Question 1

As Chief Mate preparing for an ocean voyage, describe the mandatory and voluntary reporting systems the vessel must comply with.

Accepted Answer

SHIP REPORTING SYSTEMS — CHIEF MATE's OBLIGATIONS: TYPES OF REPORTING SYSTEMS: (1) MANDATORY REPORTING SYSTEMS (MRS): established by IMO and coastal states under SOLAS V/11 and V/12. Participation is COMPULSORY for vessels in the defined area. Examples: (a) MAREP (UK Mandatory Reporting) — for vessels over 300 GT in UK waters; (b) CALDOVREP (off Calais/Dover) — for vessels over 300 GT in the Dover Strait traffic separation area; (c) French MANCHEREP — for vessels in the English Channel; (d) ECAREG CANADA — for vessels in Canadian eastern waters. Chief mate must know departure procedures and MRCS for each area transited; (2) VOLUNTARY REPORTING — AMVER (Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System): run by the US Coast Guard. For ocean passages. Vessels submit: (a) departure report; (b) position reports every 24 hours; (c) arrival (deviation) report. AMVER allows USCG and other MRCC to plot vessel positions for SAR purposes. No penalty for non-participation but strongly recommended — AMVER participation dramatically improves SAR response time; (3) AUSREP (Australian Ship Reporting System): for vessels entering Australian waters or transiting the Australian Search and Rescue Region. Vessels report departure, daily positions, and arrival. Administered by AMSA; (4) VTS (VESSEL TRAFFIC SERVICES — SOLAS V/12): VTS in port approaches are mandatory. Vessels must: (a) report on the assigned VHF channel; (b) follow VTS instructions; (c) report arrival at designated reporting points; (5) GMDSS POSITION REPORTS: SafetyNET broadcasts provide weather warnings. Vessels should listen and respond to relevant urgent messages. SOLAS V/11 — mandatory ship reporting: SOLAS Regulation V/11 allows administrations to establish mandatory ship reporting systems adopted by IMO. These are compulsory for vessels in the designated area. Failure to report in a mandatory reporting system is a SOLAS breach and can result in PSC deficiency notices and (in some jurisdictions) fines. AMVER voluntary status: AMVER participation is VOLUNTARY — option C is therefore incorrect. There is no penalty for non-participation and US ports do not require AMVER participation for entry. However, AMVER is strongly recommended as it: (a) provides insurance of being "on the radar" for SAR; (b) demonstrates good practice to PSC and vetting authorities; (c) is encouraged by P&I Clubs as evidence of responsible vessel management. CALDOVREP: the Dover Strait reporting system is mandatory under UK law for vessels over 300 GT transiting the TSS. Vessels must call Dover Coastguard on VHF 11 (CNIS — Channel Navigation Information Service) and report: vessel name, IMO number, destination, and cargo. Failure to report in CALDOVREP can result in MCA prosecution under SOLAS V. VTS mandatory status: SOLAS V/12 establishes that VTS services in port approaches are to be complied with. IMO Resolution A.857(20) — VTS Guidelines — sets out that mandatory VTS instructions must be followed. A vessel that ignores VTS instructions is in breach of SOLAS V. In a casualty in a port where VTS instructions were ignored — this will be a significant aggravating factor.

Question 2

As Chief Mate, you are responsible for preparing the passage plan for a voyage from Rotterdam to New York. Describe the APEM framework you use and what the master must approve.

