katie – aberdeen

Masters Oral Examination Unlimited
Examiner: Captain MacDonald, Aberdeen
Candidate: S. Smith – Passenger vessels only
26/10/2020
1hr 40min

No surprises in the exam even if it was longer than I had expected (and hoped for). It followed MGN 69 with all questions clear and understandable.
1. Sign on at the gangway, what are you checking for?
2. What would you expect if you were signing on an unfamiliar vessel as a crew member other than that Master? Shipboard familiarisation.
3. Back on the gangway, what would you check with respect to the hull? I believe the answer required was reference to AFS. Which I gave after freeboard, load lines etc.
4. Handing over with the Master, what certificates would you expect to view with regards to ISM? And now with MLC?* I missed one here, I missed Recruitment and Placement Management Certificates as evidence that Flag has inspected companies outsourced to employ crew members.
5. Doing deck rounds and Bosun working aloft without harness, actions?
6. But RA makes no reference to wearing a harness? NC with company and review RA’s.
7. What does Bosuns approach to work exemplify about the ship? Safety culture.
8. How would you correct?
9. Foreign national signs on as OOW, what will you check?* I failed to mention that as well as CEC (or CRA) Master should check for additional endorsement of GMDSS which UK flag do separately on an A4 piece of paper (I was not aware of this).
10. Company is audited by Flag for DOC but what audits are carried out on board? Internal by company. What is an audit? Verification of entire process from start to finish.
11. Vessel alongside during lay-up, what would you check for? Magnetic compass.
12. When would you swing a compass? What preparations would you take?
13. Sailing from Florida to Jamaica. Weather routeing. Heavy weather forecast, actions as Master?
14. Talk about rough seas and effect on stability and vessels motion. Panting, pounding, heeling, pitching, SF, BM.
15. What is a TRS? What variables are required? How would you check that these were outside the average for the time of year? Sailing directions, routeing charts.
16. TRS has passed but receive VHF DSC alert. Actions?
17. Coast guard directs you to render assistance to FV with six crew, when you arrive there is no sign of vessel?
18. What type of search? What is contained in IAMSAR?
19. Find all crew, actions?
20. Masters legal obligations after collision? What is the difference between MCA and MAIB? Powers of apportioning liability and responsibility versus impartial investigation.
21. Difference between a running moor and standing moor. Talk me through how you would do a running moor?
22. Anchor fouled after tide changes, actions? Here I suggested the practice of sending mooring lines to untangle but eventually when asked if I would request help I said I would by asking for tugs to assist in pushing vessel around…I was unsure if this was correct as I had mentioned I would attempt this under my own propulsion. I think the principle was that if I could get assistance, I should take it.
23. What is the definition of restricted visibility?
24. OOW has called you to the Bridge as encountered RV, what would you expect to have been done already?
25. Radar plot – two vessels, one crossing starboard to port forward of the beam and one directly astern and going twice my speed, ROC with both. Actions? I was allowed to complete the plot. Talked through my actions and what actions I expected the other vessels to take also.
26. 6 or7 RoR situations. Identify vessel fully, day shapes, sound signals, actions. Nothing extraordinary or contentious.
27. Buoyage – all the buoys. Everything about them and actions if approaching from various courses (cardinals).
28. Lights and shapes on the smartie board, day shapes, RV sound signals. Pilot underway, NUC making way, RAM -tow, RAM – dredging, vessel more than 50m, less than 100m anchorage, now aground, sound signals?

And that was that. It was tough but the examiner was very fair. The answers weren’t pulled out but I never felt under strain to answer immediately, I used the time to think about my answers first.
I couldn’t answer two questions, or was unable to give the answer which the examiner wished to hear (marked with an asterisk) but it appears as long as you don’t allow it to bog you down then you’ll get another go next question.
Thanks to Anindya and Wardy at Fleetwood (glamorously working out of NZ HQ) and the guys on the Fleetwood Masters course who allowed me to join in their evening clinics.