SOUTH AFRICA · SMALL-VESSEL SKIPPER · 2026 EDITION
Day Skipper Category E & R (Inland)
Exam-Style Study Guide & Practice Q&A
Motorboat skipper · Coastal Category E (inshore, daylight) · Category R (dams, rivers, lagoons,
harbours)
✓ Plain-language study notes for all 8 exam topics
✓ 150 original practice questions, with a step-by-step explanation for every answer
✓ A 40-question mock paper in the three written sections, with pass marks, memo and
score sheet
✓ Our own buoyage, lights, day-shape and rules-of-the-road diagrams (IALA Region A)
✓ Common exam traps, an oral/practical checklist, quick-revision sheet and glossary
✓ 20 hand-picked free YouTube lessons, checked for South African (Region A) relevance
Independent study aid. Not affiliated with, produced by or endorsed by SAMSA, the NSRI or any training school. All
notes, questions, answers and diagrams are original and written for practice. It does not replace the required logged
hours, an approved course, or the oral and practical assessment.
Regulations under review: a 2025 draft of new small-vessel regulations has been published for comment. See the
Important notice inside.
Version 1.0 · Last updated October 2026
,Important notice
Please read before you start
This is an independent study aid. It is not a SAMSA publication, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the
South African Maritime Safety Authority, the NSRI, any authorised agency or any training school. The questions
are our own exam-style practice questions written from the published syllabus. They are not copies of any
examination paper.
It does not replace training. To get your certificate you still need the logged hours (or an approved course), and
you must pass the written, oral and practical assessment with an examiner. Boating is dangerous. Learn boat
handling on the water with a qualified skipper.
Regulations under review (2025 draft). This pack is based on the Merchant Shipping (National Small Vessel
Safety) Regulations, 2007 (as amended in 2008), which are in force at the time of writing. Marine Notice 13 of
2011 (the Small Vessel Code / skipper syllabus) and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
(COLREGs) are also used. In 2025 SAMSA published draft new small-vessel regulations for public comment. They
keep the same categories (A–E and R), but details such as equipment lists may change when they are finalised.
Always check the current rules with your examiner or training provider.
Where the law, your examiner or your training provider says something different from this pack, they take
priority.
How we checked the answers
Every answer was checked against the 2007 Regulations (including Annexure 2, the equipment list),
Marine Notice 13 of 2011 and the COLREGs. Each explanation ends with the rule or regulation it is based
on, so you can look it up. Where something depends on local practice, provider requirements or medical
guidance that changes over time, we mark it ⚑ Check and list it in the "Things to confirm" section at the
back.
© 2026 Latest Exam Packs. Licensed for the buyer's personal study. Please don't copy, resell or share the file.
Latest Exam Packs | Day Skipper Cat E & R | Independent study aid, not affiliated with SAMSA | Page 2
,Contents
• Part 1: Your licence and the exam (start here)
• Topic 1: Collision rules (the "rules of the road")
• Topic 2: Buoyage, lights and basic chartwork
• Topic 3: Seamanship: knots, ropes, anchoring and boat handling
• Topic 4: Emergencies: man overboard, fire, flooding, capsize and calling for help
• Topic 5: Law and required safety equipment
• Topic 6: Weather, sea state and tides
• Topic 7: Outboard engines: care, checks and fault-finding
• Topic 8: First aid on the water
• Part 3: Mock written paper (40 questions, three sections)
• Mock paper memo and score sheet
• Oral and practical checklist
• Quick-revision sheet (the night before)
• Glossary
• Things to confirm, and sources
Question counts in this pack
Topic Questions
Collision rules (the "rules of the road") 35
Buoyage, lights and basic chartwork 20
Seamanship: knots, ropes, anchoring and boat handling 20
Emergencies: man overboard, fire, flooding, capsize and 20
calling for help
Law and required safety equipment 15
Weather, sea state and tides 15
Outboard engines: care, checks and fault-finding 15
First aid on the water 10
Practice questions total 150
Mock written paper 40
Latest Exam Packs | Day Skipper Cat E & R | Independent study aid, not affiliated with SAMSA | Page 3
, PART 1
Your licence and the exam
Which certificate do you need?
