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Do I need a fatigue-management plan for a small commercial vessel?

The BosunCompliance· Current as of 2026-05-30

Marine Order 504 calls for SMS elements such as a fatigue-management plan and a drug & alcohol policy. How much is required scales with your operation: a simplified SMS is available for some eligible vessels under 7.5 m, and hire-and-drive (Class 4) operations have their own differentiated requirements.

What does not scale away is the obligation to have an SMS at all: every domestic commercial vessel owner or operator must implement and maintain one, including grandfathered and certificate-exempt vessels.

So a small operation may carry a lighter SMS, but “small” is not the same as “none.” Confirm your eligibility for the simplified path against the AMSA source rather than assuming it.

How Shimbiri answers this

The Purser checks the simplified-SMS eligibility (class and length) on the AMSA page against your vessel, and tells you which elements you can lighten and which you still must hold, with the clause cited.

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Related

General information for Australian operators, current as of 2026-05-30. Rules change and recreational rules vary by state. Always confirm against the source(s) linked above (your AMSA, Australian Sailing or state maritime authority). This is not legal advice.