[esailor Team]

Please read the whole document in preparing for Belfast,
Masters Unlimited
Online Oral Exam
Capt. Bill Bennett
Candidate Experience : Offshore and Container ships as a Cadet.
Pass
The online oral introduction, room checks, policy on connectivity issues. Put me at ease, straight away.
Q. You are joining a new ship as Master. How will you implement a new SMS onboard with respect to crew? (Not a new built, just new to flag)
(Started with the standard answer with implementing policies, a minute into it realised what he had asked so swiftly switched )
Will emphasise on crew training, everybody is new to the ship and probably new to each other, will help them to use their previous experience and adapt that to this ship. Extensive training in emergency procedures, emergency equipment and their use, frequent drills. Get familiar with SMS wrt job description and where to find to find a particular procedure or checklist.
Also since it’s a new ship I will make them aware that anytime between 3 and 6 months from now MCA will be onboard to check how well we’ ve trained and want to see all the proof of what we have done, so record everything via SMS provisions.
(Before I could talk about developing training manuals & setting up a safety committee …next question)
Q. What will you tell them about DPA? (Oh! I wasn’t planning on but yes ….)
The DPA ‘s name and contact information would have been displayed all over the vessel, will tell the crew that they have the right to contact him if they are not happy with how I have addressed any issue, and he can reach the boss’ boss. Will also tell them that though we use SMS forms to order spares and stores, he is the man responsible for providing all kinds of shore support, logistics.
He will also be monitoring our safety and vessels safety and advise us on technical issues tell us when audits have been arranged.
(Basically, DPA duties but simplified, like explaining to a rating perhaps who is not interested in your technical jargon. He seemed satisfied but he didn’t get the key words OCP from me so his next question was)
Q What can you tell me about ‘ Onboard Complaints procedure?
‘It is a provision of MLC. The MGN about onboard complaints procedure states that where possible, a complaint should be sorted at the lowest level possible onboard’….rattled of the rest for about a minute.
Q Ok you mentioned about telling the crew to record what they’ve done for MCA via SMS procedures. What are we looking at certification wise?
ISM DOC copy onboard talked about 6+6 if company is new as well
ISM SMC Interim , 3-6 months period Initial
Q Ok say you are on a container ship (Oh God no! I ive spent the last month learning everything about bulk carriers and bulk cargo)… You have a fresh Chief Officer what will you expect to see from him regarding loading?
Before actually attempting to load the ship or make a loading plan, I will first advise him to familiarise himself with all systems and equipment that he will use during loading and maintain a stable ship at all stages. Ballast pump and piping arrangements, tank plans capacities and what each tank does. Anti-heeling system rates. Lashing equipment and securing manual. IMDG code. Will show him how to navigate the loadicator and ask him to study the old loading plans, check which bay numbers for 20/40. For container vessels I will remind him about stack height wrt visibility forward, windage. Some ports use multiple gantries and can collectively do a couple hundred containers in an hour, so we will have to plan ahead and at any point if it’s getting too overwhelming call me earlier rather later. Tell your duty officers to keep an eye on damaged containers and damage to the vessel. Any damage take pictures record in relevant form and tell me…(.i was hoping this will take me to letter of protest, it didn’t !. Damn I’m running out of stuff, I didn’t pause much between any of my answering so I kept talking…. Mentioned bay numbers a second time …. that’s when he moved on)
Q Ok now we have done the loading part, what else will you expect to see from a new chief mate onboard your ship?
Will see how he marshals his troops, treats them fairly, how he affects their productivity, promotes a safe working culture within the deck department , rotates their hours of work and rest. He should maintain the requirements of …. (I gave the exact hours and periods without him asking and then continued on talking) sets a good example wrt to safety / PPE, how he cooperates with other departments
Q Ok you mentioned IMDG code what will you show him
Was totally rehearsed for this answer, gave him everything about how to go into Part 2 , get the relevant code for class/ handling / marking / placarding/ stowage / segregation from the columns and check corresponding info in Part 1. UN codes. Gave standard contents of supplement and F / S codes
At this point we were only 20 mins into the actual questioning part of this exam, So I’m gonna have to speed up this oral report. The whisky isn’t going to drink itself!
Q You mentioned Stability booklet, what are its contents?
This is the first question where I had to think and answer, a few uuhhs n ummms later I think I covered most of the points in the course notes including inclining experiment.
Q So what about this Inclining experiment?
We actually get lightship GM from it but use that to compute lightship KG.
I jumped straight into doing the actual experiment, about tested weights moved on deck, transversely, pendulum arrangement in the centreline of the vessel, better to use 2 or 3 pendulums for more accurate values, used my hands to show a triangle with angle of deflection and length of the pendulum and explained the relation with angle of list and length of GM. Went through the procedure of moving weights on deck and getting values each time, I mentioned marking the boundaries of the weight on deck so there is no error due to placing weights a few centimeters off each time. That’s when I realized I didn’t say anything about precautions for the experiment, preparing etc. but it was too late, so I just continued my monologue on the actual experiment and calculation. He didn’t seem to mind or ask anything, and I felt I did well here. Explained the GZ curve and what we get from it in detail during this topic.