In South Africa you need a skipper's Certificate of Competence (CoC) to be in charge of a power-driven
pleasure boat with more than 15 hp (and for any commercial small vessel). The certificate is issued for a
category, which sets how far from shore you may go:
Certificate Where you may skipper
Day Skipper, Category E At sea, not more than 1 nm from shore and within 15
miles of an approved launch site. Daylight only. Training
providers state it also covers inland waters (⚑ check with
your examiner).
Skipper Inland Waters, Category R Sheltered waters only: dams, lakes, rivers, tidal lagoons
and rivers, and inside harbour breakwaters. Day or night.
Not valid at sea.
Higher categories (D, C, B, A) Further offshore. These need more experience and extra
subjects (for example chartwork to a higher level, VHF,
night work).
Categories E and R share the same syllabus (Module 1 of each subject in the Small Vessel Code). So this
pack prepares you for both. Where E and R differ (mostly equipment and where you may go), we point it
out.
Who can apply?
Age: at least 16 for a pleasure-vessel certificate (18 for commercial).
Medical: a medical/eyesight certificate on the prescribed form, plus your ID.
Experience (one of): an approved course plus about 25 hours logged; or 50 hours logged under
tuition; or 100 hours logged on your own (Marine Notice 13 of 2011). ⚑ Requirements and how
hours are counted can vary between providers, so check with yours.
What the exam looks like
There is no single national question paper. Examiners and accredited training providers set their own
papers from the syllabus, so the number of questions and the time allowed vary. What is fixed is the
structure and pass marks of the written paper:
Written section Share of paper Pass mark Topics in this pack
1. Chartwork 40% 60% Topic 2 (buoyage, lights,
charts)
2. Emergency procedures, 40% 60% Topics 1, 3, 4, 6
seamanship & meteorology
3. Power, law & naval 20% 50% Topics 5 and 7
architecture
Elementary first aid — 60% Topic 8 (exempt with a
(separate subject) recognised Level 2
certificate)
You must pass each section. After the written paper there is an oral (the collision rules are almost always
asked, plus anything you were weak on in the paper) and a practical on the water (boat handling, man
overboard, anchoring, launching and recovery, engine checks). Many schools run the whole thing in one
day. Collision rules matter most: aim for at least 80–90% on Topic 1 before exam day.
Latest Exam Packs | Day Skipper Cat E & R | Independent study aid, not affiliated with SAMSA | Page 4
Day Skipper Category E & R (Inland)
Exam-Style Study Guide & Practice Q&A
Motorboat skipper · Coastal Category E (inshore, daylight) · Category R (dams, rivers, lagoons,
harbours)
✓ Plain-language study notes for all 8 exam topics
✓ 150 original practice questions, with a step-by-step explanation for every answer
✓ A 40-question mock paper in the three written sections, with pass marks, memo and
score sheet
✓ Our own buoyage, lights, day-shape and rules-of-the-road diagrams (IALA Region A)
✓ Common exam traps, an oral/practical checklist, quick-revision sheet and glossary
✓ 20 hand-picked free YouTube lessons, checked for South African (Region A) relevance
Independent study aid. Not affiliated with, produced by or endorsed by SAMSA, the NSRI or any training school. All
notes, questions, answers and diagrams are original and written for practice. It does not replace the required logged
hours, an approved course, or the oral and practical assessment.
Regulations under review: a 2025 draft of new small-vessel regulations has been published for comment. See the
Important notice inside.
Version 1.0 · Last updated October 2026
,Important notice
Please read before you start
This is an independent study aid. It is not a SAMSA publication, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the
South African Maritime Safety Authority, the NSRI, any authorised agency or any training school. The questions
are our own exam-style practice questions written from the published syllabus. They are not copies of any
examination paper.
It does not replace training. To get your certificate you still need the logged hours (or an approved course), and
you must pass the written, oral and practical assessment with an examiner. Boating is dangerous. Learn boat
handling on the water with a qualified skipper.
Regulations under review (2025 draft). This pack is based on the Merchant Shipping (National Small Vessel
Safety) Regulations, 2007 (as amended in 2008), which are in force at the time of writing. Marine Notice 13 of
2011 (the Small Vessel Code / skipper syllabus) and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
(COLREGs) are also used. In 2025 SAMSA published draft new small-vessel regulations for public comment. They
keep the same categories (A–E and R), but details such as equipment lists may change when they are finalised.
Always check the current rules with your examiner or training provider.
Where the law, your examiner or your training provider says something different from this pack, they take
priority.
