Under the Maritime Transport (Small Motorised Vessels) Regulations 2014 there is a requirement for the driver, operator of person in command of a vessel under 24 m operating within the territorial sea (12 nautical miles) used primarily for the carriage of passengers or cargo on a commercial basis to have a Cook Islands Boatmaster Certificate (or equivalent). The Boatmaster Certificate is valid for 5 years. There may be opportunity to revalidate for a further 5 years if the certificate has not been cancelled or suspended.
On Rarotonga, the Boatmaster Course is normally run over two weeks of evening classes, followed by exams that can be scheduled at an agreed time between the instructor and the student. On the outer islands the course can be scheduled to suit availability and may run over a 4-day period.
For revalidation, please contact the Ministry of Transport at [email protected]
Notification of the scheduling for the Boatmaster Course on Rarotonga is provided in the Cook Island News and will be advertised on this website.
Boatmaster courses on the outer islands can be arranged in consultation with the Ministry of Transport.
Complete this form to apply for a Boatmaster Course and send the completed form to [email protected]
Next Boatmaster Course is scheduled for:
There is no course scheduled at this time, if you are interested in the next available course, please contact us