Aberdeen Orals! - Deck

[Young sea dog]

Has anyone done their Orals in Aberdeen? Could you possibly tell me what they are hot on? What is it like? etc.

I failed my first attempt in Greenock, about 2 months ago I booked into Aberdeen as it is much closer to my home but I have no Idea what their styling is like...

Some help would be great. Thanks

[thady]

i did my orals at aberdeen 4 weeks ago with captain Aletson he made no effort to put me at ease it also felt like he wanted to put me under pressure
another cadet on my course had a different examiner who was really good putting him at ease but asked him a lot more complicated questions where as mine where pretty strait forward not requiring much detail.

here is what i was asked :-


Sextant, What is it, how to correct what would you use it for. the sextant in the marine office is shagged

Compass . In detail Correctors, what they correct for, checks

Ism code its meaning to me

Passage planning Appraisal inc relevant publications and execution

Sources of weather information

General cargo oow duties on deck loading DG's

Imdg prohibited cargo's can all ships carry all cargoes, does a ship need a certificate

Where to find information on cargo securing, Cargo securing manual

Fire reported in cargo alongside actions by myself on deck (threw me a bit as i studies bridge procedures

Proceeding to a distress downed helicopter, actions

Confined space entry on a supply boat.. procedures

Risk of collision how to determined use of ais and its limitations what does the rules say

Vessel on port bow no action taken by give way vessel captain doesnt come to the bridge. actions

Fishing vessel fine on bow

Vessel constrained by draft rule 18 8 <-- learn this very carefully, constrained by draft is by law a give way vessel though you are advised to avoid a close quarters situation

Vessel on stb side

Overtaking vessel....moved it to stb bow is it still overtaking

Radar plot overtaking places little pips on a sheet, make sure you dont base your decision on scanty radar information

Shapes

Fishing vessel outlying gear

constrained by draft

Lights

Tug pushing

Fishing vessel nets fast day sig

Pilot vessel stern

Bouys, a few lateral marks, approaching a south cardinal from nw actions (dont tell him a green bouy has a red light like i did)

Threw colregs at me told me to read 18 and 8

at the end i was so deflated as i had convinced myself i had failed then he said congratulations, took 2 days to get over it haha

[thady]

I will try and get the report of my friends from aberdeen and post them here too

[thady]

After the examiner introduced himself and went over the ground rules for the examination. He asked me to go to the table on my right, on there was a series of instruments. He asked me to start at the far end of the table, name and talk him through the instruments.
Firstly the sextant. Is it ready for use straight away? What/why and procedure for corrections? What is the reading on it? Set the sextant reading ............ .
The precision barometer, take a reading, what is it used for?
The barograph, what is it for? What is the difference between the precision and barograph?
There was also a gyro, Stevenson screen, mag. Compass on/near the table, which he didn’t ask me about.
Because we’d spoken about the weather, due to the barometers. What weather would you expect in an area of high pressure? What weather would you expect in an area of low pressure? You’re travelling through the mid north Atlantic, how would you get weather reports?

What and how does NAVTEXT work?
You take a sextant amplitude, but it doesn’t match your GPS. What would your actions be and why might this happen?
What might make the GPS fail/give false reading?
Your on mid ocean passage in clear weather, there’s a MOD on starboard side. What are your actions?
Perform a Williamson turn. (using model ship)
What are the types of turns that may be used in a MOD and when would you use them?
What is the minimum requirement for the launching of rescue boats?
What type of life raft did you have on your last ship, capacity, servicing period? You are to manually launch a life raft in an abandonment situation, what is the procedure? What is the life span of an HRU? How many types are there?
Perform a short turn around, Describe transverse thrust (using model ship).
You are about to come into port, you are put in charge of mooring operations on the aft deck. What is the procedure? The master asks for “2, 2 & 2”, what is this?
About to leave port, the master then asks you to single up, what is this and why would he ask you to do this?
Prior to leaving port you made a passage plan. What are the principles of passage planning? Define them?
On passage. Having two radars on board, the master asks you to, make one for collision and one for navigation. Which one would be used for what and how would you prepare them?
Why do ships have to carry SMS’s? What factors directly involve you, as to your working operations?
Then went onto a series of light & buoys. For light, had to tell him the type, length, day signal and fog signal of each ship.
Included in the buoys- your going S/SSW you come across a north cardinal mark, which direction would you alter and why? You come upon a safe water mark when entering a harbour buoyage system, what side will you put the safe water mark on and why?
What countries use buoyage region A/B?
He then went onto COLREGS with the aid of model ships, giving different scenarios , with different types of ship. Asking as we went through-define NUC, constrained by her draft ect.
Was given a radar plot, restricted visibility situation.
THAT’S ALL I CAN REMEMBER.


