Welcome to our dedicated training pathway for commercial vessel operators and workboat crew. Here you can complete all mandatory ancillary safety qualifications required by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Boatmasters' Licence framework and ensure full compliance under commercial Workboat Code Edition 3 (WBC3) operational standards.

Important Licensing Notice

Please Note: Completing these safety courses does not automatically issue or certify you with an MCA Boatmasters' Licence. Instead, successfully finishing each individual MCA-approved module awards the official safety certificates necessary to submit your formal BML application to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency alongside your qualifying sea time, medical clearance, and practical examination.

Commercial vessel and workboat operations at sea

The 3 Mandatory Safety Courses

Historically, candidates completed bespoke BML safety courses. Under modern Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulations, standalone legacy BML courses are no longer run because MCA-approved STCW equivalents are directly accepted.

Rather than having to arrange courses over several sporadic dates throughout the year, we have aligned our 2027 course schedule so that our MCA Approved 1-Day Fire Fighting runs during the same weeks that our STCW PST and EFA courses take place. This convenient scheduling allows candidates targeting a BML to book and finish all three essential safety tickets back-to-back within three days.

MCA Approved Training Provider
STCW Personal Survival Techniques

Personal Survival Techniques (PST)

MCA Approved STCW A-VI/1-1 (Replaces BML Water Safety)

Covers emergency procedures and sea survival skills in the event of vessel abandonment, combining classroom theory with practical wet drills in our sheltered fresh-water facility at Cromhall Quarry.

  • Lifejacket and immersion suit operation
  • Controlled water entry and liferaft boarding drills
  • Righting inverted rafts and equipment survival packs
  • Minimizing hypothermia using HELP postures
View PST Course Details
STCW Elementary First Aid

Elementary First Aid (EFA)

MCA Approved STCW A-VI/1-3 (Replaces BML First Aid)

Provides essential life-saving skills and emergency casualty care procedures for commercial skippers and seafarers prior to the arrival of professional medical services.

  • On-scene casualty assessment on commercial craft
  • CPR, recovery position, and AED operation
  • Managing severe bleeding, burns, shock, and fractures
  • Safe lifting, movement, and hypothermia stabilization
View EFA Course Details
MCA 1-Day Fire Fighting

MCA Approved 1-Day Fire Fighting

MCA Approved Fire Safety (Replaces BML Fire Safety)

A practical, hands-on fire fighting course conducted on our dedicated outdoor fireground designed to teach initial response and safe extinguishment on workboats and inland vessels.

  • Fire chemistry and typical workboat fire hazards
  • Practical use of water, foam, CO2, and dry powder extinguishers
  • Fire blanket use and safe compartment approach
  • Hose reel management and basic team fire drills
View Fire Fighting Course Details

The Boatmasters' Licence & Workboat Code 3 Standards

The MCA Boatmasters' Licence (BML)

The UK Boatmasters' Licence is the statutory commercial qualification issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency under the Merchant Shipping (Inland Waterway and Limited Coastal Operations) Regulations. It authorizes skippers to command commercial vessels and passenger craft operating in UK categorised inland waters (Categories A, B, C, and D) and specified limited coastal regions. Full licensing guidance and application details are managed via the MCA Boatmasters' Licence service page.

Applying to the MCA for a BML requires demonstrating:

  • Minimum qualifying service time (recorded via MCA Task Record Books).
  • Valid seafarer medical certification (ENG1 or ML5 report).
  • Mandatory ancillary safety certificates: First Aid, Personal Survival, and Fire Fighting.
  • An underpinning knowledge and boat handling assessment conducted by an MCA Marine Surveyor.

Compliance with Workboat Code Edition 3 (WBC3)

Operational safety across small commercial vessels, work craft, and pilot boats is governed by Workboat Code Edition 3 (The Safety of Small Workboats and Pilot Boats). Edition 3 sets rigorous baseline standards for vessel construction, stability, and manning.

Under Workboat Code Edition 3:

  • Mandatory Crew Safety Competency: Skippers and commercial deck crew must hold recognized, certified training in fire fighting, elementary medical first aid, and survival techniques.
  • STCW Universality: Because STCW modules are universally accepted under WBC3 and international maritime regulations, undertaking STCW PST and STCW EFA gives you greater career versatility than obsolete local modules.
  • Manning & Safe Manning Documents: Operators must demonstrate that all crew members on certified vessels possess appropriate training matching the operational zone and vessel type.

