With the engine still unavailable and the spring under heavy load, the Master considers letting go an anchor to arrest the vessel's drift. What should be assessed quickly before doing so?

A. Anchors are never an appropriate option during an unberthing manoeuvre under any circumstances

B. Only the windlass's mechanical condition needs to be checked, with no consideration of depth or vessel configuration

C. Water depth and seabed type at the current position (to confirm the anchor can actually reach bottom and hold), whether letting go the anchor now (with the vessel still partly attached to the berth by lines) might cause the vessel to swing in an unexpected or undesirable way, and whether there is time to do this in a controlled manner rather than as a last-second panic action

D. No assessment is needed; the anchor should always be let go immediately in any unberthing difficulty regardless of depth or vessel configuration

A. Take no action since the spring line alone is assumed sufficient to control the vessel indefinitely

B. Immediately let go all remaining lines, assuming this will resolve the situation

C. Immediately inform the engine room directly (not just via telegraph) of the non-response, assess the vessel's current trajectory and what is still controlling it (the spring line, remaining wind effect, any tug), and prepare to use those remaining resources while engine control is investigated — do not wait passively for the engine to respond on a repeated order

D. Repeat the same telegraph order several times and wait without taking any other action

A. The spring line could be overloaded beyond its safe working load by the combination of wind force and the bow swing, risking it parting under tension — if it parts, the vessel would suddenly lose the one remaining controlling line with no engine available to compensate, and the snap-back risk to anyone near the line increases as load builds

B. The bow swinging further off the berth is the intended outcome and requires no further attention

C. The only risk is to the berth structure, not to the vessel or its mooring equipment

D. There is no increased risk; the spring line is designed to handle unlimited load regardless of wind or engine state