Marine exam pt. 4

Question 1

Bilge pump / bailer

Answer 1

All vessels must carry some form of bilge pump or bailing equipment. Bailers – Vessels under seven metres may have a bailer instead of a pump. Depending on the size of the vessel, a strong bucket with two metres of rope attached makes an excellent addition to your gear list. As a safety item, it is useful both for bailing water out and fighting fires.

Question 2

Bilge pumps

Answer 2

Bilge pumps are required for boats seven metres and over, may be manual or power operation, and must be capable of pumping four kilolitres per hour. If you fit an electric bilge pump with an automatic switch it must have an indicator to show when the pump is working. Check its operation regularly, and keep it well maintained. The bilge pump should be protected by a strainer to prevent choking of the pump suction. Clean bilges reduce the possibility of blocked pumps.

Question 3

Fire extinguisher

Answer 3

If your vessel is fitted with an inboard engine (personal water craft are exempt) or with cooking, heating or cooling systems that use flames you, must carry an approved fire extinguisher. Types of fire extinguishers- You make your own choice of extinguisher (provided it is made to Australian Standards) from foam, dry chemical, carbon dioxide or vaporising liquid. Most trailer boats carry a dry chemical extinguisher, which is a good ‘all-rounder’ and also the most popular with larger vessels. Some boats with enclosed engine rooms also have a built-in smothering gas or water mist system. Although a water extinguisher is not acceptable as your sole extinguisher, your bailer will do a fine job for extinguishing burning solids.

Question 4

Anchors

Answer 4

If you are operating in unprotected waters (outside the waters contained by any breakwater or in any lake, river or estuary other than the waters of Cambridge Gulf or Lake Argyle) you must carry an efficient anchor and line. The anchor must be of a type that will hold in all sea beds and with enough line to suit the depths in which you usually operate.

Question 5

The scope

Answer 5

The scope is the ratio of the length of cable used for the depth of water. The absolute minimum is three times the depth of water, and five or seven is better. Strong current or wind or a choppy sea put more load on the cable and make a bigger scope more desirable.

Condition Scope
Calm – fair 3:1
Fair – moderate 5:1
Moderate – rough 7:1

Question 6

Monitoring

Answer 6

Once the anchor has set and bedded in, you should take a few bearings or line up some objects (transits) to check that the anchor is not dragging. If you notice that you are drifting off the bearing and you suspect that the anchor is dragging, place your hand on the cable and feel for any signs of the anchor bouncing along the bottom. If the anchor is dragging and you have enough room, try paying out more cable. In most cases by decreasing the angle between the anchor and the boat (ie, letting out more line) will be all that is required to get the anchor to bite.

Question 7

Securing the anchor line

Answer 7

The very end of the anchor cable should be secured within the vessel to prevent loss of the anchor. If you’re not using the whole cable, the chosen length should be secured to deck hardware.

Question 8

Maintenance

Answer 8

Your anchor and its cable (rope and chain) are part of your safety gear and should be ready to run at any time. A common problem with free running is the way the rope is coiled. If you coil the rope on the deck or ground and then drop it into the cable well or box, you must make sure that when the anchor is dropped it will be taking rope from the top of the coil – this may require you to turn the coil over. Taking the rope from the bottom of the coil will cause kinks and tangles.

Question 9

COASTAL and SOLAS life jackets

Answer 9

These jackets are specified for commercial vessels but should be carried on any vessels operating long distances from shore. Their disadvantage is that they are cumbersome to wear out of the water. They have reflective tape, a whistle and light attached.

Question 10

Distress flares

Answer 10

All vessels operating outside protected waters must carry flares. Which type you need depends on how far offshore you go. For Inshore Waters (within five nautical miles of the shore), you will need:
– two hand-held red flares or two parachute flares; and
– two hand-held orange smoke flares or one orange smoke canister.
* For Offshore Waters (more than five nautical miles off the shore), you will need:
– two parachute flares; and
– two hand-held orange smoke flares or one orange smoke canister.
* If you operate both inshore and offshore you only need to carry the offshore set of flares.

Question 11

Red hand-held flares

Answer 11

These are designed for use both night and day and burn for about 45 seconds at 15,000 candle power. Potential sighting range at night is 10-12 km and about 4-6 km during the day.

Question 12

Orange smoke flares

Answer 12

Are designed for day use only and have no luminosity.
– They emit a cloud of orange smoke.
– Orange hand held flares burn for about 60 seconds.
– The buoyant canister, which is safe for use in petrol or oil covered water, burns for about three minutes.
– Potential sighting range by day is 4 km, although this can drop to less than 1 km in a fresh breeze.
– These flares are especially visible from aircraft, even on windy days.

Question 13

Red parachute distress rockets

Answer 13

Are designed for use both night and day. They project a rocket to 300 metres high and then deploy a parachute suspended red flare, which burns for about 40 seconds at 30,000 candle power. Potential sighting range is 15 km by day and 40 km at night.
– Flares are best used when you believe there is chance of it being seen.
– The method used to fire flares vary widely between flare types and between manufacturers.
– The firing instructions are always printed on the flare, and you should be familiar with your own flares’ methods.
– Hand-held red flares, especially, burn very hot and may spill glowing embers.

Question 14

EPIRBs

Answer 14

The Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon transmits a signal to a family of dedicated satellites for retransmitting to ground stations for alerting search and rescue authorities. All recreational vessels operating more than two nautical miles from the mainland shore or more than 400 metres from an island located more than two nautical miles from shore are required by law to carry an EPIRB.
406 MHz has significant advantage. Time: the signal reaches the ground station often within minutes. Accuracy: 5 km is the typical accuracy. Identifies who is in trouble: 406mHz EPIRBs are registered through the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

Question 15

Marine radios

Answer 15

You must carry a marine band two-way radio if you go more than five nautical miles from the mainland shore. The choice of radio is up to you.

