Your 150 GT passenger vessel's Safe Manning Certificate requires two certificated officers. Your second officer goes sick in port. You are due to sail in 2 hours with 60 passengers. What do you do?

A. You cannot sail below the Safe Manning Certificate requirements — the SMC is the legal minimum and sailing undermanned is a breach of SOLAS and MLC. Immediately notify the company, the MCA/flag state, and the port authority. Options: arrange a suitably certificated relief officer before sailing; request a temporary SMC dispensation from the MCA if the voyage is genuinely short and conditions are appropriate; delay the voyage until a replacement is available. The safety of 60 passengers does not permit a commercial shortcut on manning. Notify passengers of the delay. Do not sail undermanned regardless of commercial pressure.

B. As master you count as one officer. You also have a coxswain on board who holds a Boatmaster Licence. This gives you two certificated persons on board — you may sail.

C. For voyages under 2 hours, a single certificated officer is sufficient regardless of the SMC. Report the Manning issue to MCA on arrival.

D. Contact the MCA duty officer by phone — verbal dispensation can be obtained in 20 minutes for short coastal passages with passenger vessels.

A. A Master (STCW II/3) certificate authorises command of ships of less than 500 GT engaged on near-coastal voyages only. It does not authorise command on international unrestricted voyages or on vessels 500 GT and above. "Near-coastal" is defined by the flag state — in UK practice, MCA defines near-coastal voyages as voyages within defined sea areas relative to the UK coastline. To command vessels 500 GT+ or on worldwide voyages, a Master Unlimited (STCW II/2) certificate is required. A Master < 3000 GT Unlimited covers larger vessels but is typically combined with the Chief Mate Unlimited examination in MCA practice.

B. The STCW II/3 certificate authorises command of any vessel provided it is engaged in domestic trade. There is no size restriction if the voyage remains within national territorial waters.

C. A Master < 500 GT NC certificate authorises command of all vessels less than 500 GT anywhere in the world. The "near-coastal" designation applies to the vessel type, not the voyage area.

D. The certificate is identical to OOW < 500 GT NC. The only difference is the title — both authorise the same operational functions.

A. Under the MCA Workboat Code (2nd Edition), CTVs and workboats must carry a Stability Booklet approved by the MCA or a Recognised Organisation. The booklet must contain loading conditions relevant to the vessel's operational profile. For offshore CTVs, specific loading conditions must include: personnel transfer (maximum persons), cargo runs, and light ship. The operator must complete a pre-departure stability check for each sailing condition. The IMO IS Code 2008 intact stability criteria apply: GM minimum 0.15m; GZ criteria; weather criterion. Some workboats may have additional class-specific criteria. The Workboat Code requires vessels to operate within the ranges defined in the approved stability booklet at all times.

B. Vessels under 100 GT are exempt from stability documentation requirements under the Workboat Code. The master decides whether the vessel is stable based on experience.

C. Stability requirements for workboats are set by the vessel's insurer. The MCA approves the insurer's criteria and the master follows the insurer's stability guidance.

D. Only passenger vessels need an approved Stability Booklet. CTVs under the Workboat Code use a simplified load assessment based on the vessel's freeboard only.