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Examination date : 06.05.2010

Examiner : Singh Garewal

Ship type : Flexible Pipelay/Construction

Result: Pass

Got signed in and taken to waiting room by 0845, for a 0900 start. Unfortunately, there was no sign of any surveyors until 0935, then two came along at once.

Capt Singh Grewar, who was to conduct the exam, and Capt Vinod (spelling?), who was observing, introduced themselves, apologised for the delay and then asked me to remain in the waiting room whilst they prepared for the exam, and 5 minutes later I was called into the examination room.

As the examiner went through my discharge book taking notes, he asked me about a small passenger ship I had been on five years previously, this kind of threw me, and all knowledge of anything to do with ships and shipping seemed to disappear from my head! My mumbled, semi-formed answers to his questions on classification set the tone for the exam and, as a result, we went down the business and law route for the best part of the exam. Below are the questions that I can recall from the exam, there is probably plenty missing and the order of questions is probably all wrong:

Certificates and Surveys

Looking for certificates required onboard and who the issuing authority was. We had covered this in Malcolm’s class, but my brain didn’t seem to be able to recall any of the required information, so I was quickly becoming rattled!

You join a vessel for the first time as Chief Officer, what are you expecting during your handover?

The vessel is to sail from Aberdeen to New York, what are your concerns regarding the 2nd Officer’s voyage plan?

Was primarily looking for Loadline requirements.

Led to questions about timber loadlines.

Rule of the Road

Nothing that wasn’t covered in depth during the prep classes. Big on responsibilities between vessels.

Seemed to try and talk me into saying I would cross ahead of a vessel crossing from my stbd side, but managed to resist the temptation!

Wanted to know about painting the screens on side lights, I was keen to avoid giving him an answer which would result in altering the characteristics of the light, so eventually said I would paint it matt black which, fortunately, was the right answer!

Lights

Plenty of these, due to hesitating and correcting myself on a couple of occasions, not many we didn’t cover, was looking for me to identify vessel and give day signal, fog signal and action to avoid collision.

Radar Plot

Only two, vessel crossing stbd to port, and same course/same speed.

On both occasions I was given the ‘W’ smarty to complete the plot.

Ship Handling

Manoeuvring in a narrow channel, specifically going around a bend in a narrow channel.

Looking for bank effect and rule 9 in this one.

Berthing between two ships with a Force 3 onshore wind, giving me the choice of which side two. Opted to turn short round and go port side to.

Leaving the above berth, with wind now on stbd quarter.

Drills and Training

MGN 71, MSN 1803 and MGN 388

Emergency Situations

You are Chief Officer, in bed a 0200hrs and ship runs aground, actions?

You are Chief Officer, vessel is in port and Master is ashore, fire in Engine Room, actions?

Would you allow Fire Brigade to flood E/R with water?

CO2 Flooding of E/R

I was then asked to leave the room whilst they discussed my performance. On returning to the room I was told I was to be asked a few more questions. These were on certification and surveys, a subject I had earlier been quite sketchy on, and he said he had to establish whether I didn’t know my stuff or whether it was down to exam nerves. I had a go at blowing it again, but somehow managed to blurt out the correct answers.

It was a bit of a shock when he then told me that I had passed!

Capt. Singh Grewar was extremely fair and gave me the opportunity to correct myself when I made mistakes, even when doing rule of the road.

Finally, thank you to all the GCNS lecturers who helped get me through this, it is worth attending all the classes as there are so many little bits and pieces that you will pick up, but will never find in a text book.