Ajit Tiwari (OOW) | Cardiff MCA - 16th Oct 2018 | Result PASS

Time 1:30 hrs | Surveyor – Capt. Ahsaan Khan & Capt. G. Parsons as observing Surveyor...
 Introduction, Document verification and he asked for my BRP to check visa validity.
 Types of Vessel I have sailed on, Route, Type of cargo.
 From which College and have you finished your SQA,
 He informs me that “He is required to cover most of the topic, so if I don’t know the
answer or I need more time to think, do let him know and if time permit He will come to
that topic later. (My interpretation – DO not waste the time)
The exam begins.... (Honestly, I forget all theoretical answer and got into giving a practical
answer)

1. You have Join ship as 3rd mate how you will get familiarisation? What you expect
to be done? How familiarisation will be done?
2. How much time it will continue? Where it's written?
3. You said about safety induction, what safety things you will familiarize with?
4. What familiarisation will be on the bridge?
5. Master said passage plan, Go over it .. started with what is passage plan and
APEM, at planning stage - he kept a chart in front of me.... Will you do passage
plan on this? Outdated chart - where u will find Info?
6. Ok, the chart is updated will u use it? Why not? (New edition was published)
7. What you will do now? As you see your charts are not updated?
8. Now all ships have ECDIS? How do you know that you can use ECDIS? Where it will
be mentioned that ECDIS can be used on your ship?
9. (I mentioned SEC, he asks what is SEC? On which part of the SEC you will find that?
10. Limitation of ECDIS?
11. Precautions to take in ECDIS?
12. You said safety contour and safety depth, what is it?
13. How u know if ECDIS sensor get fails?
14. Radar (how you will get familiarisation with radar) –
15. Limitations of Radar? U said blind sector - where you'll find information? By
visually looking at it, And sir in manual And info beside radar And Sir then at a
sailing time in a traffic area.
16. You said SMS what is it?
17. Ok, so you are at sea, how you will hand over the watch?
18. You said you'll make sure the Relieving off is fit for duty, how you’ll make sure he is
fit for duty?
19. You used some word fatigue? What is it and what u will look for?
20. You said about proper rest, is it written anywhere?
21. So, tell me rest hours requirement?
22. You have sailed on tanker - hazards of tanker???
23. You said flammability? What is it??? I failed to answer this ....

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 24. Can you draw a flammable diagram - here I took the lead... And understand what
he was looking for... I draw a complete diagram and explained to him.
25. You said toxicity, what is it? (I just said Gases Dangerous to health)
26. What kind of toxic gas can be present inside a tank?
27. How you monitor gas?
28. What kind of detector – (I didn’t remember the name, I said the detector which
detects 4 gases) (Tanker guys read about this)
29. you said 4 gases - name all what it reads. (I said toxic gases, oxygen, hydrocarbon, I
don't know what is the 4th one sir)
30. So, your Gas reader reads 25% LEL, where it will be on that Flammability diagram?
31. Now you are an in-charge for entry into ballast tank – Carry out whole procedure.
32. What will be the Oxygen per cent?
33. Ok, so the person inside the tank is not responding, Action?
34. Ok, the Alarm raise, and 2 people came and ready to go inside (They are donning
SCBA and all safety PPE with them) – I said without proper procedure, I won’t let
anyone go inside.
35. So, you will not allow anyone to go inside??? Even if the person inside may die???
(No sir, I can't risk of other persons at this point)
36. LSA - maintenance of inflatable life raft.... duration of shore service? You said one
year what if on the certificate it's written 30 months validity and 13 months passed
still have 17 months - and you said after 12 months it should be serviced???? (Sir
will check certificate - ok even in the certificate it's mentioned 30 months?
37. Sir will look at Liferaft what time is written on it (even there its written due after
17, (Sir will take masters guidance in this case) {again I thought blunder is already
done on LSA)
38. ROR started (and as I did blunder in LSA and about gas detector I thought am
already failed and have nothing to lose)
39. ROR begins!!! (He had 3 smarty board, so as I was answering one the other
questions were ready…
40. What is a risk of collision?
41. A buoy with Yellow / Black colour (Recognise the buoy and put appropriate top
marks from a bunch of top marks kept aside) Give all info of this buoy (South
Cardinal)
42. Ok, you are heading east you see this buoy?
43. Special mark,
44. Another special mark without top mark of different shape, the difference between
these two buoys?
45. Region A, Preferred channel to Starboard, all info and Inbound where you will keep
it?
46. Region A, Preferred channel to Starboard (He changed the shape of Buoy, the trick
to confuse me) – All info again and you are an outbound vessel where you will
keep this buoy.

