Master Unlimited Examiner: Capt. Colum Leggett (Liverpool) August 2025

Master Unlimited Examiner: Capt. Colum Leggett (Liverpool) August 2025
Experience: Passenger ship
Started with normal stuff of confirming name on the passport, checked the room is clear and the do’s and don’ts during the exam. Asked where am doing the exam from, and how long it takes to travel to UK and all that, He asked how many ships my company has, I believe he was trying to lighten the moment. Looks like he was also googling all the ship’s details or something like that. Asked me about my last ship and the trading routes. Then said he will start recording.

1.How will you take over as a Master on your last ship (Passenger ship)? Mentioned as per MGN 475 MLC Recruitment & Placement requires office briefing by the company, check my documents/certificates, explained about the particulars of the ship, talked about familiarisation of the SMS, Master responsibilities with emphasis on Master’s overriding authority, any reviews made in the SMS, status of PMS, and lastly as per MGN 477 SEA, the company has to explain to me my rights and responsibilities under SEA, then sign it. Proceeding to ship, check general condition of ship from outside, check the load line marks are visible and painted on contrasting colour to the hull as per MSN 1752 Merchant Shipping Merchant Shipping (Load Line) Regulation. Gangway correctly rigged. As per Ship Security Plan baggage check, and body search, check passport. Proceeding to Captain’s office, check emergency lights working, ventilation/air-condition/heating, no obstruction in the escape routes…. In the office, I started with handover report… status of bridge equipment, engine room (fuel ROB), deck machinery, safety reports MS (Health & safety at Work) Reg, Inspection report of weekly accommodation as per MSN 1844, Inspection report for food & water as per MSN 1845, PSC Inspection report as per MSN 1832 Then he stopped me

2. What certificates will you check? Safe manning Document – MS (STCW) Reg (check part 4), SOLAS Certificates, PSSC – MS (Survey & Certification) Reg, Copy of DOC & SMC – MS (The ISM Code) Reg, CSR Form I, II, III – MS (Special Measures to Enhance Maritime Safety) Regs, ISSC – The Ship & Port Security (Amendment) (EU Exit) Reg MARPOL, IOPPC & Form A – MS (Prevention of Oil Pollution from ships) Reg, ISPPC – MGN 631 MS (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from ships) Regs, IAPPC/EIAPPC/IEEC – MSN 1819 Prevention of Air Pollution…. He stopped me

3. What’s the validity of PSSC? Who issues the Cert. in UK? As per MSN 1751 Harmonised System of Survey & Certification HSSC – 1 year Renewal

4. What documents to check for dancers, utility cleaners, stateroom attendants? As per MS (STCW)Reg mentioned the normal STCW Certificates of Proficiency, Crowd control & Crisis Management Certificates. Asked if they were required to have the certificates when joining, I said not really since the safety officer is allowed to conduct the STCW training onboard to them and issue certificates, but for Deck & Engine department they must have the STCW certs. from their respective countries. He was like Oh that’s interesting

5. Tell me about Able Seafarer deck? As per MSN 1862 UK Requirements for rating, it talks about the qualifications they need to have, mentioned they must be at least 18 yrs, need to have a rating certificate, the STCW Certs.

6. What is the STCW Reg for AB Deck? II/5… he seemed surprised I know the answer… I had read in some reports about this, of course everyone will overlook this especially for Masters License

7. Prepare for PSSC Survey as a Master? Consult IMO Resolution A.1186 Guidelines on Harmonised System of Survey & Certification…. normal answer

8. Voyage planning as Captain from Singapore to India? I mentioned Solas Reg V.34 implemented by MS (Safety of Navigation) Regs and the normal answer for this question… Remember some factors to consider for such voyage is Security at the Malacca Strait (normally robbery incidents) and likelihood of Cyclones….

9. He asked me what was the departure GM in your last ship? Told him about 2.0m, asked why? Responded due to vessel full of bunkers, stores, fresh water….