Accepted Answer

PASSAGE PLANNING APEM FRAMEWORK: IMO Resolution A.893(21) — Voyage Planning Guidelines. The APEM framework has four stages: (A) APPRAISAL: gather all relevant information before planning: (1) Nautical charts — identify correct editions, apply NtM corrections. Use largest scale available for all coastal sections; (2) Nautical publications — Sailing Directions (NP27 Bay of Biscay, NP69 North Atlantic, US East Coast Pilot), Light Lists, Tide Tables, Tidal Stream Atlas; (3) Weather routing service — seasonal North Atlantic winter storm track, pilot charts showing prevailing winds, currents, ice limits; (4) Notices to Mariners — weekly, check latest edition NTMs for all charts to be used; (5) Ship's draught and UKC requirements at departure and arrival; (6) Vessel characteristics — manoeuvring data card, stopping distances; (P) PLANNING: using the appraisal information, plan the complete voyage: (1) Berth-to-berth — departure berth Rotterdam, arrival berth New York including pilot boarding ground; (2) Waypoints with clearing bearings/distances from dangers; (3) No-go areas — shoals, traffic separation zones, exclusion areas, offshore installations; (4) Abort points — last point to turn back to Rotterdam safely; (5) UKC calculations at critical shallow sections; (6) Speed calculations for pilot station arrival time and tidal window; (E) EXECUTION: monitoring the voyage against the plan; (M) MONITORING: comparing actual position against planned track throughout. MASTER APPROVAL: the Master must sign the plan before departure — SOLAS V/34 legal obligation. APEM standard — universal application: APEM applies to ALL voyages including ocean passages. The depth of each stage varies with voyage complexity, but an ocean Atlantic crossing requires: (a) seasonal weather routing consideration (North Atlantic in winter — Genco/Maersk weather routing service); (b) ice limit consideration (Grand Banks area — seasonal icebergs from March to August); (c) North Atlantic shipping lanes (SOLAS Regulation for routeing); (d) GMDSS provision for the sea areas (A1/A2/A3 coverage). Chief mate's role in passage planning: in practice, the chief mate prepares the voyage plan and presents it to the master for approval. This is standard industry practice reflected in STCW competence requirements for STCW II/2 (Chief Mate). The STCW Chief Mate Certificate of Competency examination includes passage planning as a key competency. Master sign-off requirement: the master is ultimately legally responsible under SOLAS V/34 for ensuring the voyage is properly planned. In practice, the master reviews and approves the plan — but the chief mate prepares it. The master's approval signature has legal significance in any investigation. Great circle only (option C): while great circle routing is the default for ocean passages, the passage plan must still consider: (a) ice limits in the Great Circle track area; (b) Traffic Separation Schemes; (c) pilot boarding grounds; (d) UKC at port approaches. A bare great circle with no additional planning is not a complete passage plan for a SOLAS V/34 purpose.

Question 3

As Chief Mate, it is your responsibility to maintain the vessel's ECDIS and charts. Describe your procedure for ensuring all charts are up to date for a voyage.

Accepted Answer

ECDIS AND CHART MANAGEMENT — CHIEF MATE'S PROCEDURE: ECDIS CHART MANAGEMENT: (1) ENC SOURCE: Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) are sourced through an authorised distributor — AVCS (Admiralty Vector Chart Service), PRIMAR, or equivalent national chart authority. The subscription must be current; (2) WEEKLY UPDATES: AVCS provides weekly ENC updates. The chief mate must: (a) connect the ECDIS to the update service weekly; (b) download and apply all updates to ENCs covering the upcoming voyage; (c) verify update application — some ECDIS systems show "cells updated" count; (3) NtM CHECK: for paper charts (on ECDIS backup charts or paper chart primary systems) — weekly Notices to Mariners (NtM) must be applied. UK Hydrographic Office NtMs are published weekly. Each NtM specifies the chart number and correction. Mark each chart in the NtM index with the correction number applied; (4) CORRECTION LOG: maintain a Chart Correction Log recording: chart number, edition, NtMs applied, date of correction. This is a statutory record; (5) CHART CATALOGUE: the Admiralty Chart Catalogue specifies which charts are required for the planned voyage. Ensure all charts are: (a) latest edition; (b) all NtMs up to the current week applied; (6) NEW EDITIONS: when a chart is re-issued (new edition), all previous corrections on the old edition become incorporated. Order the new edition and apply subsequent NtMs from the new edition date; (7) T&P NOTICES: Temporary and Preliminary Notices to Mariners (T&Ps) apply to ENCs as Cell Update information — check these separately from permanent corrections. Frequency of NtM updates: the UK Hydrographic Office (and other hydrographic offices) publish corrections weekly. The MAIB has investigated groundings where the cause was an uncorrected chart — the most common pattern is a temporary or preliminary notice that changed a depth, moved a buoy, or added a new hazard. Investigations routinely check when the last NtM update was applied. SOLAS standard: SOLAS V/27 requires ships to carry adequate and up-to-date charts. "Up to date" means NtMs applied to the current week. Outdated charts are a PSC deficiency. The MCA's Concentrated Inspection Campaign on navigational equipment in recent years specifically targeted NtM compliance. Automatic ECDIS updates (option C): ECDIS does NOT automatically update charts without action. The chief mate must: (a) have an active subscription to AVCS or equivalent; (b) download updates from the update server; (c) apply them to the ECDIS. The process is not automatic — many ECDIS groundings have involved failure to update ENCs. Chart Correction Log requirement: the requirement for a Chart Correction Log is implied by SOLAS V/27 ("adequate and up-to-date charts") and MCA MGN guidance. The Log is not explicitly required by a single SOLAS regulation but is standard practice and expected by PSC. In any grounding investigation — the chart correction log will be examined to verify the chart was current at the time of the incident.