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About this course

This course forms part of the chief engineer officer qualification for small vessels (less than 9000kW and less than 3,000GT) with an unlimited area limitation. 

The certification is for new and experienced crew who wish to move into the small vessel environment as engineers. A Certificate of Competency gained through this route will be transferable between the following industries: 

  • Fishing vessels 
  • Superyachts 
  • Tugs 
  • Workboats 
  • Standby 
  • Seismic survey 
  • Oceanographic research vessels 
  • Government patrol vessels 

Further information about this pathway can be found in MSN 1904. 

You’ll be taught by our expert team of dedicated maritime lecturers, many of whom are ex-seafarers with either commercial or superyacht experience up to Chief Engineer (Unlimited) status.

See career progression chart for this course

What you'll study

This course covers materials technology, heat treatment, knowledge of testing materials, knowledge of joining materials, corrosion, FRP (GRP), instrumentation and control engineering. 

Pre-course preparation

This course is based on lecturer led learning and revision, followed by an exam on the afternoon of the final day. A full set of study notes is provided on application and six weeks’ preparatory study must be undertaken before starting the course. 

On application, you will receive a website link and an access code - this will give you access to our teaching packs. These include course notes, past questions and other teaching materials which can be downloaded as a pdf for easy reading on laptops and mobile devices. 

We strongly recommend you undertake at least six weeks' pre-study of our teaching packs before starting your course. Your week with us is essentially a revision week before the exam on the Friday. 

Registering for small vessel engineer training

Those who wish to gain a small vessel engineering CoC must be officially registered by an approved maritime training provider and be in possession of a TRB and registration letter, as per MSN 1904 and associated MIN 642.

Find out more

Further information

See our small vessel engineer officer progression chart for more information about this pathway. 

Course information

  • Next available date

    On demand

  • Duration

    Flexible

  • Price

    On-request

  • Approvals

    MCA

  • Prerequisites

    None

Course availability

Please contact our short course sales team for more information around course availability.wms.shortcoursesales@solent.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 8201 3074

Contact us

Please contact our short course sales team if you require more information about this course.

Online bookings will be confirmed with joining information within one working day of the booking being made. Confirmation of payment should be received in the normal way.

Please ensure that you follow the booking process and do not enter payment details more than once, unless you are booking more than one course. If you experience any issues, please email wms.shortcoursesales@solent.ac.uk.

Admissions Team


Normal office hours are (UK time):

08.30 - 17.00 Monday to Thursday
08.30 - 16.30 Friday