Q&A - The Seamanship Examiner

Question 1

Question 4. When your vessel is scheduled to enter Dry Dock, what documentation would you prepare, prior to entry?

Answer 1

The occasion for Dry Docking the vessel would require the following plans and documents:

• The Dry Dock Plan
• The Shell expansion Plan
• The General Arrangement
• The Plug Plan
• The Chief Officer’s repair list
• The Ships fire fighting arrangement
• Tank arrangement
• Releveant stability information
• A list of the general ships particulars
• Rigging plan
• Relevevat Certificates for required surveys

Question 2

Question 6. What information would you expect to find on a ships ‘Dry Dock Plan’ ?

Answer 2

• Dry Dock Plans contain the following information in addition to the ship’s particulars, and the ship owners details, measurement for the overall length, breadth and depth would be included with the air draught.
• The main outline would also show the positon of all keel blocks and docking shores, with indication of any appendages protruding from the hull.

Question 3

Question 10. Your vessel is about to go through a safety equipment survey, what documents would you prepare for use by the surveyor?

Answer 3

• The certificate (5-year validation with annual inspection under the harmonised survey system) and the ‘Record of Inspection’.
• Liferaft and Hydrostatic Release Unit certificates.
• ISM last audit report and planned maintenance schedule (if required)

Question 4

Question 11. What types of entries are made in the ‘Garbage Record Book’?

Answer 4

• Any garbage disposed of should be recorded in the Record Book. The ship’s position should be recorded along with the quantity of garbage disposed and the date and time of disposal. The method of disposal and the nature of the garbage are also required.
• In the event that garbage is deposited at a Port Reception and / or incinerated, a receipt for the garbage must be obtained.

Question 5

SMC / DoC

Question. 12 What two documents represent compliance with the ISM Code?

Answer 5

• The vessel should have it’s own Safety Management Certificate (SMC) and will carry a copy of the ‘Document of Compliance” DoC.
• The original Document of Compliance is held by the company, a separate DoC, for every class / type of the company operates.*

Question 6

Question 13. What on the vessel must be compatible with the safe manning document?

Answer 6

The ship’s Life Saving Appliances must satisfy the number of personnel carried aboard a vessel.

Question 7

Question 14. What is the period of validity of the Liferaft Certificates and can they be extended?

Answer 7

• The Liferaft Certificates have a period of validity of 12 months and yes, they can be extended by a period of 5 months

Question 8

Question 16. What official publications must be carried by your ship?

Answer 8

In accord with Notice No. 18, of the annual summary of notices to Mariners the ship must carry the following publications:

1. The Weekly Notices to Mariners
2. Annual Summary of Notices to Mariners - NP247 Parts 1&2
3. Chart outfit adequate charts for the voyage and of suitable scale. It will include NP5011, Chart Correction Log and Routing Charts
4. List of Radio Signals
5. List of Lights
6. Sailing Directions
7. NP100 Mariners Handbook
8. Tide Tables
9. Tidal Atlases
10. Nautical Almanac
11. Nautical Tables (Norries)
12. IAMSAR Vol. III
13. The International Code of Signals
14. The Marine Guidance Notices (MGN’s), The Merchant Shipping Notices (MSN’s) and The Marine Information Notices (MINs)
15. Operating and maintenance manuals for all navigational aids.

Question 9

Question 17. Having completed a period in ‘Dry Dock’ What document would you expect to have to sign, prior to departing the dock?

Answer 9

The dock foreman should present the “Authority to Flood” Certificate, for signature by the Ship’s Chief Officer.

Note: This should not be signed until the Chief Officer is satisfied that all the essential work has been completed, thal all bottom plugs have been replaced and that all personnel are clear of the dock floor.

Question 10

Question. 18 Your vessel has just completed taking bunkers. What documentation would you complete?

Answer 10

An entry to the effect of completeing bunker operations must be made in the ship’s Deck Log Book and in the vessels ‘Oil Record Book’. The Oil Record Book entry, must have a double signature with the master signing each page, and each separate entry being made by the operational officer i.e the Chief Engineer

Question 11

NC

Question 19. During and external audit, the ISM inspector finds damage to a ventilator and orders repairs to be made within the next 3 months. What document would you expect to receive from the inspector?

