Orals Revision: Manoeuvring the Vessel (Master 200/OOW 500 Yacht Route)

Orals revision card — Master (code vessels less than 200 GT)/Officer of the Watch (yachts less than 500 GT) Oral Examination Syllabus, Section 2.2 'Manoeuvring the Vessel' (MCA, gov.uk, updated 17 June 2026). Small-vessel/yacht route — a different syllabus from the Unlimited CoC track covered elsewhere in this series. This is a heavily practical, ship-handling-focused section.

Getting Under Way & Alongside

• Preparation for getting under way: duties before proceeding to sea, making harbour, entering a dock, berthing alongside quays, jetties or other ships, and securing to buoys
• Use and care of mooring lines and associated equipment

Helm & Handling

• Helm orders, conning the ship, the effects of propellers on steering, the effects of wind and current, and the mechanics of stopping, going astern and turning short round
• Action to take if bridge control, the telegraph or the steering gear fails, including emergency steering arrangements — know this cold, examiners test it as a scenario

Anchoring & Deck Machinery

• Procedures for anchoring
• Precautions to observe when using winches and the windlass
• Precautions to observe when mooring and unmooring

Quick Self-Check

• Talk through your action if you lose steering gear on the approach to a berth.
• What effect does a single right-handed propeller typically have on steering when going astern?
• Name two specific precautions when operating a windlass.

Test yourself: Navigation · Safety Knowledge Checks.

Related Reading

• BML Revision: Ship Manoeuvring — the Boatmaster's Licence version of the same core handling skills
• BML Revision: Mooring & Unmooring a Vessel
• BML Revision: Anchor Work