How we checked the answers
Every answer was checked against the 2007 Regulations (including Annexure 2, the equipment list),
Marine Notice 13 of 2011 and the COLREGs. Each explanation ends with the rule or regulation it is based
on, so you can look it up. Where something depends on local practice, provider requirements or medical
guidance that changes over time, we mark it ⚑ Check and list it in the "Things to confirm" section at the
back.
© 2026 Latest Exam Packs. Licensed for the buyer's personal study. Please don't copy, resell or share the file.
Latest Exam Packs | Day Skipper Cat E & R | Independent study aid, not affiliated with SAMSA | Page 2
,Contents
• Part 1: Your licence and the exam (start here)
• Topic 1: Collision rules (the "rules of the road")
• Topic 2: Buoyage, lights and basic chartwork
• Topic 3: Seamanship: knots, ropes, anchoring and boat handling
• Topic 4: Emergencies: man overboard, fire, flooding, capsize and calling for help
• Topic 5: Law and required safety equipment
• Topic 6: Weather, sea state and tides
• Topic 7: Outboard engines: care, checks and fault-finding
• Topic 8: First aid on the water
• Part 3: Mock written paper (40 questions, three sections)
• Mock paper memo and score sheet
• Oral and practical checklist
• Quick-revision sheet (the night before)
• Glossary
• Things to confirm, and sources
Question counts in this pack
Topic Questions
Collision rules (the "rules of the road") 35
Buoyage, lights and basic chartwork 20
Seamanship: knots, ropes, anchoring and boat handling 20
Emergencies: man overboard, fire, flooding, capsize and 20
calling for help
Law and required safety equipment 15
Weather, sea state and tides 15
Outboard engines: care, checks and fault-finding 15
First aid on the water 10
Practice questions total 150
Mock written paper 40
Latest Exam Packs | Day Skipper Cat E & R | Independent study aid, not affiliated with SAMSA | Page 3
, PART 1
Your licence and the exam
Which certificate do you need?
In South Africa you need a skipper's Certificate of Competence (CoC) to be in charge of a power-driven
pleasure boat with more than 15 hp (and for any commercial small vessel). The certificate is issued for a
category, which sets how far from shore you may go:
Certificate Where you may skipper
Day Skipper, Category E At sea, not more than 1 nm from shore and within 15
miles of an approved launch site. Daylight only. Training
providers state it also covers inland waters (⚑ check with
your examiner).
Skipper Inland Waters, Category R Sheltered waters only: dams, lakes, rivers, tidal lagoons
and rivers, and inside harbour breakwaters. Day or night.
Not valid at sea.
Higher categories (D, C, B, A) Further offshore. These need more experience and extra
subjects (for example chartwork to a higher level, VHF,
night work).
Categories E and R share the same syllabus (Module 1 of each subject in the Small Vessel Code). So this
pack prepares you for both. Where E and R differ (mostly equipment and where you may go), we point it
out.
Who can apply?
Age: at least 16 for a pleasure-vessel certificate (18 for commercial).
Medical: a medical/eyesight certificate on the prescribed form, plus your ID.
Experience (one of): an approved course plus about 25 hours logged; or 50 hours logged under
tuition; or 100 hours logged on your own (Marine Notice 13 of 2011). ⚑ Requirements and how
hours are counted can vary between providers, so check with yours.
What the exam looks like
There is no single national question paper. Examiners and accredited training providers set their own
papers from the syllabus, so the number of questions and the time allowed vary. What is fixed is the
structure and pass marks of the written paper:
Written section Share of paper Pass mark Topics in this pack
1. Chartwork 40% 60% Topic 2 (buoyage, lights,
charts)
2. Emergency procedures, 40% 60% Topics 1, 3, 4, 6
seamanship & meteorology
3. Power, law & naval 20% 50% Topics 5 and 7
architecture
Elementary first aid — 60% Topic 8 (exempt with a
(separate subject) recognised Level 2
certificate)
You must pass each section. After the written paper there is an oral (the collision rules are almost always
asked, plus anything you were weak on in the paper) and a practical on the water (boat handling, man
overboard, anchoring, launching and recovery, engine checks). Many schools run the whole thing in one
day. Collision rules matter most: aim for at least 80–90% on Topic 1 before exam day.
Latest Exam Packs | Day Skipper Cat E & R | Independent study aid, not affiliated with SAMSA | Page 4
