[esailor Team]

Date: Apr-2025
Examiner: Danny Hawkins – Belfast
Exam: Master Mariner Unlimited
Result: Pass
1. Here’s a chart showing Copeland
Island outside Belfast. First, can you
tell me the characteristics of that
lighthouse at the top – he zoomed in
to show the lighthouse (it’s out of
frame in this picture).
Fl(4)20s,24m,18M
2. Can you tell me what that symbol
means with the arrow – (direction of
buoyage)
3. Sometimes ship’s go up north and
around to get into Belfast but
sometimes they also pass through
this channel. Let’s say you’re on a
general cargo ship with a 5m draft.
How would you prepare to go
through there – tell me the
publications you would reference –
discuss the manning arrangements
on the bridge when passing through.
4. Joining a ship as Master – agent drops you o􀆯 at the ship. Talk me through how
you’ll be taking over.
5. As you’re inspecting the condition of the hull you notice a dent in one of the shell
plates. What are you going to do?
6. You have until tomorrow to take over. What will you be doing and checking before
you take over?
7. Stopped me when I said statutory certificates – tell me which ISM certificates
you’ll check, their validity and Audit intervals.
8. You have a new chief mate joining tomorrow – tell me all the documents and
certificates you’ll be checking from him when he joins. List out all the STCW
certificates of proficiency you’ll expect him to have.
9. You have a Load Line Survey due at the next port. How will you prepare for that?
10. The new chief mate has asked for your help with the loading plan. The charterer
has told you he wants to load a project cargo (di􀆯erent items varying in sizes for a
specific project such as a factory setup). How would you plan to load this?
1
2
3
11. How will you determine how much you can load? (he was waiting for me to
mention available UKC in the port)
12. You and the mate worked it out, how would you prepare the deck before loading?
13. What’s the dunnage for and what will you check in the bilges?
14. How would you expect a surveyor to do a 5-yearly proof load test on your ships
crane?
15. You’ve departed. Later that night you get a call from the 2/O to say you’ve ran
aground. What are you going to do?
16. Pull up a slide of a synoptic chart. What’s this? Ok you see that depression in the
north Atlantic – it has a warm front followed by a cold front. Explain to me what
weather you’ll expect as you pass through the two fronts.
17. Tell me, what’s general average?
18. Let’s talk about timber deck cargo. What will you be weary about when loading
timber deck cargo?
19. Tell me what you know about a prohibition notice and an improvement notice.
20. You’re underway, you’re in the cabin and you hear the fire alarm go o􀆯. You go to
the bridge and the 3/O tells you there’s a fire in the engine room – actions?
21. Who will you call after the incident?
22. Let’s imagine you’re on the bridge and you saw a fog bank approaching – actions?
23. What would you write in your standing orders regarding anchor watch?
24. Let’s imagine you’re at anchor and you see another vessel approaching you –
what will you do? (It wasn’t mentioned but this was a clear reference to the latest
North Sea disaster)
25. You’re about to go to dry dock. Before going in you have a meeting with the dock
master. What will you be discussing in this meeting – what information will you
give him and what information do you want from him?
26. Tell me more about the block arrangement plan – how will you know where you
can and can’t put the blocks?
Ship Handling – make fast to the mooring buoy which has 2 linesmen on it. You’re on a
large bulk carrier.
Radar Plotting in restricted visibility, you’re heading North, relative
motion. He did everything on his screen. I just needed to explain the
process and my actions.
COLREGS
1. Who gives way to who between these two SV’s?
2. In a TSS – actions?
3. You see this on your port bow and roc exists.
Lights Recognition
Buoyage – identify each one and associated light. Last one he said you’re heading 180° –
actions?
And that was the end! Very fair examiner. Atmosphere was relaxed throughout, and he
gave me plenty of time to think through the scenarios he gave me.

[Author]

Posts