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 47. Narrow channel - small vsl action. (vsl seems to be very small, so instead of
answering as crossing situation, I asked the length and type of vessel for better
clarification)
48. What you understand by safe speed??? (I failed to explain him, but was knowing
the rule word by word so quoted him Rule 6)
49. You said visibility, how u will determine visibility is reducing… (sir with back
scattered of my mast light and by radar range)
50. Same vessel (small vessel) open sea.
51. PDV on STBD side, Action.
52. Which vessel is exempted from following TSS?? (I just said RAM vsl)
53. You said RAM vessel, so a towing vessel RAM can come from the opposite
direction of traffic flow??? ( No sir, RAM towing are not exempted)
54. But you said RAM vessel are exempted from following the TSS and now you are
telling RAM towing is not exempted? Both are RAM vessels (then I explained what
type of RAM vessel are exempted)
55. Narrow channel, near a bend (mountain) you heard “1 Prolonged Blast” what it
means and what you are going to do?
56. How you will cross TSS?
57. 10 knots current, how will you cross TSS now? Sir, at a right angle to the general
direction of traffic flow.
58. He took my ship and kept cross, like this??? You are crossing at a right angle and
current is affecting you – I said NO sir, I will cross at a right angle. (Took the vessel
and again crossed the TSS at a right angle of traffic flow.
59. PDV more than 50 m in TSS Starboard side? Action...
60. Now while taking action you came out of TSS how you will join again...
61. A vessel on my Starboard quarter??? He said Exact at 22.5 deg abaft the beam.
62. Now you are on that vessel action...
63. Vessel right ahead action?
64. Which rule? Which light you will see of a vessel right ahead?
65. 2 red light and 1 white light? (I said NUC and Aground)
66. You said NUC - fog signal, tell everything (light, shape, everything)
67. Other you said Aground (give all details)
68. An action you see aground vessel ahead.
69. Below Only lights recognition, and detailed info… (Ship, Day shape, Fog Signal, Size)
70. Trawling green white, white mast and side light?
71. Trawling and only green and white light...
72. Fishing with extending gear...
73. Towing ram... (2-3 towing situations)
74. PDV towing, partially submerged object, (figure 7g, farhaan Saeed ROR page 45)
75. What light will be shown for “DRACONES” (I said, SIR I DON’T KNOW about this)
And he stopped ROR.
76. Radar Plotting 3 Situations, (Sheet Attached)

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He said ok that's it, Please sit here I need to consult with my colleague will be back...
He came in and said I don’t want to keep you in suspense and you are passed...
Briefed me on:

1. 30 months, liferaft.
2. Towing dracones (he said, brush up you don't find it always, but I expect you to
know)
3. Rest - I can understand that candidate is in pressure and sometimes we expect
something else and candidate tells other things...
4. Best of luck, be prepared - 2 more to go and it’ll be more harder.... “OVER”

And finally, happy ending...

And yes vessel aground fog signal (I forget to say time interval - so he said “AND Interval,”
I said Sir at an interval of not more than one min)
My Suggestions:
 Farhan Saeed ROR and its situations are more than enough.... for Learning ROR.
 ROR was a rapid-fire round and at some point, I was just telling him the Vessel info
and no Fog or day shape, and in between, he was asking me for the Day shape or
Fog Signals….
 When he asked me about SMS – I went very deep and He stopped me, “You are
going very deep, I don’t expect so deep answers at your level”.
 Instead of explanation (Q – 48), I quoted Rule 6, Just to know that I understand
Rule 6 and haven’t “Mugged Up” he asked about visibility.
 Each oral is different, be prepared and at the time of Orals do remember….
!! Keep the People Safe, do not Damage the Property & Protect the Environment!!
Do not forget your SMS, if you forget something (Procedure or instructions), Look into your SMS
or seek guidance from Master.
Your SMS will tell you, as an OOW – what you need to do and how it should be done.
Enclose Space Entry??? Checklist in SMS, Bridge Familiarization – Checklist in SMS, Watch
Handover? Checklist in SMS.

Best of Luck for your Orals and Thank you.

Ajit Tiwari. (Fb.com/jitukt85)
OOW April 18,
Warsash Maritime Academy.

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