class waters on the WA Dept of Transport website.
 
D is Partially Smooth and like a bay or cove or that sort of place
E is usually in a lake, a river or somewhere with more protection
 
In other states look here;
Weather Forecast

Que:
It says I need a weather forecast for the day of my practical. Is it ok to print a 5 day forecast, as I don't have access to a printer at home?

Ans:
You can look it up on the day with your phone if you have one that can access the internet. You need to show evidence, that you check the weather before each trip. A 5 day forecast is good when planning and yes email that to me and I will add it to your file, also on the day you need to check the weather before we depart, so you know what the up to date forecast is, for the day.

NSW SMS - where is it?

NSW SMS is in the USB thumb drive that came with your kit, look in the 'SMS and Risk' folder and in that is a subfolder 'NSW' which has the SMS you are looking for.

3 Water & Weather Conditions in Northern Australia
ANSWER:
What we are looking for is not whether you can find something in a book or in the study materials, but to see whether you can find relevant information that isn't exactly set out in a book in the same way that it is asked. Like real life. What would you do if as a Coxswain you got a job working on a boat in the North, would you be aware of the biggest weather related dangers up there. The study materials do cover the items you correctly assumed, i.e. Cyclones, Tides and the one you missed, which is Currents. Logically as you would imagine, generally wherever there are big tides, there are strong currents and these three greatly influence boating.
WHEN DOES SEA TIME START FROM:

Sea Service for a Coxswain certificate can be ALL the time you spent on a boat, BOTH recreational or commercial, 50% of it must be done in the past 5 years.

Sea Time Overseas

Que : Does seatime that I got overseas count towards my coxswain seatime?

Ans : The best people to ask about SeaTime is AMSA.

They alone are the ones who decide it and make the rules. www.amsa.gov.au

Task Books

Que : Can Task Books be completed with the trainer? Can I pay for an instructor to help teach and complete some/all of the tasks in the taskbook?

Ans : AMSA have specifically said that trainers /  RTO’s cannot do the task books with students.

The task book is supposed to be done by students ‘at work’ on their own workboat as its a way to show that the sea time that you have is better than standard sea time, and thus the seatime amount is reduced.
TASK BOOK - Supervisor

Filling in the AMSA Task Book reduces your required Sea Time.
It must be signed by a supervisor.
The ’supervisor’ can also be a ‘qualified person’.

The supervisor or qualified person can be ANY of the following:
- Be the owner, master or engineer of the vessel.
- Have a certificate of competency that is at least equal to the qualification being supervised.
- Have a restricted certificate of competency that is at least equal to the qualification being supervised. You are not allowed to sign off tasks that you are not permitted to do under the restriction.
- Have a workshop skill equivalent or trade qualification directly related to the qualification—a marine mechanic or diesel fitter can supervise engineering tasks, a refrigeration mechanic can supervise refrigeration tasks, an electrician can supervise electrical tasks.

AMPA - what is it?

AMPA stands for Amsa Mandated Practical Assessment, and thats what anyone doing Grade 1 or Grade 2 needs to do on the final assessment day.
Some students don’t need it, so we can do an assessment without doing the actual AMPA paperwork, but it is the same assessment, just more and different paperwork.

FINAL WRITTEN EXAM

The DEMO written theory assessment you received in the Kit is just for practice, it is very similar to the real one that you will need to do closed book on the final assessment day. You will also receive an updated version via email, 5 days before the final assessment day. Download it and practice it, it should be an updated version and be almost exactly the final written exam that you will do. The exam changes regularly and the one in the email is more accurate than the one you got in your kit.

Worst Weather In My Area
ANSWER:
What we are wanting to see is evidence that you observe the weather in your area - as this general weather awareness is what will make your boating safer or (if you are not observant) more dangerous and risky to yourself as a coxswain and any others that go with you in the boat. If you are not prepared for the weather then you may take a boat out into a place at a time that is about to become dangerous. For example you may take a small open boat offshore on a hot summers day and decide to head north west, and are not being prepared or aware of the strong sea breeze that is guaranteed to come in from the south west, meaning you have to bash into it on your way back to the jetty later that afternoon.
I see that you were born in 1979, so 45 years old, and you are Australian, so you must have been outdoors and experienced some extremes of weather, wherever you were, even if you have not been in Lancelin all of that time, you will have to be aware of the summer and the winter conditions, in general. If not, look at BOM records, or ask a local. To be a safe coxswain skipper you need to know the summer and the winter weather factors.
You would be aware that the main weather factors that will influence boating the most are simply these 4: wind, waves, currents and tides. Pretty much every single weather event, from a cyclone to the sea breeze, to a North Westerly storm front in winter, ALL of them merely change one or more of these four, the wind, waves, currents and tides and that can make it more unsafe or more risky to go out boating.