Master 3000

Chris Bates.
50 mins 12/2022

I logged in 10 mins before.

Examiner- Logged in exactly on time and thanked me for being ready and waiting.
Asked to show passport and that was it, no room checks etc.

Examiner-Tell me about your last yacht and experience?

Generally described the last 3 years on a new build classically designed …m build vessel etc
and my previous maritime roles (pretty sure this stood me in good stead as I detailed
knowledge and involvement in ISM, Class and Flag surveys, stability and inclination test etc
during build phase)

Above was nearly 10 mins in total.

Examiner-Asked to describe how a sail vessel propels herself?

A sail vessel has sails attached to the mast and rigging, it enables a vessel to present the sails
to the wind at a variety of angles, the aerodynamic force of the sails in balance with the
hydrodynamic forces of the hull and rudder propel the vessel forward.

Examiner -Legislation you comply with? Tell me about it?

Comply with international conventions ratified by the UK and brought into UK law with
Merchant Shipping Acts, secondary legislation with SI’s Ie 2962 then MSN’s, MGN’s, MIN’s

Examiner-For the remainder of the exam you are the Master of a 3000gt vessel?
You are to do a passage from Italy to Bremerhaven! Showed a synoptic chart and said we
will come back to it. Tell me about what you would do?

Went into my own RA before the 5 C’s and meetings in depth with HOD’s, hiring extra crew
OOW and 2nd Eng. for watches and fatigue.
CE-bunker, services/machinery/spares/FWP/ECA regs
CO-Drills/training/LSA prepping vessel, liaising with CE for steering gear checks
2nd OFF-Passage plan-Nav and GMDSS equip checks etc
CS-Heavy weather interior/crew clothing appropriate for cold weather/dry stores
Chef-Food prep for heavier weather/Galley SOP for ongoing cleaning schedule.

Lots of nods, Examiner stopped me and moved on.

He chucked in the owner has sent half a million dollars worth of Rolex watches and
champagne as gifts for a party with 50 people the other end, what do I do!! (put me back in
my seat for sure)

OK, I check the oncoming goods in line with SSP, check and declare with customs/agents
and port in Italy and Germany if necessary, stow, invent, store in the bilge with limited
access-He asked do you tell the crew? I said well some will know so it means all will
probably end up knowing I stated this is a strange scenario. (Kind of awkward silence for a
few mins, he was definitely looking for something specific, still not sure exactly what but I
think he was asking how I would secure it from crew. Very used to having expensive
paintings and items onboard) RA for arrival party, DPA, dispensation, evacuation plan and
right amount of LSA, advice I would give was for the owner to have a party once moored on
the dock etc
Just kind of awkwardly looked at each other for a bit.

Examiner -Then jumped to the owners now coming on the trip, he’s bringing a box, this has
arrived as extra just before departure, owners making a big deal about it, I’m told to take it
straight to his cabin, owner said its ok, don’t worry it’s for when we arrive (WTF-alarm bells
in my head and massive confusion)

Examiner-Its fireworks.
I politely said we can’t take that onboard, I would look into organising a display for him in
Bremerhaven etc and then explained I would invoke overriding authority if necessary.

Examiner-Skipped to, you are off the coast of Spain, at sea, port state control come
onboard, your certificate of registry is missing, what do you do?
(Now I’m, really sweating) I stated this is a strange scenario I checked my certs before
leaving, anyhow, contact MCA for replacement-

Few mumbles from him, blank stares and what are you going to do again from the
Examiner?
Long silence, me fumbling for the answer.
Awkward silence-Eventually got round to him rephrasing the scenario to someone losing
their passport- I twigged and contacted the British Consulate. (All tickety boo after that)
Then had a few minutes of the Examiner telling me when his deckie in Singapore lost his
COR.

Examiner-Jumped to….What records are to be kept on board a British Vessel?

OLB-gave the lot, ORB, GMDSS, Garbage, Medical, HoR, CSR, Radar, Bridge, Galley, Planned
Maintenance-still wasn’t too impressed but moved on after a silence of a min from me. (I
didn’t know what else he was after at the time and this seems to be the same from previous
exams papers for this question)

Jumped back to weather chart- tell me about it for this passage?

I gave troughs, fronts, winds at different places, occluded, convergence in Irish Sea (it was
the same Analysis Chart I had looked at a few days previously on a revision session which
was lucky), likely movement of fronts, dissipating fronts, likely weather at fronts on passage
and given the higher atmosphere pressure lines some of the lows wouldn’t track
north/south, also given the air masses stated where I thought it would change ( think I
regained a bit of ground here)
Examiner-Compass rose- said take a minute and tell me what the current variation is.
Completely stuffed this up-right number-gave the wrong direction blurting out an answer
quickly.

Examiner-ECDIS chart symbols, tell me what the following are?

Very hard to discern what bit he wanted info on given what he put on screen and had to ask
a few times for him to confirm.

About 8 symbols in total, all pretty normal.