Answer 11

The Auditor would issue a Notice of ‘Non-Conformity’. This would usually carry a time limiting period. Provided the damage is rectified in the time peridod this notice would be canelled by a future inspector.

Question 12

Question 21. What is the period of validity of the ‘Load Line Certificate’?

Answer 12

5 Years. Subject to annual inspection and intermediate inspection

Question 13

Question 23. Port State Control Inspector is due to visit the vessel, what would you expect to prepare on the navigational bridge prior to this inspection?

Answer 13

I would anticipate that the inspector would check the Chart Folio’s and the Chart Correction Log. He would expect to see the ‘passage plan’ and records of navigation warnings together with the statutory publications. Bridge Equipment and the maintenance manuals with respective ‘checklists’ for the testing procedures of bridge equipment.

Question 14

Question 23. Following an accident to a seaman aboard your vessel, what would you do?

Answer 14

In the case of any accident to personnel I would order the Safety Officer to investigate the circumstances and make a report of the incident to include, witness statements and photographs if appropriate. The safety officer would be instructed to complete an accident report form and an entry would be made in the Deck Log Book of the essential details.

Note: In every case which involves injury to personnel the medical provision would be the first priority.

Question 15

Question 26: Under the ISM convention what certificate is initially given to a new ship and what is its period of validity?

Answer 15

A new ship would be issued with an ‘Interim Safety Management Certificate’ valid for a period of 12 months.

Question 16

Question 27. When advised of imending heavy weather, imminent, what actions would you take as the Master of the vessel?

Answer 16

With a heavy weather warning issued, the chief officer would address the following four areas: Stability, cargo security, navigational safety and the overall security of the deck.

Stability Issues to Address:

1. ​Improve the vessels GM, if possible
2. Remove any free surface moments if possible
3. Ballats the vessel down if possible
4. Check the freeboard deck seals on hatches and other openings
5. Close watertight doors
6. Pump out / drain swimming pool if carried

Cargo Safety: (Tenders and Toys)

• Check and tighten all deck cargo lashings
• Shut down vents if not required

Navigational Safety:

• Consult and advise Master regarding the aspects of re-routing
• Verify vessels position
• Update weather reports
• Plot storm position
• Update vessels position and inform shore-side authorities
• Secure Bridge aginst heavy rolling
• Reduce speed in ample time to prevent pounding.

Deck Security:

• Rig liflines
• Check securing on liferafts, crane, anchors etc
• Reduce man power working on deck and start heavy weather work routine
• Warn ‘HODs’ of impending heavy weather.
• Clear decks of surplus gear
• Close weather deck doors
• Check all Life Saving LSA equipment readily available
• Organise watch structure to suit three-man watch system
• Note all preparations in the Log-Book

Question 17

Question 28. While on a coastal passage, a navigation warning is received about a ‘new danger’ on your intended track. How would you expect a new danger to be identified?

Answer 17

New dangers are marked by the use of double ‘cardinal marks’ or double ‘lateral marks’. One of these double marks would carry a ‘RACON’ morse ‘D’ reflective signature on the radar screen.

Question 18

Question 29. When recovering your anchor cable you discover the anchor has caught a submarine cable. What action would you take?

Answer 18

• Once it is realised that the anchor is fouled by submerged cable it would be imerative to inform the bridge immediately, and in no circumstances give indication that the anchor is ‘sighted and clear’
• In agreement with the Master it would be prudent to let the anchor go again with the hope that the fouled cable will dislodge itself with this action. However it must be realised that the anchor may not clear itself and in such circumstances one of two actions must be considered:
  
  • Walk the anchor back to the bottom. Break the cable at the next joining shackle on deck, Buoy the anchor cable and deliverately sacrifice the anchor and a limited amount of cable. Note: It is anticipated that the cable company will recover the anchor, free of charge. The ship would be considered unseaworthy without two working bow anchors and this situation would require the spare anchor to be secured for the vessel to retain her classification.