Bahamas: new dates for assessments of officer candidates

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has issued an information notice with the new 2023 dates for written assessments for seafarers applying for a Bahamas STCW Certificate of Competency.

This notice was published on 30 January 2023.

The Bahamas Merchant Shipping (Training, Certification, Manning and Watchkeeping) Regulations 2011 require that all seafarers trained under the STCW Chapter II and III are to be duly certified.

Full guidance on the eligibility requirements, assessment syllabus, and assessment fees is contained in BMA Information Bulletin No 104 and Marine Notice 050.

This Information Notice applies to seafarers serving or intending to serve as a Deck or Engineering Officer on board Bahamian ships and Companies providing affected seafarers to Bahamian ships.

The written assessments for a Bahamas STCW Certificate of Competency as Deck
Officer or Engineer Officer will be conducted during the week commencing 12 June 2023.

Any seafarer wishing to be assessed during this period must present a completed
Notice of Eligibility Application Form, supporting documentation, and associated fees that need to be submitted via email to STCW@bahamasmaritime.com or delivered to the BMA Nassau Office, no later than 15 May 2023.

The dates for the written assessments are detailed in this notice. The written assessments will be held at the Ministry of Education.

The oral assessments will be held at the Bahamas Maritime Office Premises in Nassau.

Candidates who study abroad may sit the oral assessment in the country they study. In this case, arrangements need to be made with the training institution where they study. Online oral assessments can be arranged at any time of the year.