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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 Maritime VHF Study Companion

Direct answer

Independent MVOC-aligned VHF knowledge and spoken-call practice with DSC and SSB explicitly excluded from the product. 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. This MVOC companion does not teach DSC or SSB operation and does not issue an operator certificate or NZQA unit standard.

Price
$29.99 once
Course size
8 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

Set the MVOC Boundary Before Touching the Radio

From MVOC Boundary, Equipment, and Range

What you will learn

Separate normal-operation certificate, vessel identity, emergency exception, equipment readiness and the DSC/SSB boundary before making a radio decision.

Explanation

A useful VHF lesson begins with authority and purpose. The operator certificate, the vessel call sign, the fitted radio and the current operating procedure answer different questions; none can substitute for the others.

Coastguard Boating Education describes the Maritime VHF Operator's Certificate (MVOC) as the minimum legal operator certification for normal marine VHF use. Maritime New Zealand states the important exception: a person may transmit in an emergency or distress situation without first holding that certificate. The exception protects life; it is not permission for routine calling, practice traffic or casual radio checks.

The operator certificate belongs to the person's knowledge and assessed procedure. The call sign identifies the vessel's station. Maritime New Zealand says a call sign makes each transmission individually identifiable and links registered vessel information to the national search-and-rescue database. A certificate does not create a vessel call sign, and a call sign does not prove that the person knows how to operate the set.

Give a four-part radio handover

A second crew member may need to use the radio when the skipper cannot.

Common mistake

Claiming MVOC covers DSC

Recap

  • Separate person, vessel identity, equipment and operating purpose.
  • Normal VHF operation requires an appropriate certificate; emergency or distress is the exception.
  • MVOC and this companion exclude DSC and SSB operation.
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

MVOC Boundary, Equipment, and Range

The legal certificate boundary, VHF set and aerial, simplex and duplex concepts, line-of-sight range, power, installation awareness, call signs, and equipment checks.

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2Full access

Channels, Listening, and Discipline

Channel 16, working and local channels, coast and harbour services, calling then moving, listening watch, brevity, interference, and current local information.

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3Full access

Phonetics, Procedure Words, and Routine Calls

ITU phonetic alphabet, figures, call signs, station identification, procedure words, readability, routine call structure, and correcting errors.

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4Full access

Trip Reports, Weather, and Safety Information

Trip reports, coast communications, weather forecasts, navigation and safety information, radio checks, overdue actions, and separating broadcast information from a complete passage plan.

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5Full access

Distress Calls

Recognizing distress, Channel 16 voice procedure, MAYDAY structure, identity, position, nature, assistance, persons aboard, acknowledgement awareness, silence, relay context, and false-alert response.

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6Full access

Urgency Calls

Urgency threshold, PAN PAN voice procedure, medical and mechanical urgency, station addressing, position and assistance, and escalation if the situation becomes distress.

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7Full access

Safety Calls

Safety signal, navigation and weather warnings, all-stations addressing, moving detailed traffic where directed, information accuracy, and the difference between a safety message and distress or urgency.

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8Full access

EPIRBs and Verbal-Call Practice

EPIRB purpose, registration, testing, mounting and activation awareness, radio-versus-beacon roles, structured verbal rehearsal, self-checking, and the official assessment boundary.

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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.