[esailor Team]

Exam: Chief Mate (Unlimited)
Date: January 2023
Time: 45 mins (of questioning time)
Examiner: Asked not to be named
Result: Pass
Personal Experience: PAX (as a cadet) & General Cargo
Disclaimer: This has been written in good faith and is to the best of my recollection. I have tried to indicate what topics I covered when answering the questions and what source you use to find the correct answer in some cases. I cannot guarantee that I gave the correct answer to a question.
INDRODUCTION
I joined Teams about 25-30 minutes early, the examiner joined about 8-9 minutes early and remarked that it was good that I was already logged in 10 minutes before, as prescribed in the instructions.
He was familiar with the company I worked for, and we had nice discussion about the ships and my personal experience before the exam commenced. I found this an excellent start to the exam and really helped me to relax into it (I can assure you I certainly wasn’t beforehand!). He explained that another examiner would join the teams meeting for training purposes – this examiner joined right on time and didn’t say anything during the exam, only observed.
Usual rigmarole with checking ID, looking around the room and explaining the how the exam would be conducted.
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS
Q. You are joining your last ship as Mate; explain how you would join?
A. Normal Mates question, started from the quayside. Ran through a fair amount before getting moved on.
Q. You are now the Master; how would you sign a cadet on?
A. Talked about briefing the crew beforehand, assigning a designated training officer (usually C/M. Cadet should have a SEA or Training agreement, Basic Seafarer Training & Medical Certificate. Need to be entered the crew list. I asked if the cadet was under 18 but he moved onto the next question.
Q. How would you familiarise the Cadet?
A. As per familiarisation checklist. All crew must complete on arrival. Ensure they are aware of emergency procedures, location of L/J, immersion suit, muster station and survival craft. Mentioned that the cadet would normally be a supernumerary on the muster list.
Q. Explain the how you would prepare to load a grain cargo?
A. I started by talking about the information exchange that would happen between the ship and the shore as per the BLU code (well worth a read). Discussed hold preparation. Talked about DoA for grain and mentioned the requirements to load if you didn’t. Discussed stowage factor. Talked about making a loading plan. Talked about the grain loading manual (he asked what you would find inside).
Q. How would you prepare for a dry dock?
A. I said I’d talk about the management side first and then revisit stability at the end (tip from James) but got moved on before reaching stability. Prepare a Dry Dock list, consult with other departments on board. Line of communication with technical management to get a scope of work agreed. Send Docking Plan, Shell Expansion Plan & General Arrangement Plan to Dry Dock. Spent 30 seconds explaining about A & B docking plans. Meeting with Dock Forman on arrival to compare our safe systems of work, agree how we could work safely together.
Q. What certificates would you check before leaving the dock?
A. I initially mentioned the certificate to flood and talked about the checks made beforehand. He clearly wanted to hear about other certificates too. I then explained that normal procedure would be to synchronise the HSSC renewal surveys (IMO A.1140) at the same time the vessel is in dry dock.
Q. What would certificate the Class surveyor be most be keen to see complete?
A. I wasn’t sure here, I talked about Certificate of Class and then proceeded to talk about the enhanced survey requirements for a Bulker or Tanker of 10 years or more. Said you would close the Dry Dock with a meeting between the ship, superintendent and Class Surveyor and would ensure all work was complete to everyone’s satisfaction. Mentioned any certificate renewal would have been in the scope of work set out for the Dry Dock. Afterwards he made it clear that he wanted me to talk about cargo ship construction certificate.
Q. What do you know about ACS & EAS?
A. As per MGN 568 & 561.
Q. What scheme is your company part of?
A. Had to admit I wasn’t 100% sure but believed they were part of the EAS. He laughed and said he didn’t know so it was a silly question (my ships are British Flagged – don’t fall into this trap if you don’t work on British Flagged ships)
Q. How would you conduct a 5-Yearly load test for rescue boat?
A. As per MGN 560.
Q. During the load test the shore technician isn’t wearing a lifejacket or safety harness when loading the boat – actions?
A. Stop the work. As him to wear PPE correctly.
Q. And if you were the Master?
A. If he repeatedly refused to work safely, I would ask him to leave the vessel and cancel the load test.
Q. Then what would you do?
A. I said I would inform DPA and Flag. An approved surveyor (normally from class) would be in attendance anyway. With some luck another technician could be sent out before leaving the port.
Q. Back as Mate now. Crewmember not working safely, not wearing PPE, actions?
A. Disciplinarily procedures as per Merchant Navy Code of Conduct.
Q. What would be recorded in the Official Logbook?
A. Said all I could remember. I recommend reading “A Masters Guide to the UK Flag.” You can get it on the internet – good for this sort of question.
Q. Manoeuvre the ship off the berth (showed a picture). 80m ship, Righthanded, Bow thruster. Port side alongside, ship ahead & astern. 1 knot of tide ahead, 10 knots of wind pushing us onto the berth. In a river.
A. As Kurtis pointed out there is no right answer to manoeuvring questions (there is wrong answers though). I said that there would be multiple ways to do this but gave what my preferred option was. I elected to hold the ship on the aft spring, let the tide & bow thruster take the bow out (you’d put a fender down aft to protect the paint). Once the bow was clear of the vessel ahead let go aft spring, rudder hard over and bring the stern out and clear of the berth. By continually thrusting the vessel will crab sideways and bring you out into the river. You can then start to bring the rudder midships, begin the accelerate and proceed.
The examiner said he’d seen our own ships do a similar manoeuvre but use a long forward spring and thrust off the berth. I agreed, said I’d seen it done that way plenty of times too, but given the proximity to the vessel ahead I avoided doing that was in case the spring parted, and I’d be at risk of ploughing into the vessel ahead. He agreed that was a risk he hadn’t considered.
Q. Actions as Master – You suffer engine failure 10 miles offshore in the Irish Sea.
A. Follow emergency checklist. Contact nearest coastal radio station. Put out a security message. Contact DPA to start looking at towage arrangements. Determine rate of drift and proximity to navigational hazards. This followed onto a discussion about Sécurité, Pan-Pan and Distress messages – when would you use each.
Q. How would you set up for an emergency tow?
A. As per Emergency Towing Booklet. We then discussed towing arrangements, and I talked about a personal experience which he seemed to like.
COLREGS QUESTIONS
Explain Rule 15
Crossing – we are the give way.
Head on.
Head on with another vessel fine on the bow.
Radar Plot – target astern.
Radar Plot – calculate the aspect – this nearly caught me out – hadn’t seen that asked in a while. Then asked how I’d set my radar up.
Overtaking another vessel.
Crossing – we are stand on. Further actions if he doesn’t give way. Rule 17.
He wrapped it up and said I’d met the criteria and passed!
Very fair exam in my opinion, and a very good examiner. It is hard to pick up the subtleties of an exam in a orals report, but as advised by James I tried to drop in any extra knowledge into my answers where I could – such as talking about the requirements to load grain without a DoA. I think little things like this give of the impression you know what you’re talking about, and the examiner moves you on quickly rather than spending ages hammering the same subject.
A HUGE thank you to the Whitehorse Maritime team that have helped me with my orals prep. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the Clinics and defiantly book some private sessions and do some mock exams – helped me hugely.

[Author]

Posts