Question 1

The vessel grounds at 12 knots in a channel. You are on the bridge as CM. The master is in his cabin. What are your immediate actions?

Accepted Answer

GROUNDING — IMMEDIATE ACTIONS (CM): (1) CALL MASTER TO BRIDGE IMMEDIATELY — most critical first action. This is a major casualty requiring master's command authority; (2) STOP ENGINES — "Stop engines." Prevent further penetration into the grounding. (Note: do NOT go astern without master's order — astern movement can cause further damage or worse flooding by suction); (3) GENERAL ALARM — sound the general alarm; (4) DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: assign bosun/experienced AB to survey the hull and machinery spaces immediately. Check bilge levels for flooding — compare with departure soundings. If flooding detected — damage control party immediately; (5) WATERTIGHT INTEGRITY: close all watertight doors and weathertight openings as a precaution; (6) STABILITY ASSESSMENT: assess current state — any list developing? GM check if loading computer available; (7) ENGINE STATUS: chief engineer — inspect machinery space for damage, flooding. Has the keel or sea chests been damaged?; (8) ANCHORS: stand by anchors — may be required to prevent the vessel swinging further onto the grounding; (9) DISTRESS SIGNAL READINESS: if vessel is in danger — prepare to transmit DSC/MAYDAY; (10) CHART POSITION: mark exact position of grounding on chart/ECDIS — evidence for subsequent inquiry; (11) VDR: do NOT touch or interfere with the VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) — evidence. Inform master; (12) MAIB: major casualty — ultimately notifiable to MAIB. Master handles this — but CM should be aware. Grounding response: one of the most tested scenarios in oral examinations. The wrong answers (B, C, D) each represent a specific over-reaction or inappropriate action. Full astern (option B): this is a classic error. Going astern without knowing: (a) whether the hull is holed (suction could bring in water faster); (b) whether astern movement would swing the stern onto another shoal; (c) the tidal state (water may be rising — wait for high water). The master must decide re-floatation. MAYDAY immediately (option C): a grounding does not automatically mean the vessel is in distress. If: the vessel is stable, not flooding, in a known position, on a rising tide, not in danger of breaking up — a MAYDAY is premature. A PAN PAN (urgency) may be more appropriate. The master makes this call. Abandon ship (option D): immediate muster at liferaft stations may cause panic and premature abandonment. Abandonment is more dangerous than the vessel remaining on the grounding. The master orders abandon ship — and only after all other options are exhausted. VDR: the Voyage Data Recorder captures bridge audio, radar, AIS, speed, course, engine telegraphs, helm angle. Evidence from the VDR is critical for MAIB investigation and insurance/legal proceedings. Tampering with the VDR is a serious offence. Do not touch it. MAIB reporting: Marine Accident Investigation Branch. All groundings involving commercial vessels must be reported to MAIB under the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012.

Question 2

You are Chief Mate approaching a busy port in restricted visibility with a pilot embarked. How do you allocate bridge team roles?

