Commercial Vessel Steering And Watchkeeping Certificate Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply steering and helm commands to safely maneuver a commercial vessel under various conditions.
• Demonstrate effective watchkeeping practices, including maintaining a proper lookout and monitoring navigational equipment.
• Implement collision avoidance procedures in accordance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs).
• Evaluate emergency situations and respond appropriately using distress signals and communication protocols.
• Analyze weather and sea conditions to make informed decisions for vessel safety.
• Maintain accurate navigational records and logbooks in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Target Audience

This course is intended for individuals seeking to obtain a Commercial Vessel Steering and Watchkeeping Certificate, including deckhands, coxswains, and small vessel operators in the South African maritime industry.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Hands-on practicals are essential for developing the psychomotor skills required for steering and watchkeeping. Learners will operate steering controls, conduct watchkeeping routines, and respond to simulated emergencies in a controlled environment, ensuring they meet SAMSA competency standards.

Practical Activities

• Steering Control Drills — Learners practice helm orders and steering responses using a ship simulator or actual steering console. They execute course changes, helm commands, and emergency steering procedures. (2h)
• Watchkeeping and Look-out Simulation — Learners conduct a watchkeeping shift in a simulated bridge environment, performing look-out duties, reporting contacts, and maintaining situational awareness. (2h)
• Emergency Response Drills — Simulated emergencies such as steering failure, man overboard, and fire are introduced. Learners practice coordinated bridge team responses. (2h)
• Integrated Scenario Assessment — Learners are assessed on a comprehensive scenario combining steering, watchkeeping, and emergency response. They operate as part of a bridge team. (2h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.