[esailor Team]

500GT Masters Oral Examination
Liverpool MCA Office
Examiner: Alec Keep
Time 1hr

After getting stuck in traffic after an accident, then getting caught at the level crossing next to the MCA office I arrived 5 mins late. I’d phoned up the office to inform them I might be slightly late, to which I was told not to worry and thanks for the call. I think this went down quite well (not being late, but informing them of a delay.)
Met the examiner, who immediately asked about my previous experience with Maersk, to then ask if I knew one on the surveyors/examiners. An ex-college form Maersk.
Then asked about why I was taking this oral, as his records indicated I’d passed my Mate unlimited orals.
Quick talk about TTL and IOM flag.
Examination then started.

What IMO conventions are there?
SOLAS, MARPOL, STWC.
What sections are there to SOLAS?
How are these conventions, made it to law?
The issuing of SI’s
Who issues the SI?
Government of the flag state
What certification would you expect to find on a vessel?
I asked if he wanted a vessel of 499GT, as the IOPP, Prevention of air pollution ect (MARPOL) didn’t come into effect until >400GT. To which he said yes and seemed quite surprised by this!
Loadline, international tonnage, etc
He kept fishing, had a feeling he was looking for Safe manning certificate. So thinking out loud I said “we wouldn’t need a safe manning certificate being <500Gt”. To which he said “oh right of course”. To further confuse him I said we did actually have one and I assumed it was Flag state requirement.
What document do you carry to show your complying with SI’s?
Official Logbook
What do you put in the OLB?
Master’s cert details, record of crew leaving/joining, record of any drill, departure/arrival date and times, departure/arrival draughts and freeboard. Testing of steering gear. Any breached of the MNCC, Masters Inspections.
Tell me about Masters Inspections
Weekly and went through what you’re looking for.
How often should fire/abandon ship drills be carried out?
Monthly and 48hrs after 25% crew change.
According to UK law do any other drills need to be carried out?
MOB drills, enclosed space drill. Went a bit blank here. But when I mentioned he enclosed space drill he seemed happy about it. Looking back now, he might have been looking for Emergency steering gear every 3 months?
When would you carry out an enclosed space drill?
Every month?
What about if you needed to carry out an enclosed space entry?
As part of my risk assessment, I’d carry out a drill so everyone realised the risks and on job requirements-standby man, ventilated, stretcher etc
What is risk assessment?
Assessing the severity of risk and the likelihood of it occurring.
What’s in COSWP?
Went through the sections
What type of compass would a vessel greater than 300gt have?
Magnetic, gyro
What is variation and deviation?
How do you get deviation?
Compass swing
When would you swing a compass?
After dry dock, any change of ships structure, after a collision, any unexpected changes in deviation.
What do you use to correct a magnetic compass?
Flinders bar, Kelvin’s spheres, heeling magnets and horizontal magnets.
On a passage form Liverpool to Hamburg, as a master what would you inspect and check the passage plan for?
Went through APEM and each part.
Examiner then emphasised what would a master be checking?
Bunkers, FW, stores are adequate.
Back to MARPOL, are there any special area’s regarding what type of fuel you can use?
Yes Low sulphur areas?
What’s this called?
SECA.
Where are these?
Western approaches, North Sea North West Europe
Are there any requirements when alongside an EU port?
Just said I didn’t know- he “informed” me of the new EU legislation which came into force 1st Jan 2011 of 0.1% sulphur.
Your bilges are full and you need to pump over the side what do you use?
OWS
What does this do?
Filters and Monitors oil levels. If it goes above 15ppm must auto shut off and alarm.
What’s records are kept?
Oil record book
What’s recorded in this?
Movement of any oil. Internal or external
Who normally keeps it up to date?
C/E but master counter signs it.
Lifejacket and lifeboat requirements.
Actions as master on discovery of an E/R fire.
Situation briefing upon arrive to bridge, general alarm, shut quick closeting valves, shut off ventilation, change navigation status. Have a briefing from the Fire party leader. Issue a “mayday”
Spoke about the meaning of Mayday, and if I felt the fire was controllable or became controlled, I’d down grade to a “pan pan”
Asked what is the most common E/R fire?
Leak of high pressure fuel line onto a hot surface.
Carry on with actions as master
Seal off engine room, sound general alarm again and re muster- if everyone present order the C/E to release Co2.
How you monitor fire after?
Take external temperature reading and continue boundary cooling. Inform MAIB, company, coastal state.
Gives me a secondary channel Stbd mark, conical special mark, safe water mark, south cardinal.
Put me on a course of 088 leaving port. Asked for light characteristics and which side would you pass?
How would you cross a TSS?
At 90degress to traffic flow
If there was a current running would you have ground track of 90?
No your head must be at 90.
Why?
Because the Collision regs are based solely on aspect.
Sailing vessel on port bow crossing in TSS
RAM crossing on port side
Tug and tow>200m crossing port side
Two vessels converging on near parallel courses. I’m the port side vessel, whose give way and why?
I’m give way because it’s a crossing situation.
What action?
Slow down
Radar plat in restricted Vis, 2 targets set up with relative vectors. What’s happening? What action to take. Was quite surprised to get this as I’d assumed the examiner would ask for full radar plot.

Finished with a quick chat TTL and service we provide at CT. Interested in the berthing service we provide with the Pilots.

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