Accepted Answer

BRIDGE TEAM ROLE ALLOCATION — PILOTAGE RESTRICTED VISIBILITY: The STCW 2010 Code A-VIII/2 and IMO Model Course 1.22 (Bridge Resource Management) define the principles. Bridge team composition and roles: (1) MASTER: in overall command — has decision authority. May take conn in high-risk manoeuvring (not required if pilot is competent). Monitors overall situation; (2) PILOT: advises on port-specific navigation, tides, berth approach. Master retains command — the pilot does NOT displace the master's authority. If pilot actions seem unsafe, master must intervene; (3) CHIEF MATE (CO, Conning Officer if master not conning): monitor all sources — radar, ECDIS, visual, pilot card information; act as cross-check on pilot's actions; track position against passage plan; (4) OOW AT RADAR: dedicated ARPA operator — monitoring all traffic; reporting contacts to conning officer; CPA/TCPA of all contacts in approach channel; (5) LOOKOUT/HELMSMAN: dedicated helmsman on manual steering (switch to manual on master's order before pilotage). Dedicated lookout at bow or on bridge wing; (6) RATINGS: anchor party on standby (anchor ready for letting go); (7) ENGINEER: brief chief engineer — on immediate notice (engine control to bridge). Engine order telegraph confirmation procedure. TASK ALLOCATION PRINCIPLE: each person has one primary task. No multi-tasking on critical navigation. The CM's specific role is cross-checking — if the pilot's ordered course/speed does not match the passage plan and no reason is given — the CM challenges. Pilot authority vs master authority: SOLAS V/34 and flag state law (Pilotage Act 1987 in UK): the pilot is an adviser. The master retains COMMAND of the vessel at all times. A pilot can be an expert navigator in that port, but the master is legally responsible for the vessel's safe navigation. If a pilot gives an order that the master considers unsafe — the master must countermand it. This is not a matter of rudeness — it is a legal and professional obligation. Authority gradient: in BRM terms, an authority gradient that is too steep (only one person giving orders, no one challenging) leads to situations where errors go unchallenged. The CM's cross-checking role is exactly the BRM counter to over-reliance on the pilot. Manual steering in pilotage (option D): it is standard practice to switch from autopilot to hand steering before approaching a port. The helmsman must be briefed on: the wheel response of the vessel at low speed; the conning officer's commands; confirmation procedure (echo-back all orders). A lookout on the bridge wing in restricted visibility provides additional situational awareness the radar cannot always replicate. Anchor at readiness: in difficult approaches, the anchor at cockbill (ready to let go) provides an emergency braking option. The CM (or officer on the forecastle) communicates directly with the master on the bridge.

Question 3

The pilot orders "Hard to port" on approach to the berth, but your ECDIS shows this course will take you over a shoal. The master is not yet on the bridge. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

CHALLENGING PILOT — CM AUTHORITY: IMMEDIATE ACTION: (1) SPEAK UP IMMEDIATELY: "Pilot, ECDIS shows a shoal on the port approach — I recommend holding course until master is consulted. Do you confirm safe water to port?"; (2) DO NOT ASSUME PILOT IS WRONG: pilots know the port — but ECDIS data may be correct. Wait for a response. If the pilot confirms safe water with a specific reason (dredged channel, more recent survey data), log the exchange and proceed cautiously; (3) IF PILOT INSISTS AND CM NOT SATISFIED: "Stop engines. Helmsman, hold present course." Then immediately call the master: "Captain to the bridge urgently — pilot has ordered hard-to-port over charted shoal. Require your decision immediately."; (4) NEVER OVERRIDE PILOT ON YOUR OWN AUTHORITY ALONE (unless imminent collision): the CM does not countermand a pilot order without master authority except to prevent imminent disaster; (5) DOCUMENT: note the time, the exchange, and the outcome in the log. If a near-miss or close call occurs — this documentation protects the vessel operator; (6) BRM PRINCIPLE — POSITIVE CHALLENGE: a challenge is not aggressive — it is professional. The phrase "I am concerned that..." or "My chart shows..." initiates the cross-check loop without creating confrontation. The pilot should respond to a legitimate navigational concern; (7) POST-INCIDENT: if the pilot was demonstrably wrong — raise with port authority/pilot body via the master. The challenge loop (BRM): identify the concern → communicate the concern → confirm or escalate → document. This is the BRM cycle that has been proven to prevent accidents. ECDIS versus pilot local knowledge: ECDIS shows official chart data. Pilots may have current knowledge of undredged shoals or recent surveys not yet in ECDIS — but they may also make errors. The correct response is not to override and not to comply blindly — it is to challenge positively and escalate to the master immediately. The CM's authority without the master: the CM has authority to take emergency action to prevent immediate collision. "Hard-to-port over a shoal" may cause grounding — which qualifies as imminent danger. The CM has a STCW duty to take protective action. But the first step is always the positive challenge — the pilot may have good reason. "Do not challenge the pilot" (option C): the CM has a professional and legal obligation to challenge unsafe orders. STCW II/2 competence includes: "ensures that a safe navigational watch is maintained at all times." If the master is not on the bridge, the CM IS the senior officer present. Waiting passively while the vessel approaches a shoal is a dereliction of duty. The ISM dimension: failure to challenge and a subsequent grounding would be found in any ISM internal audit to be a bridge resource management failure — with direct professional consequences for the CM.