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	Becoming a skipper
	Anyone wanting to skipper a vessel (for hire or reward) must carry a valid operator’s licence. This includes vessels used within a work environment even when no passengers are carried. Local Launch Operator (LLO) The basic skipper’s ticket is the Local Launch Operator’s Qualification. This can be attained by anyone able to prove six months sea service. Certificates are endorsed with up to six vessels and/or areas, and holders are limited to these. Pleasure vessels will not be endorsed on an LLO certificate. Sea service can be recreational or commercial, or a mixture of both. Recreational time is usually counted as a quarter of commercial sea time. A rough guide follows:

6 months recreational time = 3,000 hours
6 months commercial time = 750 hours

People wanting to apply for the LLO must submit an LLO pack and fulfil all other requirements as detailed in the accompanying guidelines, including proof of experience on the vessel/s and in the area/s to be endorsed on the certificate.

Sea time can be submitted in the form of hours or days at sea, but must include details of the name of vessel, msa number, length of vessel and engine details. Statutory declaration forms can only be used to claim pleasure time and must be signed off by a Justice of the Peace. Commercial time can be claimed a skipper filling out a Certificate of Sea Service or in the form of a signed and dated letter from an employer on headed paper.

There is no approved course for the LLO certificate, and candidates, can chose to be examined as soon as their application has been approved by Maritime New Zealand. The Seafarer Licensing team can be contacted for information on local examiners.

Alternatively, candidates can chose to attended the Inshore Launchmaster course through one of Maritime New Zealand’s approved education providers and sit the LLO examinations at the end of the course. Candidates attending the course and wanting to upgrade to ILM later, can opt to be examined to ILM standard on the engineering section.

Inshore Launchmaster (ILM)
The next level up from the LLO is the ILM qualification. The ILM has no specific area and vessel restrictions and holders are permitted to operate any vessel up to 24 metres-long in the inshore limits of New Zealand.

Candidates wishing to apply for the ILM must submit an ILM pack and fulfil all other requirements as detailed in the accompanying guidelines and proof of 18 months sea service, including at least six months on commercial vessels over 6m in length and at least two months on vessels under 20 metres-long within the last ten years.

Candidates must also attend a compulsory three-week course at one of Maritime New Zealand’s approved education providers.

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Becoming a skipper