[esailor Team]

Chief Mate Oral
Cardiff Maritime Office
16/09/2020
Exam was of course online which caused some confusion to begin as I opened the wrong link and was waiting by myself for the first ten minutes before I opened the 2nd link and found the examiner asking me why I’m 10 mins late… lol
The usual things, show ID, discharge book, spin the camera and span the room and the usual formalities and rules of the exam.
He asked me questions based on my discharge book, what ships I had been on, what were they. I explained passenger ships and yachts. After this he said I am sitting an unlimited ticket and will therefore be on a bulk carrier carrying coal… then we began.
You are joining as Chief Mate, talk me through the process.
– Some break off questions, what’s in an SEA, what certificates will you take
The charter wants to know how coal you can load, how would you go about this?
– Where would you find the load line zones?
– Contents of cargo securing manual?
You are alongside and loading coal, how would you hand over to the 2nd Mate?
In the middle of the night the 2nd calls you saying you have a 4 degree list, what would you do?
What is the difference between list and lol.
Draw me a GZ curve of a stable ship and an unstable ship.
He then said loading is complete but you have a load line survey coming up, how would you prepare
What is the difference between gross tonnage, net tonnage and what do they mean for your ship?
He asked me to draw a loadline mark
What is FWA, what does it mean and where can you find this figure?
Said water density is 1010, FWA 200mm, how much can you submerge your marks by?
Onto met showed me a synoptic chart, asked what they are used for and what info can you find?
Pointed out an occluded front, cold front, isobars, what are they, associated weather
Asked me to draw a TRS, norther hemisphere
You are in the dangerous semi circle, how would you navigate (away from the storm)?
How as a chief mate would you prepare for heavy weather? Before departure and at sea.
You are approaching a way point on the passage plan, what are your considerations before and during the alteration?
You are beginning the turn and the helmsmen reports rudder not responding, actions?
You have a crew member joining under the age of 18, how would you treat them?
How as a chief mate would you prepare for restricted vis?
Showed me this radar plot then asked me to copy and complete the plot with labelled triangles, gave me a speed which meant stbd bow crossing, stbd quarter overtaking.
Action in this situation?
Then action if you only have the vsl on the stbd bow
Action if you only have the vsl on the stbd quarter
ROR was a surprise as it was a simulated program when you are on a moving ship and on the screen another vsl pops up, you have to identify it and explain actions.
In a narrow channel overtaking (I messed this first one up a bit because I jumped in with head on) but examiner was good and realised I just didn’t quite understand the simulation.
Vsl port bow crossing, half way through explaining the stand on… 5 short… a cylinder appeared on the screen so I then reverted my answer to not impede.
Fishing vsl in a TSS
Then we went to smarty board and lights
Towing vsl port bow
Towing Ram port bow- wanted me to explain the difference in these situations and my actions
Sailing vsl stbd bow
Vsl aground
Bouyage was the same as RoR- moving along a channel the buoy approaches and you have to decide action as it approaches, type, light, rythem and action
Safe water mark
Stbd lateral mark outbound
Preferred channel to stbd outbound
Isolated danger mark
We did a good 15 mins on this but I cant remember all the scenarios but there were a lot.
Exam was long and hard being about 1 hour 40 with a late start but always thought I’d get a grilling being on yachts. Few surprises in there mainly the FWA calculation (120mm), actions approaching a way point was a little random, and how RoR was handled was a surprise, but I was prepared to expect the unexpected and see how you handle the pressure/ react to something surprising.
Asked me how it went, felt I was doing well the whole way through with no major mistakes and thankfully he said it was a pass and nice and thorough.
Thanks to GMA, to coffee and everyone else who helped along the way.

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