Boatmasters' Licence & Safety Training FAQs

Does completing these courses award me a Boatmasters' Licence (BML)?
No. Completing these modules awards you the mandatory MCA-approved certificates in First Aid, Personal Survival, and Fire Fighting. These accredited safety certificates are mandatory prerequisites to support your formal application for a Boatmasters' Licence (often searched as boat masters license or boatmaster licence). To receive the actual licence from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), you must also meet minimum age and qualifying service requirements, pass a medical examination (ENG1 or ML5), and complete an oral and practical boat handling assessment with an MCA Marine Surveyor. Full application guidance is available on the MCA Boatmasters' Licence GOV.UK portal.
How to get a boat masters licence and what are the MCA Boatmaster licence requirements?
To obtain an MCA Boatmaster licence in the UK, you must follow the statutory licensing framework:
  1. Meet the minimum age criteria (18 or 21 depending on the master endorsement and passenger capacity).
  2. Obtain a valid seafarer medical fitness certificate (ML5 Medical Report or ENG1 Seafarer Medical).
  3. Accumulate documented qualifying service time in an approved MCA Task Record Logbook.
  4. Complete the three mandatory ancillary safety qualifications: STCW Personal Survival Techniques (PST), STCW Elementary First Aid (EFA), and MCA 1-Day Fire Fighting.
  5. Pass your practical boat handling test and MCA oral examination with a Marine Surveyor.
How much is a boatmasters licence and how much does safety training cost?
When evaluating the total boat masters licence cost (or boat master license cost), seafarers must budget for two elements:
  • Ancillary Safety Courses: The cost to complete your three required safety modules (PST, EFA, and MCA 1-Day Fire Fighting) with South West Maritime Academy. You can view individual live pricing and schedules on our booking portal.
  • MCA Statutory Fees: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency charges statutory administrative fees for logbook issue, paper application processing, and the MCA surveyor's practical/oral examination.
Why do STCW courses replace legacy Boatmasters Licence courses?
Standalone, legacy BML safety modules are no longer run because the MCA directly recognizes and accepts approved STCW equivalents for all ancillary qualifications: Holding STCW-accredited qualifications gives candidates significantly wider commercial flexibility across the UK maritime sector compared to legacy local courses.
How is your 2027 Boatmaster safety training calendar structured?
To make completing qualifications simple and efficient, our 2027 course schedule coordinates our standalone MCA 1-Day Fire Fighting course with the weeks our STCW courses run PST and EFA. Candidates seeking a Boatmasters licence can attend and complete all three mandatory qualifications across three consecutive days, rather than having to book across fragmented dates throughout the year.
What vessels can you skipper with a Boat Master Licence?
An MCA Boatmasters Licence authorizes you to serve as master on commercial passenger craft (carrying more than 12 passengers), inland freight barges, tugs, workboats, and tenders operating on UK categorised inland waters (Categories A, B, C, and D) such as rivers, canals, estuaries, and lochs, as well as designated limited coastal operational areas.
How do these courses comply with Workboat Code Edition 3 (WBC3)?
Under the MCA's Workboat Code Edition 3 (WBC3), crew members, mates, and skippers operating small commercial workboats and pilot boats must hold certified training in basic sea survival, emergency first aid, and fire fighting. Because STCW basic safety modules are universally accredited, completing STCW PST, STCW EFA, and the MCA 1-Day Fire Fighting course satisfies the safety training benchmarks required for commercial vessel compliance under WBC3.
What medical do I need for a Boatmasters Licence (ENG1 vs ML5)?
To hold an MCA Boatmaster licence, you must prove medical fitness. Most inland waterway skippers require an ML5 Medical Report completed by any GMC-registered doctor. For vessels operating in limited coastal waters, passenger craft with extended routes, or under specific Workboat Code Edition 3 manning schedules, an MCA-approved ENG1 Seafarer Medical Certificate may be required.

Contact & Accommodation

Contact Us

Please contact us if you require further information or wish to book on behalf of a company:
Telephone: 01454 260130
Email: info@southwestmaritimeacademy.com
Normal Office Hours (UK Time):
Monday – Friday: 08.30 – 17.00

Accommodation

There is a wide range of local accommodation, some of which are within walking distance of the training centre, to suit everyone’s budget.

View Local Accommodation