You are master of a 28m passenger vessel with 30 passengers and 4 crew when a galley fire is reported. The vessel is 3nm from shore. Describe your immediate command decisions.

A. Immediately proceed at maximum speed to the nearest port — being in port when abandoning ship is always preferable to abandoning at sea.

B. Put the vessel on autopilot and fight the fire personally. The master's priority is fire suppression — passenger management is the crew's responsibility.

C. Immediate: sound the alarm and muster crew to fire stations; announce to passengers to muster at their assembly station calmly; close watertight/fire doors to contain fire; engine room crew attempt fire attack with fixed system or portable extinguishers; assess whether to fight or abandon; put the fire on the leeward side (alter course if necessary) to prevent fire/smoke spreading forward; notify MRCC on Ch 16 (PAN-PAN initially, upgrade to MAYDAY if fire cannot be controlled); consider anchoring 3nm from shore to be close to rescue assets if abandon ship is required. If fire cannot be controlled: prepare to abandon ship; launch liferaft; brief passengers on liferaft boarding; transmit MAYDAY with position and number of persons; activate EPIRB.

D. Announce to passengers that there is a small galley fire and it is under control regardless of the actual situation. Avoiding passenger panic takes priority over accurate information.

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. 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.

B. 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.

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.