Anonymous vs Sarah Lawlor

Chief officer unlimited exam
Fail
Sarah lawler
Length 1 hour 30 mins

Started the exam with the usual passport and room shown, talked about the exam and how it would proceed with regards to it being online and the online procedures during the exam.

Exam started with the normal first question that I was joining a bulk carrier vessel as a chief officer how would I go about this?
Routine answer from office to actually walking aboard

Stopped me and asked about what statutory certificates I would expect to find on a bull carrier and then asked about different parts of certain certificates. Asked about the marpol certs and to list the annexes which certs went hand in hand with each annex.
To be honest I struggled a little when she mentioned statutory certs as it threw me off a little and after listing about 5/6 brain went off a little

Also asked validity and who inspects/audits what for a few certs.

She stopped me fairly quickly and moved straight onto certificates and what I would expect to be handing over.
Again stopped fairly quick as soon as I mentioned SEA.

Asked me about contents of SEA and let me go on for a bit as I tried to drag out this question as I knew a fair chunk. Again into MLC and the question itself took a while as I was trying to in depth describe the contents. Tell me about DMLC1 and 2

Hours of rest for seafarer and then you have a 17 year old cadet talk me through everything you would be concerned about
HOR/when they can work/precautions of type of work/training/testimonials/lack of experience and knowledge/ days off etc

After I mentioned precautions she asked me what I meant and wanted to know more about the fact of supervision and tbt’s and a thorough understanding to be had due to the young persons Potential lack of experience in certain jobs

At this point she reverted back and said okay going back to joining the vessel you are currently loading coal what would you expect to be handed over in relation to this and information you would require.

Then said I had mentioned a vessel walk around during familiarisation what sort of equipment are you wanting familiarity with and where would you find more information about this equipment.

I mentioned about davits etc and this led to “talk me through a 5 year lifeboat test”
Once I had talked her through that she asked me about breaking strengths and how frequently any piece of equipment onboard has to be tested and how it should be tested and what intervals and by who
My head went again and I sort of fumbled a little bit and during my answer forgot to mention about Loler and Puwer even though I had revised this!

You have left port and discover pms reports and checks don’t match with the actual visual onboard what do you do as chief?

Next she told me she was keeping me on a bulk carrier for the time being and came back to marpol. She asked if I am in a special area can I discharge cargo residues
Messed this one big time

Stayed on Marpol and asked me about garbage discharge. Question was what are the types of entry into a garbage record book.
To be honest the question threw me a little bit and I started answering descriptions of garbage. She stopped me and said no the entries you would put in, so I answered last long, time etc again she said no. There are 4 entries into the book what are they. As soon as she said this I knew shore based facility, at sea and exceptional but because I had taken so long to understand the question I struggled to get incinerated out even though I new it.

Turning a vessel short around in narrow channel and single screw taking her off the berth port side along side current from astern. No bow thrusters.

You are now the master and you get a call to the bridge you have run aground actions?

Who to inform and what becomes null cert wise if you run aground and discover damage to vessel hull.

You mentioned prepare Sopep, what’s contained in sopep plan and list iteams you would expect to find in sopep box.

Your vessel now requires dry dock, tell me what you know about preparations.

Mentioned P force which she was really happy with and the fact she didn’t need to interrupt for me to go into critical moment etc I just done it myself.

How would you make sure again regards to marpol the garbage disposed is being adequately and correctly organised when sent ashore.

How would you rig a gangway when you’re in the dry dock and tell me what you know about gangway requirements.

Buoyage, gave me 5 buoys, direction of Buoyage and heading. Told me go through each one and list everything you know and what side to keep on. Told me I was going secondary to main for Preferred.
Before I answered I quickly clarified if she would prefer I done one buoy at a time in full or answered which side for all first then give description for lights etc after and she wanted buoy full answer one by one.

Lights and shapes-
Gave me lights for these vessels and asked for vessel type and dayshapes/fog signals
Tug and tow, Ram less than 200m
Val aground release than 100m
Fishing vessel
Pilot vessel