Q So why when would you do a lightship KG and what is its use?
Standard answer
Q Ok you are going from Le Havre in France to New York. What will you tell your second officer?
I asked if he’s new as well? No, he has his OOW ticket and he has some experience.
He put a routing chart on the screen, you can’t read the contents of the chart but he tells you which month
Started with departure port, all the usual points, about passage in harbor waters, said my major initial concern will be the passage in the English Channel. We see a lot of ships not following rule 10 or the advice in MGN364, gave the example of ferries overtaking and crossing. Said I will impart to the entire bridge crew via standing and night orders the conduct expected of them in TSS. Said then we will talk about reporting requirements AMVER and any other voluntary ones company asks us to follow. Then started another monologue that covered Wx reports, ALRS vol 3, Ocean passage of the world, and the routeing chart on the screen. Made a comment about young officers coming through who have trained and worked only on ECDIS and might not have ever used one of these, relying solely on weather routeing . (Apologies, young officers, no offence) He seemed to agree, single gentle nod. Then explained all the info that can be found on a routeing chart.
Then gave everything on ventilation, digressed into bulk carriers a bit here loadline zones, ballast water management, Depressions, Ice, made references to Mariners Handbook, Ice Patrol Services, didn’t go towards Ice accretion and he didn’t ask. This was the longest question of the orals, it was just me talking, he probably asked a few things out of my answers here or there.
Q On screen is a synoptic chart. Talk to me about it
Explained all symbols I could see and weather pattern for each symbol very briefly, wind speed measurement from Isobars , direction ….
Q Tell me everything about Cold fronts
This time in more detail, clouds, temperature, pressure changes.
Q You spoke about Ballast water management, tell me about it
So I told him everything I knew D1 – ways to do it, D2 – only final date where all ships must comply and the types of treatment method, then said whatever little I knew about the UV type on my ship.
Q OK now back to the passage, Lifeboat Davit cracked
Wants to hear about risk assessment CAP, inform everyone company class MCA – which I explained .
Then there was a bit of how/ what , I finally managed to get the word dispensation out, to complete the voyage. He mentioned that you send a letter of dispensation, a special form to MCA…
Q You have decided to abandonship. How will you go about it. This question has nothing to do with the cracked davit.
At first I tried to back down… will consider my options ERS etc etc. He said no its decided, its final. So I started, Exact actions will depend on how much time I have, if I was on a bulk carrier progressive flooding, it will be pretty much VDR push button, carrying the EPIRB SART. mustering into the boats.
He had mentioned it was a fire
If we have a bit of time, would make sure muster is done and duties are followed. Order will be given verbally by me. Will take the logbooks, certs if we can, push the SVDR no overwrite recording button if required, EPIRB SART. Make announcements for the crew to keep calm. Obviously, Distress would have already been sent much before the decision was made and hence I did not mention it earlier in my answer (I was thinking, that’s it… this will be my end… I’ve forgotten distress while abandoning ship!, S of Spaarc, but I think he accepted my explanation and didn’t interrupt me there or bring it up later) Continued with communication with CRS & ERS for info, take whatever essentials like extra
food water blankets pyrotechnics, we can carry , then safe launching, keeping the boats together, launching the liferafts as well if needed for provisions or equipment , keeping everything together, clear of the ship, sea sickness tablets distributed , communication between boats via GMDSS walkies, radar reflector set up, sea anchor and follow other instructions in survival booklet. Now, a rare pause moment in the exam,when we were both quiet, he was waiting for something , didn’t have anything to add so started going through a checklist outloud as if talking to myself….I’ve informed everyone, taken what we need, made ourselves as visible as possible, and we are communicating,…… The most Important thing for me will be making sure I can reassure the crew, inform them that help is coming. That I need them to have their head on their shoulders and pull through for their own safety and the safety of their fellow shipmates. After this last statement he moved on, I don’t know if he got what he wanted but he didn’t say anything or react.
Q Slide change to a Magnetic compass. You are in the Atlantic 2/O says deviation is out.
Will check chart for anomalies and gave all checks as per standard compass including deflection test , if nothing check retentive error in quadrantal correctors and flinders bar. I went into detail on coefficient D , a & e rods what they are for, why it was max(FA and athwartship deck plates are closest to the compass and since both the associated correctors are soft iron, more retention….., then annealing, rolling on deck. checking by rotating the balls and what I didn’t say , Capt. Bennett added about turning the flinder bar magnets upside down, I finished by saying oh since they are vertical soft iron correctors , only lowering and raising them should deflect compass and not flipping them around. He said yes. Got what I think was a smile, but I can’t be sure. We spoke for 10 minutes about our opinions on Magnetic compasses being removed from ships , in place of 3 gyros, spoke about my ship where we had 3 gyros and individual power sources but why we chose to keep them.
