Boatmasters’ Licence (BML) Package

Description

Legacy standalone Boatmasters’ Licence safety courses are no longer offered because approved STCW safety equivalents are directly accepted. This coordinated course schedule streamlines the statutory ancillary qualifications needed to support your formal BML application:

• Day 1 – STCW Elementary First Aid (EFA): The BML First Aid requirement. Hands-on medical response covering primary assessment, CPR, AED operation, severe bleeding control, shock management, and onboard casualty care.
• Day 2 – STCW Personal Survival Techniques (PST): The BML Water Safety requirement. Covers essential sea survival theory, lifejackets, immersion suits, life raft deployment, and practical water abandonment drills in our private training lake.
• Day 3 – MCA Approved 1-Day Fire Fighting: The BML Fire Safety requirement. Practical fire prevention, extinguisher deployment, hose handling, and live-fire suppression drills tailored to small commercial vessels and workboat operations.

(Please Note: Completing this safety training awards the three mandatory MCA-approved safety certificates required to submit your BML application; it does not automatically issue the Boatmasters' Licence itself, which requires sea service, medical clearance, and practical/oral examination with an MCA surveyor.)

Entry Requirements and Target Audience

• Target Audience: Commercial vessel skippers, workboat crew, inland passenger vessel masters (carrying more than 12 passengers), freight barge operators, tug/tender crew, and commercial operators working on UK categorised inland waters (Categories A, B, C, D) or limited coastal areas under Workboat Code Edition 3.
• Age Requirement: Candidates must be at least 16 years of age to undertake the training (Note: To hold an MCA Boatmaster's Licence, statutory minimum age requirements are 18 or 21 depending on the master endorsement and passenger capacity).
• Physical Fitness: Practical water entry drills and live-fire training require a reasonable level of physical fitness and mobility.

Prerequisites

• Prior Qualifications: None. This training is open to all new entrants and experienced operators.
• Licensing Requirements (for MCA BML Application): While not required to attend this training, candidates applying for their full licence with the MCA will independently need to provide qualifying sea time (Task Record Logbook), pass an ML5 or ENG1 seafarer medical, and undergo an oral and boat handling exam with an MCA surveyor.

Why Choose South West Maritime Academy?

• Completed in 3 Consecutive Days: Scheduled specifically so you can complete your fire, survival, and first aid modules in a single 3-day visit rather than losing days to sporadic, fragmented dates.
• All-In-One Purpose-Built Facilities: Train in high-fidelity practical environments at Cromhall Quarry, including our live-fire ground and our private freshwater lake for authentic water entry and life raft drills.
• Widely Recognised STCW Standards: Because you earn full STCW and MCA-accredited certificates rather than obsolete local tickets, your qualifications provide maximum commercial flexibility.
• Taught by Maritime Veterans: Learn from experienced commercial skippers and emergency response professionals who understand MCA regulations and real-world vessel operations.
• Convenient Location: Situated just minutes from the M4/M5 junction near Bristol, offering free on-site parking and close proximity to local accommodation.

Certification and Assessment

Upon successful completion of all three modules, delegates will receive three individual, officially accredited certificates:

• STCW Personal Survival Techniques (PST – Regulation VI/1, Section A-VI/1-1)
• STCW Elementary First Aid (EFA – Regulation VI/1, Section A-VI/1-3)
• MCA Approved 1-Day Fire Fighting Certificate (Accepted by the MCA for BML and Workboat Code Edition 3 compliance).

Assessment Method: Continual assessment throughout each day via practical participation, instructor observation during drills, and short underpinning-knowledge checks. There are no formal written examinations.