[esailor Team]

Exam: Chief Mates Unlimited
Surveyor: Michele Moro
Office: Cardiff
Result: Pass

He started by introducing himself and giving me the usual pre-amble, asking me to show him around the room and show him my desk and passport etc.

He started the exam by asking me about my previous experience and what types of vessels I have sailed on. Nothing specific about my previous vessel which I was surprised at.

He then told me I was joining a new company with a new vessel in the yard which is nearly ready to sail. Tell me your responsibilities as a C/O when taking over this vessel.
I started by settling myself in by going through the standard GMA company briefing and taking over as C/O answers then went more specific to the new vessel side of the answer. As soon as I mentioned drills as most crew will be new, he stopped me.

He said you mentioned that you’d check the SSP in your answer, what should have been done prior to the SSP being implemented?
CSO should have carried out SSA, and I also went through the certification process for obtaining an ISSC.

17 Year old cadet joining, what are your concerns about their work?
Young persons HoR and no Hazardous work or working at night unless essential to their training.

He asked me what drills were necessary for the new vessel.
I told him before sailing if time permits you’d ideally like to go through them all which will act as further familiarisation for the new crew but I also specified boat, fire and security as 25% of the crew has changed and vessel is new. He was happy with that.

Now we’re at sea, the captain has fallen ill and cannot perform his duties, what are your actions?
Consult ships captains medical guide and try find out what is wrong. OLB entry in narrative section. Seek radio medical advice also. He asked me how where would you find radio medical advice? ALRS vol.1

He then told me to continue with my answer.
I said as per advice given I could administer some medication and continue to assess. If his condition worsens look to medivac.

How would you prepare for heli-ops?
Went through the full heli-ops prep. He asked which side I’d ready the LSA? I said I would ask the helicopter which side they’d prefer. He wanted that it would be readied on the side that the helicopter would be operating on.

Helicopter is en-route and you have been instructed to head closer into land for the medivac, how are you going to do this?
Went through amending or creating a new passage plan and he seemed happy.

Captain is now gone, actions?
Another entry into OLB narrative section and also in crew articles. Check crew number against SMD and see if still compliant, ask for dispensation from flag if not.

Your vessel has ran aground shortly after master has gone, Actions?
Standard answer as per SPARC.

You’re heading to port and since you’ve went aground you are going to get an ISM audit, what will you expect?
I went through the usual ISM audit checks, and he wasn’t happy with that. He said for grounding specifically what should I expect? I said they’d check the VDR, past positions and use ECDIS playback to see what had happened, competency of officers and lookouts. He said yes but what is grounding a failure of? I said navigation. He said yes, it would a navigational audit. Wasn’t sure exactly what he was getting at in this one but we got there in the end.

He then showed me a picture of a vessel alongside, port-side too, standard MCA vessel with an on shore wind of 20 knots and an on shore current. I panicked at this point as I thought he was going to ask me about a Baltic moor. He told me to ignore the wind and current and asked me how I’d depart from the berth as master on a clear day, no wind/weather.
RA, TT, CE. Single up to springs. Mentioned that if I wanted to use the fwd spring to help with unberthing to have a minimum of two roped out, but since its good wx I said I wouldn’t bother. Let go all. Rudder hard to port, kick ahead to start the stern lifting, midships the wheel, kick astern and the bow will cant to stbd then head away from the berth at a shallow angle. He was happy with my actions, but said he wanted me to complete a turn in the river as well. Standard short turn around answer, threw in snubbing around if the current was from the stern for brownie points. We moved on.

Vessel heading 090, outbound. Buoyed channel with South Cardinal, Isolated Danger and region A preferred channel to stbd. Wanted all information about the buoys and what side you’d pass.

My vessel in TSS heading east again, PDV on my stbd beam doing same course and speed. Sailing vessel crossing the lane from stbd side at 90 degrees to the lane, ROC exists. PDV on port side crossing the lane, ROC exists. Fishing vessel not engaged in fishing proceeding against the flow of traffic. Actions?
I started by saying if the FV isn’t engaged in fishing, he’s just a PDV. He agreed. I said I would give 5 short blasts, contact VTS and hoist Yankee-Golf for him.
PDV on my port side, I’m stand-on, he is give-way. I shouldn’t alter to port for a PDV on my port side.
Sailing vessel is in breach of rule 10 as he should not impede my safe passage, I couldn’t go to port or stbd in this situation therefore safe passage is being impeded. Five short blasts for him also.
I then told him that my final action would be to slow down as I can’t go to port as there’s a PDV on my port side and I can’t go to stbd as it could end in another close-quarters situation.

To my relief he told me I had passed.
Michele was a fair examiner, put me at ease immediately and when I asked if I could have a second to think on certain things, always obliged.

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