Orals Revision: Seaworthiness & Stability (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 2.5 'Seaworthiness of the Ship' (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 qualitative, recognise-and-respond brief rather than the calculation-heavy stability syllabus tested at Unlimited level.

Watertight Integrity

• Understand the fundamentals of watertight integrity, and closing all openings — hatches, access hatches and watertight doors

Recognising Poor Stability

• Understand the difference between good and poor stability, and recognise the warning signs of the latter
• Describe the effect on stability of: raising and lowering weights; low freeboard; obstruction of deck freeing arrangements and scuppers; and slack tanks

Heavy Weather

• Preparations for heavy weather, ensuring and maintaining watertight integrity throughout

Quick Self-Check

• Name two warning signs of poor stability you could actually observe on deck.
• Why do slack tanks reduce a vessel's stability?
• What heavy-weather preparations specifically protect watertight integrity, rather than general seaworthiness?

Test yourself: Stability · Safety Knowledge Checks.

Related Reading

• BML Revision: Ship Stability — the Boatmaster's Licence version of the same warning-signs approach to stability