This was with the same examiner as myself, i will try and get my hands on a couple from the other examiner.

[Young sea dog]

Thank you soooooo much!!!!

[thady]

No problem, Good luck with your exam

[Young sea dog]

Thanks.

Did he have a good look through your Portfolio?

[thady]

he did have a good look through mine but not others, though i have had a registration issue with mine so the mca may have asked him too, make sure its in order though

[Young sea dog]

Yeah, I am going to go through it on Tuesday I think, feel better this time round.

[Mantaforce]

Here is another example from Aberdeen for you.

Orals Questions

Examiner - Capt Alletson

15.15

12/04/2012

Met equipment:
1. Explain the errors of the marine sextant ?
2. What do you use the marine sextant for ?
3. How do you use the precision barometer ?
4. What does it measure ?
5. What do you use the barograph for ?

Your in a position NE of the shetland isles & in an areaof low pressure what type of weather would you expect ?

As the OOW what actions would you under take ?

Passage planning (greatyarmouth – lerwick)

1. Explain how you would construct a passage plan ?
2. Explain the four elements of passage planning ?
3. How would you prepare your vessel for anyunexpected heavy weather on your passage ?
4. Explain under keel clearance ?
5. With respect to passage planning what are thelimitations of the ecdis ?
6. How would you know if you where deviating fromyour track ?
7. You receive a heavy weather warning on passagewhat are your actions as OOW ?

SMS:
1. What does it mean to you ?
2. How would you use it on board your vessel ?

Risk Assessment:
1. What is it & what does it do ?
2. With reference to a toolbox talk what isinvolved ?

On a general cargo ship:
1. 12pm at night in heavy weather the anchor isbanging against the side of the vessel what are your actions as OOW to resolvethis ?
2. How would you prepare the vessel for heavyweather before proceeding from your berth ?

Buoyage:
1. your vessel is heading north and you come acrossthe east cardinal mark your actions ?
2. Light characteristics of east cardinal mark ?
3. Light characteristics of the north cardinal mark?
4. Safe water mark light characteristics & topmark ?
5. Which side would you pass a special buoy &its light characteristics ?



Rules of the road:
1. In a traffic separation scheme how would youjoin it proceeding from a port ?
2. Vessel fishing in the traffic separation scheme,your actions on observing this vessel ?
3. The same vessel is right ahead of you in theTSS, how would you know it was fishing & your subsequent actions ?
4. You come across a vessel engaged in a towingoperation 4 points on your port side in clear visibility your actions at 6NMand 3NM ?
5. What lights & shapes would a towing vesseldisplay ?
6. Fog signal of towing vessel ?

In restricted visibility you hear a vessel apparently aheadof your vessel, what are your actions ? (this was carried out on a plottingsheet).

Lights:
1. Showed a vessel aground, Your actions onsighting this ahead ?
2. Fog signal of vessel aground ?
3. Day signal of vessel aground ?7
4. Showed a vessel engaged in a towing operationasked to describe the vessel ?
5. Asked what lights and day signals she woulddisplay if she was restricted in her ability to deviate from her course ?
6. This vessel is on your port side who is thestand on vessel and who is the give way vessel when she is restricted in herability to deviate from her course and is able to deviate from her course ?

These are all the questions that I can rememberI was asked.

[thady]

Captain Alletson will sit there and write as he is doing the exam the other examiner who's name escapes me will shield it. do not, as hard as it is try and decipher what he is writing to get any indication of your progress. you will just get wound up more

[Young sea dog]

Thank you again!! Apparently there is going to be a new Captain there by the 23rd she is called Katie Taylor I think . . . . :/

[thady]

let us know how you get on

[Young sea dog]

Hello xDD

I PASSED woooop! Thanks very much guys

[thady]

congratulations!

would you mind posting your report here for a few other guys i know who are about to go through their orals in Aberdeen?