Q Ok back to this, You spoke about MLC earlier, what do you think about it? how are you going to go about verifying it as Master?
Everything about MLC, the history, what are the advantages, no favourable treatment, DMLC 2 then started on the main points… from top how each one will be checked … till accommodation inspection. He stopped me there and changed
OK earlier you told me about IMDG code that covers Annex III of Marpol, what other Marpol Annexe will you be concerned about on your container ship
I said the names n numbers for 4,5,6… he looked at me,like looked me in the eye…then I said and Annex I .
Q Ok tell me what all will you check as per Marpol Annex I
The entire answer for IOPP survey and then how to verify ORB entries.
Q Tell me what you know about Marpol Annex VI
Just told him everything for Annex VI , including discharge criteria formulas for special area. No follow up question
Q Ok how will you prepare for heavy weather
Asked if preparations in advance or heavy weather is already upon is? He said prepare, not yet heavy weather. So standard answer, plus container stuff – lashing, windage. Call everyone for meeting….
Q Ok 3rd mate calls you to the bridge, since vessel is in restricted visibility
When I go on the bridge il expect the fog horn to be have been started and nav lights already on…..Will make sure duty officer does this, that ….etc etc.. mentioned MGN 369.
Suddenly an ROR slide on the screen, pictorial representation no models
I was really in the ‘talking zone’ and suddenly seeing ROR shocked me a bit, I almost replied…with the action straightaway, but then took a breath and started with “take a series of compass bearings”…. I was pretty confident by now that unless I fuck up one of ROR lights buoys RV , Im going to pass. But I have been in this situation once in my life and failed …..So please remember, full concentration, when in the last stretch.
ROR was all straight forward no trick questions.
4 –5 situations:
PDV crossing from port, from starboard, overtaking , in all cases full action with a few lines about the rule.He always asked, as per which rule, what it says-
He put an overtaking in narrow channel slide and said – explain rule 9,
Rule 8 in own words,
Rule 7 in own words he said I only want what the rule says about bearings and risk of collision, the last part.
Smarty Board all the 6 points for each slide, action not required.
Anchored vessel, vessel aground, a few others
CBD from stern, I said CBD from stern probably making way, then I said the words, “less than 50m” !!!! I immediately stopped, my face dropped, I was panicking inside, and I said “Capt. I cant tell the size cause im not in the arc of visibility of its masthead light…. He just spoke over me n said….”if there is actually a vessel CBD less than 50m I’d be very surprised, smiled” and said “It’s fine , tell me the rest”. What a gentleman !!
So I continued but I was a little shook inside given a candidate failed with a different Marine Office recently for not saying 4 short blasts for a pilot v/l’s fog signal.
More lights that included atleast one each of FV, PV, Trawler , Towing and sailing vessel.
Then he asked me to get the radar plotting sheet set up…normal question, one blip port abaft my beam, usual step by step , continue systematic plotting, asked me to use the instruments and complete the plot, said I am not looking for accuracy, just the principle. Nervously completed the plot and action was alter to stbd ( RV plotting was my failing question in Chief Mates orals)
4 buoys, individually, on a slide each – lights , what they denote
Safe water mark, port hand mark A & B, West Cardinal , emergency wreck marking buoy, after I had said the lights for that one he asked what you mean by isophase.
Then closed the slide and appeared full screen again. Ok Mr. Anthony I’m happy to tell you that you have passed in your first attempt.
A 5-10 min chat, where I went to college for my SQA, why I didn’t do my ticket for 10 years , where I did my orals prep and more about colleges in the UK, polar course etc. etc.
Told him my ships name, he knew my ship and quite a lot about it.!! Probably a good thing I didn’t mention that in the beginning. Another 10 min chat about my ship and the MCA surveyors who have audited her in the past. I thanked him and wished him a great evening. Bye bye.
Capt. Bennett is very switched on, he lets you talk and if he needs anything else he hints you in the right direction. Never tried to trip me up or anything. The one question where I got stuck was letter of dispensation, even though I knew what exemption & dispensation were, it didn’t come to me straight away. Rest was smooth, no hiccups. I was straight with him, he was too. I tend to speak fast and I didn’t try to slow it down because there was so much to say, the way the questions were asked and I was more worried about forgetting what I wanted to say.
My 2 cents, follow your GMA notes, Panopto videos helped me revise a lot since I did the blended learning over 5 months with a couple trips in between, mention the MGNs , even if I didn’t remember some of the numbers I said the MGN talks about…, or COSWP says…, or UK guide to masters mentions… etc. etc. , add your own experiences, put yourself on your ship and answer the questions, if applicable.
Orals results do not have much to do with competency, I was blessed to get a very fair, rational examiner, very fortunate.
All we can do is give it our best shot. So those who haven’t made it yet, the end is nigh, keep going! Good luck.

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