[esailor Team]

March 2023
Master Unlimited – PASS
Examiner Z.Raza – Duration 1hr 20 mins
Experience – Yachts
I had a nightmare at the start of the exam with the teams link despite using teams daily for the preceding four weeks.
Initially I connected with the examiner with audio only so I said I would leave a try to reconnect again, this took almost
10 minutes of repeatedly attempting to reconnect until finally it just worked. The examiner was understanding but
explained he wouldn’t have waited much longer, thankfully our initial connection was 15 minutes before the scheduled
exam time.
We continued with the normal procedures regarding online exams, explained cheating policy and encouraged me to take
a glass of water and relax following the stressful start.
I was placed as Master on a large yacht for the purposes of the exam – Not what I had expected but an early win!
Exam Questions in an approximate order:
– Joining a ship with a new company, explain the joining procedure to me.
– You have an ISM/ISPS/MLC inspection the next day, how will you prepare.
– Certificates required onboard
– Who issues certificates – ACS/EAS
– Which certificates can not be issued by class if part of ACS?
– What are the survey intervals for ISM certificates? Who signs them?
– How many sections are listed on DMLC? Who signs each section?
– OLB Sections and entries
– New Third Mate joining. What documents will you check? What advice/precautions will you take considering his
experience?
– Hong Kong to Vancouver Voyage – June
– Advice to the 2nd Mate for passage planning
– Requirements with MARPOL – Main focus on Annex 6
– Chief Engineer has the ORB ready for signing – What will you check?
– Sludge – Details of tanks, frequency of recording
– TRS actions, Masters obligations for reporting
– Heavy weather precautions
– Berthing port side to on arrival – Vessel hits the quayside causing damage (He didn’t ask me to do the manoeuvre)
– Who do you contact, what certificates are affected, can you sail?
– Further questioning on Hull & Machinery / P&I Insurance. Be very confident on P&I with this surveyor.
– 3/E is missing and you’re ready to depart.
– I was anticipating for the examiner to then inform me he passed away but didn’t go down this route. So I paid out his
wages and shipped his belongings home assuming he had just decided to dessert the vessel.
– OLB sections
– Synoptic chart UK/North Atlantic. Identify wind speed/direction at various points. Identify Warm/Cold/Occluded
fronts. Didn’t have to explain expected weather or anything.
ROR
Handful of buoys
Preferred channel marks in both regions.
Cardinal marks including heading South and seeing N Cardinal
Safe Water Mark
Various lights – One was a pushing operation which gave me a little stutter.
RoR situations – Didn’t need to quote rules, just demonstrate a clear understanding
RV situations – No surprises, one was two vessels on Stbd side one fwd of beam (no RoC) the other abaft beam with
RoC.
Every answer I gave, I was able to preempt the future questions he might have had on that topic and demonstrate depth
of knowledge until he would stop me and move on in the next direction, so there was certainly more content covered
than just the questions the examiner asked. He was very comforting though, wouldn’t let me ramble and would redirect
me if he wanted to hear something specific.
I completed an oral prep course with Onboard Maritme ahead of the exam and supplemented this with some Whitehorse
Maritime group sessions, despite usual nerves beforehand, having conducted the exam I felt very confident with all
topics covered. Thanks to both groups for their help preparing me for the exam!

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