Finished with Singapore TSS Dashed purple line with exclamation mark-wanted meaning and
more of a discussion. Precautionary Nav area consult chart for further into.

Examiner-Lets move onto buoyage?

(He gave me a line of buoyage from left to right on a Power-point at a 45 degree angle
moving up the screen from left, true north as pointing up the page and direction of buoyage
south (buoy angle was south east)-The presentation wasn’t very clear but Examiner offered
no further info other than he only wanted what side I was going to pass the marks, no lights,
shapes, info required- (I STILL TALKED TO MYSELF OUT LOUD THROUGH THIS)
East cardinal-pass to east with safe water, stb
Iala A Port lateral-leave to stb
Iala A Port Preferred- leave to stb
Isolated Danger-Stated chart assessment-either or/ leave to Stb
Safe water mark- Leave to port general direction of traffic flow for exiting.

Examiner-Brought up his favourite radar screen- (thanks Fred! I don’t think he has another
one!)
Range incorrect
Gain
Gyro
H-up
BT
AIS
Guard rings
Etc
Nods move on

Actions I would take on entering the bridge and seeing the radar screen set up like this by
the 2nd Officer?
Ask No. 2 to slow down so I can gain situational awareness-Call eto-Post extra OOW and
Lookout/hand steer/magnetic compass, fix position, navigate with caution-Send Non-
conform/DPA/port state etc lost gyro.
Investigate with 2ng Off as Bridge Familiarisation, Nav knowledge etc is not good enough,
warning and more training. Nods, move on.
Examiner-brought up a power point radar screen with a vector at the centre, said I am going
to put 3 plots, please give me the targets estimated true course (target was stb approx. 45
degress relative)?
Gave me a screen share, he plotted as he was going- immediately gave him 280-285 after 3 rd
plot and the spiel- Nods move on

Examiner-How do you conduct a safe watch?

Bridge team/OOW signed understood Standing orders/ read understood MGN 315
Well rested/arrive 15 min early etc etc etc etc, usual long list
Long spiel for a few mins basically regurgitating a list. Nods move on.

Examiner-completely jumped again- How often do you Chlorinate shower heads?

I didn’t skip a beat, 3 months (he looked disappointed I responded so quickly, gained a bit of
ground there)

Examiner-Situations-all power point style.

(Ex didn’t actually state he wanted rules etc he just said the below)
OOW called you to the bridge and has asked you for advice, nothing given about ROC.

PDV to Stb- Compass bearings etc ROC 15 crossing-Alter to Stb. Keep clear monitor.
Ex-There is ROC for every vessel.
NUC Underway- Appeared to be 2 points port bow. Rule 18, keep clear, alter to stb, monitor
until past and clear.

(Examiner didn’t reply to me asking for any more info. about distance etc for the following,
all were outside of TSS)

TSS
EIF just outside of TSS in middle of the separation scheme not moving nothing given from Ex
after)
EIF unknown size, gear ext. 150m>
I stated I would monitor proceed with caution as he’s allowed to fish there-awkward silence-
I broke first, (FFS) he’s not to impede, if I think I’m impeded I’ll keep out of the way, Rule 18.
(I didn’t give him any other info as he didn’t offer any distance or change in circumstance)
Bit of a gruff noise, what else?
Aspect hard to tell but could be at anchor with fishing gear 150m> as you said he wasn’t
moving.

CBD Port
Rule 18 Early action sufficient sea room for safe passage-Substantial Stb alteration.
Ex-Can you go to port?
No-
Ex-Why?
It may result in another close quarter situation.

Bit of an awkward silence, think he was weighing the next question, sat looking at each
other for a minute then he said can you tell me about any recent MSN’s, MGN’s etc.
I drew a bit of a blank, reeled off a few that were not that new, I’m terrible at remembering
the exact numbers, got onto ballast water after direction from him, still didn’t really have
much idea where he wanted to go with this, mentioned my last vessel a few months ago
having to draw a new plan up but in my experience I have not had to deal with it.
Mentioned the FWSP instead which he seemed happy with.

Examiner didn’t say I had passed or failed but asked about how I thought it went-
I said, honestly I think quite badly, I’m very confident in my abilities as a mariner and as a
Captain which I think I’ve demonstrated through most of the exam but I fluffed the compass
question by rushing and obviously didn’t answer particularly well with the COR and the
ECDIS symbols. We both nodded at each other.

A bit of a long pause, he said ok, I’m going to pass you.

He advised me to brush up on the latest MSN’s/MGN’s.

I found him to be a great examiner, his line of questioning was sometimes hard to discern
what information he was actually after as it was mostly like a discussion and definitely had a
few curve ball questions either chucked in at random times or it felt like he was doing it
because he wasn’t completely happy with my previous answer.

No Certs
No MLC
No Stability
No Emergencies MOB/SAR/FIRE ETC
No Vessel Manoeuvring
No Handover/joining
No ISM
No Salvage/towing
No Restricted Vis

Thanks to Fred, Paul, Kurtis, Alastair