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Independent study · no certification. Details

Compass New Zealand is independent and is not affiliated with, approved by, or endorsed by Coastguard Boating Education, Maritime New Zealand, Radio Spectrum Management, or MetService. It does not award Day Skipper, Boatmaster, MVOC, or NZQA certification.

Compass New Zealand study companion

New Zealand Boatmaster Study Companion

Direct answer

Independent New Zealand Boatmaster preparation for emergencies, chartwork, rules, weather, stability, handling, and passage command. Compass provides independent knowledge preparation only. It does not administer an official examination, award certification, demonstrate practical competence, or replace current instructions from an authorized provider or authority. Compass oral scenarios do not reproduce or predict an official written or oral assessment.

Price
$59.99 once
Course size
10 modules
Access
Lifetime access
Format
Independent online study companion
Preview the free module

Product tour

Try the revision loop here

This working, course-specific sample uses the same three primary steps and feedback timing as the revision app: learn the idea, use Practise for immediate help, then Test at the end.

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Learn · teaching first

Own the Skipper's Decision

From Skipper Responsibility and Equipment

What you will learn

Build a reconstructable command record that keeps legal responsibility with the skipper while allowing named crew tasks and evidence-based challenge.

Explanation

Every recreational boat needs a skipper. Other people can inspect, brief, navigate or operate equipment, but the skipper still owns the safe-operation decision and must know what evidence supports it.

Section 19 of the Maritime Transport Act states that the master is responsible for safe operation on a voyage and for the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew. Maritime New Zealand translates that duty for recreational boating: the skipper is legally responsible for the boat, everyone aboard and compliance with relevant Maritime Rules and regional bylaws. A lack of licensing does not remove the duty.

Responsibility is not the same as doing every task personally. A skipper can ask a competent crew member to inspect lifejackets, test communications, check fuel or obtain a forecast. The useful handover is not done. It names the item, source or instruction, method, observed result, defect, uncertainty and the person who performed the check. The skipper must understand material limits before accepting the result.

Turn delegation into evidence

Several competent crew members share pre-departure work on a larger recreational vessel.

Common mistake

Delegating responsibility without confirming completion

Recap

  • The skipper remains responsible for the safe-operation decision.
  • Crew can perform checks, but their evidence must be reconstructable.
  • Name command, incapacity handover, defects and decision triggers.
More ways to revise

Flashcards, audio and interactive tools remain optional support inside the module; they do not replace the Learn → Practise → Test route.

Course route

Learn the knowledge, then take it afloat with an instructor

1Free

Skipper Responsibility and Equipment

Skipper duties, seaworthiness awareness, crew, operating limits, legal and recommended equipment, maintenance, accessibility, records, and departure gates.

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2Full access

Emergencies, Search and Rescue, Fire, and Lifesaving

Command priorities, distress alerting, search awareness, fire prevention and response, flooding, abandon-craft decisions, survival equipment, first actions, and crew coordination.

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3Full access

Compass, Charts, and Publications

Chart status, symbols, scale, datum, compass construction, variation, deviation, publications, notices, electronic charts, and recordkeeping.

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4Full access

Position, Chartwork, and Pilotage

Coordinates, bearings, distance, DR, EP, fixes, clearing lines, transits, danger bearings, course to steer, pilotage cues, and logging.

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5Full access

Tides, Weather, and Passage Conditions

Tidal heights and streams, forecast interpretation, fronts and pressure, wind and waves, local effects, bars, visibility, passage windows, and monitoring.

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6Full access

Buoys, Beacons, Lights, and Shapes

New Zealand IALA Region A, cardinal and other marks, daybeacons, light characters, vessel lights and shapes, aspect, and integrating aids with position evidence.

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7Full access

Collision Rules, Part 91, and Bylaws

International collision principles as implemented, New Zealand navigation-safety rules, speed and proximity restrictions, local bylaws, lights, sounds, restricted visibility, and skipper judgment.

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8Full access

Stability, Handling, Berthing, and Rough Seas

Weight distribution, free surface, trim, stability awareness, turning and stopping, berthing forces, shallow water, bars, heavy weather preparation, and vessel-specific limitations.

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9Full access

Anchoring, Ropes, and Rigging

Anchor types, seabed, scope, loads, chafe, swing, multiple anchors, rope construction, knots, splicing awareness, blocks, purchases, towing, and safe load paths.

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10Full access

Passage Command and Oral Practice

Integrated appraisal, route, weather, tides, crew, equipment, communications, watches, pilotage, alternatives, emergency changes, oral explanation, and assessment boundaries.

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What the companion includes

Clear knowledge and practical boundaries

  • Original lessons and explanations
  • At least 18 explained questions and 12 flashcards per module
  • Three 40-question mixed knowledge assessments
  • New Zealand terminology, jurisdiction, and primary-source context
  • Practical-awareness prompts clearly separated from assessed knowledge

Not included

  • A Coastguard Boating Education, Maritime NZ, or NZQA certificate
  • Instructor-observed practical assessment or official oral examination
  • DSC or SSB within the current MVOC learning route
  • Copied manuals, charts, examination questions, or official diagrams
  • A substitute for current Part 91, bylaws, notices, or instructor guidance

Editorial record

Primary-source review

Original content is reviewed against current New Zealand course outcomes, maritime rules, radio guidance, and weather sources. Regional bylaws and current notices must be checked separately.