BML Revision: Mooring & Unmooring a Vessel (Section 5)

Revision card 9 of 16 — Boatmaster's Licence, Tier 1 Level 2 Underpinning Knowledge, MSN 1853 Annex 10. No material additions here — this section covers the same ground as Annex 9's Tier 1 Level 1 mooring section, just reworded in places. If you've already revised this from the Level 1 card, treat this as a refresher rather than new material.

What You Need to Know

• Relevant Merchant Shipping and HSE regulations, M Notices, company and manufacturer requirements around mooring
• Personal safety equipment and safe positioning when ropes are under strain
• Safe handling of ropes, and safe preparation/operation of winches, windlasses, drum ends
• The danger of rope bights during towing, securing and mooring
• Identify: head and stern ropes, breast ropes, back springs, shore moorings, mooring bitts, fairleads, Panama roller leads
• General best practice getting underway, coming alongside, securing to buoys, and berthing with or against wind/current
• Use of fenders and overboard discharge covers; keep moorings clear of thrusters and propellers
• Adjusting moorings when alongside, and warping along a quay

Quick Self-Check

• Can you name and point to a back spring vs. a breast rope?
• Why are rope bights dangerous during mooring?

Related Reading

• Mona Manx — a fatal vertical mooring line recoil after stepping into a recognised danger zone, exactly the risk the safe-positioning requirement in this section exists to prevent