Question 1

Two hours after the fire event, the company's marine superintendent calls and says: "Don't report this to the coastal authority yet — we're arranging our own response team and we don't want PSC involved until we know the full picture." The fire caused a small oil sheen (estimated 50–100 litres of HFO in seawater during the fire event).

What should the Master do?

Accepted Answer

Report to the coastal authority immediately regardless of company instruction. The Master's legal duty under MARPOL Protocol I to report a discharge is personal and cannot be overridden by company instruction. Following company orders to delay reporting constitutes non-compliance with MARPOL and exposes the Master to personal criminal liability in the flag and coastal state MARPOL 73/78 Protocol I Article 8 places the reporting obligation directly on the Master of the vessel — it is not delegable. A company instruction to delay or suppress that report does not shield the Master; it creates additional personal liability. Multiple Captains have faced criminal prosecution in US, Australian, and European courts for following company instructions to delay or avoid MARPOL pollution reports. The correct action is to report, inform the company that you have reported, and document the company instruction and your response in the Official Log Book.

Question 2

MV SOLWAY STAR, 1435. The engine room fixed fire detection alarm activates on the bridge panel — zone indicated is bilge area, below the main engine. The ER is manned — the chief engineer and two ratings are on watch below.

What is the OOW's FIRST action?

Accepted Answer

Sound the general alarm immediately. Inform the Master. Do NOT ring the engine room to ask them to investigate — they are in the fire zone. The general alarm brings the emergency team to their stations and ensures the CO₂ room and fire parties are ready before any further assessment Ringing the engine room is the most common and most dangerous instinct when a fire alarm sounds — it asks people in the fire zone to investigate and reassure you. The correct response is immediate general alarm: it activates the emergency team, gets the CO₂ room manned with the correct personnel, and starts the accountability process. A false alarm muster costs 15 minutes. A delayed alarm in a real bilge fire on a naphtha carrier costs lives. The decision to discharge CO₂ will be made by the Master with full accountability — not by an OOW who has run to the CO₂ room alone.

Question 3

Thirty seconds after the general alarm, the chief engineer radios the bridge: "I can see smoke near the bilge pump. I'm going to check if it's a small oil fire — I'll call you back in two minutes." The fire party is mustering on deck.

What is the Master's response?

Accepted Answer

Order the chief engineer and ALL engine room personnel to evacuate immediately and close the ER fire dampers and watertight doors. Do not allow investigation without full BA team and hose in place. Smoke in an ER bilge area of a naphtha carrier is a serious fire risk — vapour ignition can occur in seconds The bilge area of a chemical tanker carrying naphtha (flash point −40°C) means flammable vapour is present at ambient temperature. A small visible fire can flash over in seconds if the fuel supply (oil in bilge) is not interrupted. Allowing a solo investigation without BA, without a charged hose, and without the fire team in position violates every principle of fire fighting practice. The chief engineer's instinct to deal with it quickly is understandable — and potentially fatal. Close the space, get personnel out, assess from outside.