Basic Training for Personnel on Ships Operating in Polar Waters
All ships making voyages into polar waters must have officers on board who have received mandatory training at both the Basic and Advanced levels. This is a requirement for all SOLAS ships making international voyages under the IMO Polar Code, and for Canadian domestic vessels under the Arctic Shipping Safety and Pollution Prevention Regulations.
The purpose of the course is to provide training to navigation officers to operate ships in polar waters and to meet the mandatory minimum STCW requirements for the training and qualifications of masters and deck officers on ships operating in polar waters, specifically as these apply to Tables A-V/4-1 “Specifications of minimum standard of competence in basic training for ships operating in polar waters”.
Delivered over 5 days, this 34-hour course is a blend of classroom instruction, practical exercises and simulations.
Subjects covered include the stages of development of ice, legislative requirements, additional hazards of polar waters navigation, ship construction and performance in ice and low temperatures, maneuvering in ice, pollution prevention measures, crew preparation and safety requirements.
Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students will be issued a Transport Canada certificate.
Interested in this course? Please contact us to add yourself to the list.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course the successful student will have reliably demonstrated:
- Ability to contribute to safe operation of vessels in polar waters
- Understanding of ice characteristics and areas where different types of ice can be expected in the area of operation
- Understanding of vessel performance in ice and low air temperature
- Understanding of safe operations and ship manoeuvrability in ice
- Awareness to monitor and ensure compliance with legislative requirements
- Understanding to apply safe working practices and to respond to emergencies
- Understanding and awareness of correct crew preparation, working conditions and safety
- Understanding the need to ensure compliance with pollution prevention requirements and prevent environmental hazards, and
- Understanding skills to perform manoeuvres in order to safely operate ships in polar waters.
Required Course Materials
The following items will be supplied to the student by WMI:
- Course Manual
IMO references:
- International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS 1974), as amended
- International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended
- International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), Consolidated Edition 2011
- Medical First Aid Guide (MFAG)
- International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code)
- International Safety Management Code (ISM Code)
- IMO Guide to Cold Water Survival (2012)
- IMO Intact Stability Code (2008)notes
Course Duration
34 Hours
To enroll in this course, students must:
- be at least 18 years of age
- hold one of the following certificates or higher
- Master 500T
- Chief Mate 500T
- Watchkeeping Mate, Near Coastal
- Fishing Master 4
- or be enrolled in an approved cadet program and have completed training in navigation safety, electronic navigation, meteorology, chartwork, stability, construction, and international conventions and have completed their qualifying sea service.
Course Availibility
| Location | Start Date | End Date | Cost | Status |
| Ladysmith | May 22, 2025 | May 26, 2025 | $2500 | OPEN |
| Ladysmith | Dec. 12, 2025 | Dec. 19, 2025 | $2500 | OPEN |
| Ladysmith | Mar. 16, 2026 | Mar. 20, 2026 | $2500 | OPEN |
| Ladysmith | May 25, 2026 | May 29, 2026 | $2500 | OPEN |
Register Online
To register for just this course, please use the form below.
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