BML Revision: Ship Knowledge, Construction & Maintenance (Section 7, part 1)

Revision card 7 of 12 — Boatmaster's Licence, Tier 1 Level 1 Underpinning Knowledge, MSN 1853 Annex 9.

Publications & General

• Terms and definitions used in watchkeeping, vessel operations and construction
• The relationship between law, Codes of Practice, M Notices and your vessel's Safety Management System
• Legal/codified requirements around: safe working environment, safe movement around the vessel, accident reporting, risk assessment, COSHH, PPE
• Why record-keeping accuracy matters for both legal and commercial purposes

Ship Construction

• Construction features that maintain watertightness and seaworthiness, including tank function and structure
• Closing openings correctly: decks, bulkheads, deck machinery, ventilators, air/sounding pipes
• Siting of air/sounding pipes, bilge and ballast piping, non-return valves, sea chests, mud boxes
• The bilge pumping system
• Causes of stress and strain in a ship's structure — still water vs. seaway, uneven loading
• What structures are most liable to damage from heavy weather, vibration, shifting cargo, grounding or collision

Maintenance

• Plans, specifications, materials, equipment availability
• Correct paint types and lubrication scheduling for deck machinery
• Surface preparation for steel, aluminium and wood
• Maintenance of firefighting and life-saving equipment
• Permit to Work procedures

Quick Self-Check

• Name three structures most at risk of heavy-weather damage.
• What's a non-return valve doing in a bilge system, and why does it matter?
• What does a Permit to Work actually control?

Related Reading

• Certificate Expiry Alerts — the same discipline of not finding out too late, applied to your paperwork instead of your vessel