Course Purpose Statement
The Proficiency in Survival Craft Limited certification equips mariners with essential competencies to safely launch, operate, and command survival craft during emergency abandonment procedures. This comprehensive program develops practical skills in rescue boat and life raft operations while establishing the foundational knowledge necessary for progression to unlimited tonnage survival craft qualifications and advanced maritime safety roles.

Comprehensive Learning Outcomes
Students master launch and recovery procedures for rescue boats and inflatable life rafts using both gravity davit systems and manual deployment methods. The curriculum covers survival craft handling techniques in emergency conditions, including engine operation, steering control, and maneuvering in adverse weather. Participants demonstrate proficiency in emergency equipment operation including Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Search and Rescue Transponders (SARTs), and distress signaling devices. Training encompasses survivor management, basic medical care, hypothermia prevention, and provisions distribution during extended survival situations. Students learn to assume command responsibilities during abandonment scenarios, coordinating survivor evacuation and maintaining crew morale under extreme stress conditions.

Practical Training Equipment and Marine Facilities
Training utilizes authentic survival craft including Coast Guard-approved rescue boats, inflatable life rafts, and gravity davit systems identical to equipment found aboard commercial vessels. Students practice with actual emergency equipment including sea anchors, manual propulsion systems, emergency food and water rations, first aid supplies, and signaling devices. Seafarers Worldwide's waterfront facilities provide realistic launch and recovery training in protected marine waters, allowing hands-on experience with survival craft operations while maintaining comprehensive safety protocols. The program features specialized survival equipment laboratories where students inspect, maintain, and operate emergency systems under instructor supervision.

Regulatory Compliance Framework
This course satisfies requirements established under the International Maritime Organization's STCW Code Section A-VI/2 Table A-VI/2-1 for Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats other than Fast Rescue Boats. The program meets United States Coast Guard standards outlined in 46 CFR 12.10-5 and incorporates competency requirements specified in 46 CFR 11.201 for survival craft endorsements. Training components comply with SOLAS Chapter III regulations for life-saving appliances and align with IMO Resolution MSC.48(66) guidelines for survival craft equipment and procedures. All practical assessments meet international standards for survival craft proficiency demonstration.

Certification and Career Progression
Upon successful completion, graduates receive a United States Coast Guard-approved Proficiency in Survival Craft Limited endorsement valid for application to any level of Merchant Mariner Credential. This certification qualifies holders for survival craft responsibilities aboard vessels of any tonnage operating on any waters worldwide, excluding only vessels carrying motor-propelled enclosed lifeboats. The PSC-L credential serves as the foundation for advancement to unlimited Proficiency in Survival Craft certification and provides essential qualifications for deck officer positions, maritime safety roles, and specialized emergency response assignments.

Essential Maritime Safety Foundation
The Proficiency in Survival Craft Limited certification represents critical safety competency required throughout the maritime industry, ensuring mariners possess the knowledge and practical skills necessary to protect human life during emergency situations at sea. This foundational training prepares graduates to assume leadership responsibilities during the most challenging circumstances while maintaining the professional competence and calm decision-making essential for successful survival craft operations.