Your vessel has suffered a main engine failure at sea, 3nm from a rocky headland. Wind is pushing you towards the coast. The engine will not be restored for 45 minutes. Your examiner asks what your options are.

A. Emergency options: (1) ANCHOR — if water depth is within anchor cable range (typically vessel can anchor in up to 80-100m with full cable scope), anchoring is the primary option; drop both anchors with maximum scope in the direction of wind drift to arrest the vessel's movement; (2) Alert the master and MRCC immediately — Pan-Pan Medico is not appropriate; Pan-Pan (urgency) signal is appropriate initially (DSC Ch 70 + VHF Ch 16): "Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan — [vessel name], position [lat/long], main engine failure, 3nm from [headland], requiring tug assistance, standing by on Ch 16"; (3) Deploy emergency towing equipment if a passing vessel can assist; (4) Sound NUC signals (2 long blasts) and hoist NUC shapes (2 black balls by day, 2 all-round red lights by night); (5) Calculate drift rate and remaining time before hazard is reached; (6) If unable to anchor in the available depth, prepare to send MAYDAY if collision/grounding becomes imminent.

B. Send an immediate MAYDAY. A vessel 3nm from rocks with engine failure is in distress by definition and must use distress signals.

C. Let go the bow anchor only, with minimum scope. Using two anchors in an emergency could cause cables to foul and limit options.

D. Engine failure at sea in deep water is not dangerous — drift speed in 3nm will give over an hour to restore the engine. No action is required until within 1nm of the hazard.

A. Hydrodynamic interaction in overtaking: when two vessels are in close proximity, each vessel's pressure field is affected by the other. During overtaking: (1) BOW SUCTION — as the larger vessel's bow approaches the smaller vessel's stern, the smaller vessel is drawn towards the larger vessel (stern of smaller vessel attracted to bow of larger); (2) MID-SHIP REPULSION — when the ships are abreast, the increased pressure between them creates a repulsive force pushing both vessels apart; (3) STERN SUCTION — as the larger vessel passes, the stern of the larger vessel sucks the bow of the smaller vessel towards it. The combined effect: the smaller vessel can sheer uncontrollably — this is "bank suction" in a channel context. Mitigating actions: reduce speed (interaction forces reduce with the square of speed — halving speed reduces interaction forces by 75%); increase lateral separation; give early warning on VHF.

B. Hydrodynamic interaction only occurs between vessels of similar size. A 15,000 GT vessel overtaking a 2,000 GT vessel creates no significant interaction forces.

C. The only interaction effect when overtaking is wake wash — keep clear of the wake and no other precautions are needed.

D. Interaction effects occur between both vessels equally. Both vessels must take parallel avoiding action by moving to opposite sides of the channel.

A. Approach planning: (1) Determine the final heading at the anchor position — vessels at anchor lie to the wind or current, whichever is stronger; at anchor with 25kts wind and 1.5kts current, wind dominates so the ship will lie head-to-wind at anchor; (2) Approach heading: approach into the wind (head-to-wind) so that the ship will naturally settle into the riding position; (3) Speed: approach at slow speed so that the ground speed can be controlled — calculate leeway and set against the cross-wind to maintain the intended track; (4) Position of anchor: the anchor goes down on the side towards which you want to swing — for a head-to-wind anchorage, approach from downwind on a reciprocal heading to the lie-to heading; (5) At the drop position: slow to near-stop, allow the ship to fall back on the current/wind, walk back the cable as the ship drops back — do not drop from underway at speed; (6) Confirm scope — 5:1 water depth in open anchorage in 25kts wind minimum.

B. Approach the anchorage from upwind to maintain control. Drop the anchor at 3 knots — the momentum will pull the cable out quickly and set the anchor.

C. Current is stronger than wind at sea. Plan the approach to lie head-to-current regardless of wind strength.

D. Wind and current do not affect anchoring — the anchor sets purely by the weight of cable dropped. Approach direction has no effect on the final position.