MARINE AREAS OF OPERATION OF SHIPS

Operational Areas as per the Uniform Shipping Laws (USL) Code

You must have certain qualifications to operate ships for commercial purposes. These will depend on the ship's length and power and area of operation as well as experience. Ensuring that your ship is correctly crewed and operated in a safe manner ensures you are meeting your General Safety Obligation.

Click here for the tables that will show you the crewing requirements matched against areas of operation and ship lengths. These provide a guideline to what types of certificates you may require to properly operate your ship.
For further information on crewing requirements, please contact your nearest Regional Harbour Master.

"Commercial Hire Ship" means - a commercial ship without master or crew, hired or made available by a person (the "provider") for the recreational use of another person (the "user") under a commercial arrangement between the provider and the user.

Examples of  a commercial hire ship - a cruiser, dinghy, houseboat, personal watercraft and yacht hired for recreational use.

"Commercial Ship" means -
(a)  a ship other than a fishing or recreational ship; or
(b)  a tender to a ship mentioned in paragraph (a).

"Fishing Ship" means a ship -
(a)  operated and licensed as a primary or tender commercial fishing under the Fisheries Regulation 1995; or
(b)  otherwise, authorised under an authority under the Fisheries Act 1994 for fishing or aquaculture purposes.

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Seagoing:  Unlimited Operations, in relation to the limits of a vessel's area of operation, means:
all overseas, ocean going and Australian coastal operations without limitation as to geographical range.

Australian Coastal and Middle-water Operations, in relation to the limits of a vessel's area of operations, means:
operations within such range as may be specified by the Authority, laterally along the coast and within a limit of 600 nautical miles to seaward; or operations within such lesser limits as may be specified by the Authority.

Offshore Operations, in relation to the limits of a vessel's area of operations, means:
operations within such range as may be specified by the Authority, laterally along the coast and within a limit of 200 nautical miles to seaward, or operations within such lesser limits as may be specified by the Authority.

Restricted Offshore Operations, in relation to the limits of a vessel's area of operation, means;
operations within a range of 30 nautical miles from the seaward limit of a designated smooth or partially smooth water area or of a safe haven; or operations within such lesser limits as may be specified by the Authority.

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Inshore Operations, in relation to the limits of a vessel's area of operations, means;
operations within such range, as may be specified by the Authority, laterally along the coast from the base or regular port of departure, and within a limit of 15 nautical miles to seaward of the coast or of designated sheltered water limits; or operations within such lesser seaward limits as may be specified by the Authority in relation to a specific base or port.

Sheltered Waters:  Partially Smooth Water Operations, in relation to the limits of a vessel's area of operations, means;
operations within specified geographical limits in waters designated by the Authority as 'partially smooth'.

Smooth Water Operations, in relation to the limits of a vessel's area of operations, means;
operations within specified geographical limits in waters designated by Authority as 'smooth'.

 Notes:

1. The Guidelines for determining Sheltered Water Areas are -

• Partially Smooth Waters - where the wave height, under normal conditions, does not exceed 1.5 metres from trough to crest.

• Smooth Waters - where the wave height, under normal conditions, does not exceed 0.5 metres from trough to crest.

2. The relevant State or Territory Authorities should be contacted regarding areas nominated as Smooth and Partially Smooth Waters in their respective States or Territories.

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Passenger:  a vessel which carries or is certified to carry more than twelve passengers.

Fishing Vessel:  a vessel used or intended to be used for catching fish, whales, seals, walrus or other living resources of the sea but excluding any vessel engaged in harvesting or transportation of algae or aquatic plants or that is primarily a carrier or mother vessel.

Commercial Vessel:  a vessel which is not used solely for pleasure or recreation and the use of which is made, allowed or authorised in the course of any business or in connection with any commercial transaction and subject to any State legislation includes any Government vessel other than one under control of the Minister for Defence.

  CLASSIFICATIONS OF VESSELS AS PER THE USL CODE: