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    esailor Team
    Keymaster

    OOW Unlimited Orals Exam – Unsuccessful

    Joined the teams meeting 10 minutes before we were due to start. The Surveyor didn’t join until the minute we were meant to start. He asked to have a look around the room and we had a quick chat before getting started.
    This exam is a summary of both memory and from what we discussed afterwards. He told me that I’ve not failed because of any specific question but I had too many gaps in my general knowledge. I made notes during the debrief so I believe it’s accurate however the order of questions maybe muddled in some places & small questions I got right might be missing as we didn’t go over them during the debrief but I’ve added what I can remember.

    • Started with instruments, he showed me pictures of Precision Aneroid Barometer, Barograph & normal mercury barometer, asking me what we’re for, where kept and any corrections that would need to be applied. I failed to mention the 1 bar correction to get sea surface pressure.

    • Hydrometer – what’s it used for and what would the chief officer do with a 100mm dock water allowance, I overcomplicated it starting to talk about load lines, I should have just mentioned it would be applied to the draft to get the sea water draft.

    • Showed me a picture of Magnetic compass binnacle. Asked me to tell him what checks. – I mentioned the bowl checks, checking position of the correctors, he asked where I’d find those, I mentioned back of deviation card.

    • Proceeded to ask me about how to check the compass error on a magnetic compass; I really messed up here, his quote after war “that was painful” I only mentioned taking sights off of a sun to get a compass error, I believe he was after taking a true bearing off of a fixed object to obtain the compass error.

    • Stevension screen – What’s it used for & how would you use it? Used to predict fog, I’d plot on a graph.

    • Now on a bulk carrier in port, loading cargo, what information would the Chief Officer require/want? I stumbled a bit here too, I failed to mention checking the IMDG, ISBC, checking moisture content and angle of repose.

    • Cargo watch in port, I failed to mention checking the gangway riggings and fire rounds.

    • Gave me a fire in port in the Galley, I mentioned everything he seemed happy with the answer, but afterwards he told me he gave me the emergency situation here before I failed to mention fire rounds in the question before.

    • He asked me what would most likely be the cause of a fire in the galley, I said cooking oil, he asked me which fire class that would be. I didn’t know but said I’d have placards on the bridge with that information. Afterwards he said he wasn’t very happy that I didn’t know the fire classes myself.

    • Asked me maintenance on LSA equipment, I mentioned I’d comply with the PMS and gave some examples with checks on lifejackets and lifeboats, he was happy with this answer.

    • Told me I’m in charge of passage planning, asked me about the Appraisal stage. I listed all the relevant publications; he didn’t go in depth about any publications but easily could have. I mentioned Ts and Ps which he seemed interested in.

    • Asked me how to update charts with Ts and Ps, I talked through updating a chart & that Ts and Ps would be on the back. He asked me more about them with examples. I stumbled up a lot here but somehow managed to get them correct with my examples but he said it really needed simplifying as I was waffling.

    • Moved onto pre departure checklist. I failed to mention testing the nav lights and ship whistle but seemed happy with everything else.

    • We had departed, pilot about to get off, checks? I mentioned risk assessment and toolbox talk, he wanted to know who’d be involved with those. During the pilot disembarkation I failed to mention using heaving line, check communications and ensure adequate deck lighting.

    • After this he showed me a picture of a coastal passage between two islands (shit myself because I thought he was about to ask for chart symbols). Asked position fixing & monitoring methods. I gave PI lines and fixing with x2 radar ranges and x1 visual or vice vera. He wanted to know the difference between Ground stabilised and sea stabilised radar & when you’d use them. I did okay but he wanted to know the inputs, I got confused and mixed up the inputs. Ground = GPS heading and speed, Sea = Gyro heading & Water track. Needed to mention specifically that water is helpful because it gives Aspect.

    • Asked me for errors of ECIDS, I have list of limitations but he was after something specific, still not quite sure what but I mentioned ENC & RNCs. He jumped onto that asking for the difference and if we had to use RNC as ENC didn’t exist what precautions we’d take. He wanted me to mention an M notice that specifies a large Risk Assessment.

    This finished the General section of the exam. I think that by this stage he’d decided on the result of the exam but was maybe giving myself a chance if I impressed him with the ROR & Buoyage.
    • Started with Buoys, gave N, E cardinal marks, as well as preferred to STBD Region A, Stbd hand lateral Region B, Isolated danger and then moved onto a very short buoy channel, asking me what the directional buoyage symbol meant. This was very easy as it was only Safe water, Stbd lateral & port lateral.
    • Next moved onto situations and lights he specified what exactly he was looking for each situation (either who’s stand on/give way, fog signal and what the day shapes mean). Very basic. Went through a few PDV vs PDV on both sides, SV overtaking us, FV SV and us who would give way. What would happen if the FV was a PDV. Moved onto lights and got a bit more complicated. Gave things like Fv with a single white light, vs aground, vs anchor, towing over 200m but not RAM, CBD on port action.

    • Lastly, he moved onto entering restricted visibility, actions. I started off strong but felt like he wanted something more, towards the end I mentioned that I’d use a bridge checklist in case I’d forgotten anything. He stopped the exam there. He said he was looking for me to say that I’d increase position plotting frequency & check the GDMSS equipment. He added on that I shouldn’t say I’d use a checklist as I should know everything. (I’m thinking that it’s because I said I’d use a checklist in case I’d forgotten anything. Instead I should have said I’d use a checklist to aid me but I didn’t get to confirm this with him.)

    This concluded the exam, he said he was sorry that I’d not been successful. There wasn’t a specific question as to why I’d failed but was a sum of all the small mistakes I’d made in the General Section of the Exam. Regarding my RoR, Buoyage and Emergencies said that they weren’t bad, his only issue was my confidence, I kept hesitating before answering (Because I knew these were instant failing points, I wasn’t taking any risks trying to act overly confident) but I can’t be failed on those because I’d gotten the answers right.

    All in all, good experience. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff I covered prior this exam was not covered. I heavily expected Weather, Synoptic charts, Coal & some sort of lifeboat drill/test but none of those came up. The instruments did come up but I only really focused on the stevension screen and magnetic compass (unfortunately not how to check errors of a mag compass) so I kept tripping up. I’ll take a small break before revising again & reapply for a 2nd attempt in the New Year.

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