Vanessa Laidlow

Ship type: Oceanographic research

Date: 5th June 2014
Examiner: Captain Thompson
Duration: 1h 15mins (felt like 5 hours)
Result: Pass
No polite chat, just straight into the questions before my arse hit the seat!
Asked if my ship was a special purpose ship. Asked about additional
certification for special purpose ships. Wanted to know how scientists are
signed on and what certificates they require. Also asked what training
they need in order to be classed as crew. SEAs for scientists? What
information they contain?
Given an MAIB report about the tanker Willy (although the name had
been changed on the report he gave me) which ran aground near
Plymouth. What would I have done differently? This led to a conversation
about preparations before leaving the anchorage. Passage planning.
Consulting C/E about fuel, SECA areas, what would I do if I didnt have
enough low sulphur fuel to slow steam for 2 days. Talked about records in
Sulphur book if I had to change over to heavy fuel. Wanted to know about
heavy weather ballasting and propeller immersion. Spoke about informing
the company and charterers, what I would do if the charterers told me I
had to stay where I was, ready to load cargo. This led to a discussion
about masters authority under ISM. Then he said that I hadnt done any
of those things, had left it too late and was drifting towards the rocks.
What would I have done differently then? Letting go 2nd anchor, paying out
all cable to reduce rate of drift. Send distress message, requesting towage
and helicopter assistance to evacuate non-essential personnel, tanks
pressed up with IG, covering decks with foam to prevent explosion. Spoke
briefly about salvage and Lloyds open form, how would you agree to LOF.
What emergency towing equipment on tankers? How would I connect a
tow when I had both anchors out and couldnt recover them (connect tow
aft first). SOPEP plan. Reporting to SOSREP. What information should the
initial report contain? He confused me a bit throughout this entire scenario
as he kept switching between me being the master on this tanker and
then putting me back on my own ship.
Im joining a new vessel, what certificates should be onboard. I missed
IEEC, ISSC and CSR so got asked in detail about these. What is EEDI and
SEEMP?
What is low sulphur fuel?
Ice navigation Advice I would give to OOW? Various ice related questions
.additional lookouts, use of searchlights, radar detection of ice, icing

on antennas, when I would reduce speed, keeping windows free of ice,

how many clearview screens must a ship have, heating in the wiper
motors (he told me that), heated EPIRB brackets (told me that one too). I
said mine didnt have this but we have a second EPIRB inside the bridge.
Could large bergs have an effect on GPS? Multi-path errors? How can this
be prevented? Wanted to know about antenna siting and elevation masks.
What is HDOP? RAIM Traffic light monitoring.
Difficulties for position fixing when in ice? Wanted to
know about V-AIS in areas where buoyage cant be used. Explained how it
appears on ECDIS and how it works.
What is meant by the term stiff ship and tender ship and give examples of
each?
What radio equipment is required for A3 and A4 vessels?
Rules
What does rule 19 say? What is restricted visibility? Why does it say to
reduce speed when you hear a fog signal forward of beam? Why does it
not say to reduce speed when fog signal is heard apparently abaft the
beam?
Why are no distances given in the rules regarding when to take action?
Smarty board
In each scenario I was asked to identify the vessel, what action I would
take and which rules I was applying:
F -Open water: PDV 50m> crossing from port to starboard.
-Following a TSS: PDV 50m> crossing from port to starboard.
-Following a TSS: CBD crossing from port to starboard at a good
distance?
Asked him to clarify good distance and he said ROC
does not exist at this stage.
-Following a TSS: CBD crossing from port to starboard, ROC exists.
Put 2 model ships on the table. Scenario was bulk carrier crossing from
port to starboard, Ive just arrived on the bridge, the bulk carrier has not
taken action and we are now less than 0.1 apart. What would I do? Talked
about taking action which would best aid to avoid a collision. Wanted to
know about may take action and must take action. In the scenario he
gave me the best action was to go hard to port.
Radar plot (already completed with true and relative vectors)
Target A: 3 points port, crossing, no ROC.
Target B: 1 point stbd, I am overtaking, ROC exists.
Could go either way but would make bold alteration of course to port
because of the action target B may take.

Then he said those wonderful words.well then Miss Laidlow I think

well call that a pass!
Thanks to all the lecturers at STC. Keep up the good work chaps!
Thats me off to Tahiti to drink gin pimms