Question 16

There are three types of approved marine radios: 27 MHz, VHF, HF

Answer 16

27 MHz Radios
27 MHz are cheap, easy to operate transceivers and their range is essentially line-of-sight and they are prone to interference noise. These radios are good for boat-to-boat communications and are monitored, at least during daylight hours, by most volunteer marine rescue groups. The emergency and call up channel is channel 88. Channel 86 is a supplementary distress frequency. Sea rescue groups monitor the distress frequencies and their own working frequency.

VHF Radios
These radios are a little more expensive but also easy to operate. Their range is line-of-sight (extended by high aerials and repeater stations) with a very high quality signal. The emergency and call up channel is channel 16. Leave the radio on this channel to monitor any emergency traffic and respond to any calls. Channel 67 is a supplementary distress channel. Rescue groups monitor the distress channel and their own working channel.

MF/HF Radios
These radios have a much greater communication range (thousands of nautical miles) for vessels travelling long distances from shore. A 24 hour, seven-days-a-week service operated from the Water Police Coordination Centre in North Fremantle monitors the 4125, 6215 and 8291 kHz distress and calling frequencies.

Question 17

Licensing requirements

Answer 17

• Operators of 27 MHz marine radios do not need to be licensed.
• Operators of VHF and MF/HF marine radios must hold a Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency.
  A vessel fitted with MF/HF marine radio must hold an individual station licence (renewable each year). This will allocate a radio call-sign to that vessel.

Question 18

Radio use

Answer 18

The radio’s squelch control not only removes background noise, it also weakens incoming signals. Tune it until it just suppresses the background noise. Listen before transmitting to avoid interfering with another station calling on the same frequency. Always use your call sign and the name of your boat for identification. For normal (non-distress/urgency) messages, ask to switch to a working channel once you have contacted the other station. Keep your message brief and clear. Stop transmitting when requested to do so by a local marine radio station. Always return your radio to either VHF channel 16 or 27.88mHz when you have completed a call on another frequency.

Question 19

Distress call

Answer 19

The distress call Mayday may be used only if the boat is threatened by grave and imminent danger – for example, sinking or on fire – and immediate assistance is required. This distress call has absolute priority over all other transmissions and may be transmitted only on the authority of the skipper or the person responsible for the safety of your vessel. Stay calm, explain the problem and give position and distress information clearly.

Question 20

Distress or urgency

Answer 20

When transmitting a distress or urgency message, stay on VHF channel 16 or 27.88mHz and do not change unless directed to by the local marine radio station – the rescuing vessel will communicate with you on that channel.
– Specify the nature of assistance you need.
– Follow directions of rescuers.
– Follow any instructions Sea Rescue or the rescuing vessel give you.
– Notify Sea Rescue if the situation changes or the danger has passed.

Question 21

Silence periods

Answer 21

To increase the chances of a weak distress transmission being received, three-minute periods of radio silence are observed on the hour and half hour on distress channels. With the exception of distress traffic, all transmissions must cease during silence periods.

Question 22

Mayday procedure

Answer 22

Mayday procedure
– “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”
– “This is [name and call sign if you have one]” (spoken three times)
– “My position is … [Details of the ship’s position]”
– “My vessel is … [Nature of distress and assistance required is identified]”
– “I have … [Other information including number of persons on board]”
This call can be repeated as often as necessary until answered. If no answer is received on distress frequencies, repeat the call on any frequency which might attract attention.

Question 23

Pan Pan call

Answer 23

The urgency call should be used when the Mayday distress call cannot be justified but there is an urgent message to transmit concerning the safety of the vessel or the safety of a person (for example, mechanical breakdown, medical emergency or a man overboard).

Pan Pan procedure:
– “Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan”
– “Hello all stations, Hello all stations, Hello all stations”
– “This is [name and call sign if you have one]” (spoken three times)
– “My position is … [Details of the vessel’s position]”
– “I require… [Details of assistance required and other information]”
Urgency calls can be made on a distress frequency or any other frequency which may attract attention.

Question 24

Security

Answer 24

The safety call could be made from a vessel for such messages as a warning of a partly submerged object or an accidentally activated EPIRB. However, a safety call is more likely to be made by a coast station or sea rescue group and may include important strong weather warnings.
Safety call procedure:
– “Saycure-e-tay, Saycure-e-tay, Saycure-e-tay”
– “Hello all stations, Hello all stations, Hello all stations”
– “This is …. [name and call sign if you have one]” (spoken three times)
– “A hazard exists ….. [Details of the warning or announcement]”
Safety calls can be announced on a distress frequency like VHF 16. However, change to channel 67 or an appropriate working frequency to broadcast the actual safety message.

Question 25

Routine call

Answer 25

When making a routine call to another vessel or coast station, state clearly:
– “Hello … [The boat/group you are calling]” (spoken three times)
– “This is … [name of boat and call sign if you have one] “(spoken three times)
– “Message…, [your message], Over”
– Await response.
The aim is to get the message through clearly, precisely and quickly.

Question 26

Radio problem checklist

Answer 26

– Is the correct frequency/channel selected?
– Is the volume (AF gain) adjusted correctly?
– Is the squelch adjusted correctly?
– Is the RF gain set to maximum sensitivity?
– Power supply – is the battery fully charged?
– Antenna – are the leads and whip intact, not corroded, have proper earthing and connections in good order?

Question 27

Unauthorized use

Answer 27

• Marine radios have a very serious purpose.
• Falsely indicating distress rightly carries a severe penalty, but it also wastes a lot of time and resources – possibly weakening the ability to respond to a genuine emergency.
• When you are not using your boat, removing your equipment and giving it secure storage will help prevent unauthorised use.