Courses
Boat & PWC Licences
As new sessions are planned they’ll be listed on our MRLM Course Schedule & Bookings page above and they will be open for booking, this includes boat & jetski licence courses.
In preparation for the commencement of training, the following information may assist you in preparing for the day:
To obtain your boat licence, you must:
Successfully complete the boat licence knowledge test
Provide a completed Boat Driving License Practical Logbook
It’s up to you to fulfill the practical requirements, but you can get started on doing this before the theory component.
For more details and to download the practical logbook, please go to the RMS website here: https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/licence/boat-pwc/practical-boating-experience.html
To complete the theory course and test with Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie costs $85 and the jetski course (PWC) is $50. (Note: You must have a boat licence prior to obtaining a PWC licence)
To get started on learning boating theory, you can download the Boating Handbook from here: https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/safety-rules/index.html
There is a practice boat & PWC licence test available here: https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/licence/boat-pwc/boating-knowledge-quiz.htmll
There is a glossary of boating terms available here: https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/using-waterways/staying-safe/terms.html
Radio Licences
Australian regulations require operators of VHF and MF/HF marine radios to have a licence, known as a Certificate of Proficiency.
On satisfactory completion of a multiple-choice written test, and a practical test, the Office of Maritime Communications, Australian Maritime College, part of the University of Tasmania, issues these certificates on behalf of AMSA, Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
If only VHF marine radios are to be used, then a SROCP, Short Range Operators Certificate of Proficiency is sufficient.
If MF/HF marine radios are to be used, then a LROCP, Long Range Operators Certificate of Proficiency is required. This also covers the use of VHF radios.
The exams are set and marked by the Australian Maritime College.
They authorise individuals as “Invigilators” to be able to order, supervise exams and return the completed exams for marking.
A number of members of Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie are Invigilators.
For each type of certificate the AMC produce a handbook, which can be viewed on line and a hard copy ordered from them.
Suggested Procedure:
Decide whether a Short or Long Range Certificate is desired.
Go to the Office of Maritime Communications website https://www.amc.edu.au/industry/omc/handbooks-and-revision-questions
There are a couple of ways we can offer you support:
1. Private study : you study all the course material by purchasing the Radio Handbook ($50) or viewing it free online (using the link above).
There are practice questions online that are used in the written component of the exam, which MRLM is authorised to administer.
You also have to do a practical exam which requires you to:
Correctly identify components of a VHF radio and show its correct operation
Correctly log in with a Marine Rescue Base
Correctly make a May May emergency call
We also administer the practical exam using our training radios.
When you are ready and confident you can let us know and we will order the exam and set a date.
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2. Attend one of our courses where we will take you through all of the theory relating to the exam and practice radio usage prior to the practical exam
Mode 1 would cost you:
Exam fee (payable to Australian Maritime College) $89
Passport photo
Exam administration (payable to MRLM) $50
Optional handbook $50
Mode 2 would cost you $100 course fee plus the other costs“
When you are ready for the exam, contact us using the Message system below.
You will then be contacted by one of our invigilators to arrange a mutually convenient time for the exams.
These are normally conducted at our Radio Base at Swansea Heads.
As part of the application, a passport/visa quality photo is required.
These can be obtained from Swansea Post Office, certain other PO’s and some pharmacies.
Photo ID, e.g. a Driver’s Licence, is required to be viewed by the Invigilator at the time of the exam.