Question 1

Your primary ECDIS fails mid-ocean passage. What is your response as Chief Mate?

Accepted Answer

ECDIS FAILURE — CM RESPONSE: SOLAS V/19 and ECDIS carriage requirements: vessels required to carry ECDIS (generally >3000 GT) must have a back-up arrangement. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE: (1) SWITCH TO BACKUP: activate the back-up ECDIS or back-up navigation system (second ECDIS, laptop with ENC viewer, or paper charts as per SOLAS V/19.2.1.4 or flag state equivalent); (2) POSITION FIX: immediately establish vessel position by independent means (GPS on backup, celestial if required, cross-referenced with radar/AIS coastline if visible); (3) CHART CONTINUITY: ensure navigation continues without interruption on the backup — plot position on paper chart if backup ECDIS is unavailable; (4) INFORM MASTER: report the ECDIS failure to the master — they must be aware of any navigation equipment failure; (5) ENGINE ROOM: if ECDIS failure is associated with an electrical/system fault — inform chief engineer. Check if other navigation equipment affected; (6) ECDIS RESTART: attempt fault diagnosis — power cycle if permitted; check if the fault is a minor software issue; (7) FLAG STATE: persistent ECDIS failure on a vessel where ECDIS is the primary means of navigation — may require diversion to port for repair if backup is unavailable; (8) LOG: record the ECDIS failure, time, the backup system activated, and navigation continuity maintained. ISM non-conformity report; (9) ALRS/PORT STATE: if backup is paper charts — navigate with paper charts until ECDIS is repaired. Paper chart portfolios must be maintained updated even on ECDIS vessels for exactly this reason. ECDIS back-up requirement: SOLAS V/19.2.1.4 requires vessels that are fitted with ECDIS as the primary navigation system to carry "back-up arrangements to meet the functional requirements" — typically a second ECDIS or up-to-date paper charts. The vessel with two ECDIS: both must be updated from the same AVCS (Admiralty Vector Chart Service) or equivalent. If both ECDIS fail — paper charts are the fallback. Paper chart maintenance: even on fully ECDIS-equipped vessels, many companies maintain a paper chart portfolio updated with NTMs for exactly this scenario. The update commitment is real and must be maintained. GPS-only navigation (option C): GPS gives position, but position in isolation is not sufficient for safe navigation — you need the chart context: depth, hazards, TSS, separation schemes, coastal features. A GPS lat/long without chart context is insufficient for safe watch-keeping. Equipment failure ISM recording: any significant navigation equipment failure must be entered in the log and recorded as an ISM non-conformity. The DPA should be notified. The company may have procedures for navigating with degraded navigation equipment. Paper chart skills: the shift to ECDIS has reduced paper chart handling skills in newer officers. STCW competence still requires celestial navigation and traditional chart work — oral examiners frequently test these skills as a fallback to ECDIS dependency.

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.