Question 1

You are about to depart port after a 5-day stay. What bridge equipment checks do you complete before getting underway?

Accepted Answer

PRE-DEPARTURE BRIDGE CHECKS — CM: SOLAS V and ISM Code require systematic equipment checks before sea. NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT: (1) COMPASSES: compare magnetic and gyro compass readings — check for any change from last departure. Test gyro repeaters; (2) RADAR/ARPA: test both radars on all ranges — confirm ARPA tracking function; anti-clutter (rain/sea) settings work; (3) ECDIS: verify ENCs updated (latest NTM applied), passage plan loaded and master-approved, primary and backup ECDIS operational; (4) AIS: confirm vessel details current (voyage data, ETA, destination, cargo type, draught), receiver and transmitter active; (5) ECHOSOUNDER: operational, alarm set at company minimum UKC; (6) SPEED LOG: Doppler log or EM log operational; (7) ELECTRONIC POSITION FIXING: GPS cross-checked against visual fix in port — confirm position accurate; (8) SIGNALLING: Aldis lamp, shapes (day signals — ball, cylinder, cone), flags (Q flag cleared?); (9) VHF: all channels operational, ship station working, DSC watchkeeping on Ch16 and Ch70; (10) NAVTEX: running, all warnings reviewed; (11) BRIDGE WINGS: clear, chair lashings, binoculars, radar reflector on small vessels; (12) STEERING GEAR: complete the steering gear test as per SOLAS V/26 — test all modes, communications with steering flat, emergency steering tested; (13) CLOCKS: synchronised; (14) LOGBOOK: departure details prepared; MARPOL oil record book current; (15) ENGINE TELEGRAPH: test ahead/astern orders to engine room, confirm echo-back. SOLAS V/26 — steering gear testing: "Within 12 hours before departure, the ship's steering gear shall be checked and tested by the ship's crew. The test procedure shall include, where applicable: the operation of the following: (i) the main steering gear; (ii) the auxiliary steering gear; (iii) the remote steering gear control systems; (iv) the steering positions located on the navigation bridge; (v) the emergency power supply; (vi) the rudder angle indicators in relation to the actual position of the rudder; (vii) the remote steering gear control system power failure alarms; (viii) the steering gear power unit failure alarms." This is a SOLAS mandatory requirement before every departure. The CM typically oversees this. Compasses: after a port stay, the gyro may have been shut down or may have drifted. A compass comparison is essential — a 5° gyro error in a TSS could be critical. AIS voyage data: many grounding investigations reveal that the AIS voyage data (destination, cargo, draught) was never updated from the previous voyage. PSC inspectors regularly check AIS data. The CM owns this check. The OOW responsibility (option D): partly true — the OOW on the outbound watch takes responsibility for the watch. But the CM oversees departure readiness as the officer responsible for safe navigation setup. The master approves the overall plan. This is a team function.

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.