10. You mentioned Intact Stability; how will you know your vessel complies with damage stability? Mmmmhm, I replied by complying with intact stability, he said Noo… Then I said I don’t know the answer. He then started explaining something like all passenger ships should be able to check that using the Loadicator and it was like he was teaching me now. He told me to go and check on this. I then remembered that during damage drill onboard, we could simulate damage in compartments on NAPA Loadicator and it will give you results to see if the ship is safe or sinking; anyway, I let it pass (I still have to look into this)

11. Prepare for Sailing as a Master? I believe this question is like the previous one, anyway I mentioned some points that I missed out, which was testing of bridge equipment by OOW, steering gear test to be logged in official logbook, contact pilot…… didn’t let me finish 12. Tell me about Master Pilot Exchange?

12. Do you know the Curve of minimum Metacentric Height? I was like what is that! He showed me the first pic (again not the exact one but similar) and he started explaining to me the curve, according to a particular draft of the ship, the minimum GM a vessel should keep is so and so as per the curve. I quickly interrupted him and told him about the Maximum KG/Displacement Table (the second pic) is similar to this… he was cool, we moved on

13. Unberthing, Single Screw RHFPP, Tugboat, Bow thruster, 10 Knots onshore winds, 1 knot current from ahead, Tugboat provided, Two Vessels ahead and astern of you? As per MS (Health & Safety at Work) Regs – Proper planning, RA conducted, Toolbox meeting held with all parties informed about the plan, the findings of the RA and to monitor clearances, (To raise any concern if not going as per the plan), Bridge Equipment & Anchor/mooring equipment checked & tested, Engines standby… Single up to headline & Aft spring to stop vessel from falling back due to current, then slack head line, let the wedge of water in between vessel and pier to open the bow, assist with thruster to stbd to counter the effect of wind, when bow clear of the forward vessel, let go head line, tug boat (stbd quarter) standby to pull, engines ahead then let go aft spring lines to counter the effect of current, tug boat to start pulling… he then stopped me

14. You get a call fire in the E/R, one of the generators on fire? Showed me the pics like the below (the smoke at the funnel was more than what you see here) I requested for a moment to write down SPARRC Safety, Preliminary, Assessment, Resources, Record-Keeping and Reporting, Checklist… Don’t forget to confirm Quick closing valve has been shut off, keep smoke away from bridge… check FIRE PLAN, contact ERS, also said I will send AB Engine as firefighters….. follow SPARRC.. Didn’t let me finish

15. COLREG – Lights (describe the vessel) Aground, probably 50m or more PDV port aspect, probably 50m or more Sailing vessel port aspect Sailing vessel stbd aspect, Actions ROC? Trawler underway and stopped or at anchor? How will the bearing be if its stopped and not moving? I said opening Fishing vessel with outlying gear more than 150m underway, making way, Port aspect, seen on the stbd bow? Actions ROC? The shared screen was showing CBD on the port bow, stbd aspect, open waters; He then said the CBD is following a deep draught channel (He stressed on this part FOLLOWING DEEP WATER CHANNEL) (Although there were no buoys or special mark to indicate deep water channel)? ROC exists? I said shall not cross a narrow channel if impeding, therefore slow down. From the way he was asking this question, I realised he didn’t want me to go to stbd

16. What will you do if there’s RV? As per MGN 369; the normal answer

17. Radar plotting. ROC exists… Vessel crossing from port to stbd, action? Vessel crossing from stbd to port, action? Vessel on stbd quarter overtaking, action? Vessel on stbd beam, action?

18. How is the current setting?

19. What will you do as a Master if your vessel is coming to UK for the first time, what inspection will you expect for your vessel? (Old Passenger ship,)? MSN 1832 MS (Port State Control) Regs – expanded inspection

20. What is Expanded Inspection?

NO BUOYAGE!! He then said check your email; it was a pass. It may seem like I mentioned a lot of Regs/MSN/ MGN but if you see, the questions are just the same from the previous reports… nothing out of the ordinary. The regs are found on the below website
http://www.legislation.gov.uk
for your reference only. He said ‘’You did well with the MSNs/Regs/MGN, and it will be nice if you advise the others about this, it works very well with the surveyors.’’ My advice… Of course, there’s a lot to learn and you cannot know everything so at least know where to get the information from… there are some questions which you are 100% sure the surveyors will ask you, so just get to know those few regs and make sure you mention them while answering. ‘Hope this helps’ Shout out to Glasgow Maritime Academy for the Oral prep classes and Whitehorse Maritime for all the orals reports on Facebook. All the best to everyone… Adios Muchachos