BML Revision: Bridge Watchkeeping & Navigation (Section 1, part 1)

Revision card 1 of 16 — Boatmaster's Licence, Tier 1 Level 2 Underpinning Knowledge, MSN 1853 Annex 10. Categories A to D, and limited coastal sea waters. Level 2 expects at least 180 hours of full-time study, against 150 hours for Level 1 — this section is where that extra depth starts.

Arrival & Departure

• Know the pre-sailing check sequence, including securing openings before departure — weather deck hatches, tank lids, ventilators, air and sounding pipes. Level 2 spells this out in more detail than Level 1's general "pre-sailing checks"
• Know the pre-arrival checks: passenger briefing, ropes/warps ready, access equipment, crew briefing
• Assess wind and/or tide conditions before every arrival or departure — tide replaces the inland "flow" assessment from Level 1, reflecting coastal operation

Bridge Watchkeeping

• Know your duties as watchkeeper, and the correct procedure for relief, maintenance, takeover and handover of a watch
• Avoid unnecessary distractions — dangerous situations can develop faster than you expect
• Single-letter code flags you must know: A, B, C, D, E, F, J, K, L, M, N, O, U, V, Y, Z
• Know the International Code distress signals and the phonetic alphabet
• Know routine and emergency communication procedures, including telephones, hand-held radios and other signalling devices

Navigation

• Know the content and application of the Collision Regulations (COLREGs) as they apply to inland waterways, harbours and coastal waters
• IALA Buoyage System A — direction of buoyage, and how to recognise marks by shape, colour, top mark and light
• Know the correct action for passing cardinal marks
• Know depth finding methods and equipment
• Understand a lookout's responsibilities and how to judge the relative movement of other vessels

Anchor Watch

• Know how to maintain an anchor watch, including the checks made to detect a dragging anchor

Quick Self-Check

• What's changed about the wind/condition assessment before arrival or departure now you're working to limited coastal waters?
• Which code flags are you required to know for the test?
• What checks confirm an anchor is dragging?

Test yourself: Colregs · Navigation Knowledge Checks.

Related Reading

• Jabal Hafit / Nirali — a real COLREGs and watchkeeping collision, worth reading alongside this section
• BBC Marmara — an OOW asleep, no lookout posted, exactly the watchkeeping failure this section exists to prevent