Navigation and Operations Workbook

[adamdean96]

I finish phase 1 at the end of this week and join my ship a month later, I am slightly confused about the nav and ops work book, what sort of things do I need to include in these?

Thanks

[YoungMariner]

A few for starters;

Hand Drawings:

Mooring Arrangement/plan in Port ( you could do this for a selection of ports)
Bridge Equipment with details on what's on emergency power
Antenna Plan
Ballast line plan
Fire line plan
Manoeuvring Diagram

Calculations
Amplitudes
Compass Error
Rendezvous
Great Circle
Mercator
Composite
Speed/ Time/ Distance



Copy from the logbook all the dates and where you are in a list, I.e.
10th June - Alongside Gibraltar - Bunkering
11th June - Lat Lon @ noon LMT
12th June - etc etc


I'll add a few more to that list tomorrow, there is a lot you can do.

[All At Sea]

There's also a few pages right at the back of the TRB which gives more information on what is required in the Nav and Ops workbook and even a few example reports.

[The Kraken]

YoungMariner has pretty much covered it but I'd also include anchoring arrangements (length, number of shackles etc), as well as sunrise/sunset prediction calculations (not on the syllabus per say, but if you can get one of the officers to show you how to do it it's a nifty little trick) and lifesaving/firefighting equipment onboard, as you'll most likely be the safety officer as a 3rd mate.

[Stevemac83]

I am also in the same situation as Adamdean96, I finished phase 1 last week and I am joining my first ship on Thursday. I received my TRB today and I am a bit vague on how I go about the whole thing to be honest. The Nav and Ops workbook I understand is to write descriptions and use diagrams to explain tasks that might not be covered in the TRB or just the tasks we undertake in general. Would it be an idea to have a pad of paper to use for this or fit the extra pages into the TRB folder.

[YoungMariner]

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but if it goes to the oral examiner at the end of the course it does give him an indication of what you are like before you start. Just take the time to make really neat diagrams , and include everything and anything no matter how unusual.

[The Kraken]

I had all my reports printed on A4 in a dedicated folder and my nav/ops workbook was a little A5 notepad. Spent a lot of time getting it to look neat and when it came to my orals the examiner didn't even check my workbook!

[zuluonezero]

I've just finished my second trip of my first sea phase, and in the last month I literally just chucked everything I could find that looked useful in my workbook. I typed up all my reports, drew all my drawings in neat and stuck in photos as evidence. My Chief Mate looked over it and didn't have an issue with it so I'm hoping I've put the right kind of thing in there. If not hopefully my company training officer will point it out.

[TomAlex]

I have just finished writing my Nav Ops workbook and got the sign from CTO . I am attaching the index for the same. Might be a bit long

Things to write in Nav and Ops workbook( to be read in conjuction with last two pages of MNTB )

Safety Emergency Security drill scenarios
- Ship Familiarisation
- Collision drill
- Piracy attack
- Fire drill in E/R, P/R , Galley , Boiler spaces
- Stowaway/Contraband/Narcotic search
- Bomb search
- Emergency steering
- Emergency Towing Arrangement
- Oil spill - P/R , MFold , loading/Discharging , bunkering
- Lifeboat drill
- Grounding/Stranding
- Dragging anchor
- MOB
- Emergency medical attention drill
-Distress call and rescue
-Abandon ship

Maintenence


-Chipping
-Painting
-Buffing
-UTI Tape Overhauling
-Chain locker
-Ballast tank/Cargo tank entry cleaning
-Non Return V/v /Deck seal cleaning
-PV Breaker
-Mastriser
-Winches overhauling
-Mfold valves
-Lifeboat Davit maintenence
-Gangway,MOT Ladder,
-Hose handling crane,Provision crane
-Cargo pumps,Cargo line
-ODME/OWS
-Life saving equipment/Fire fighting equipment
ETA Greasing
-Paint store sprinkler
-Roller greasing
-Anchor painting
-Marking snapback zone ( check mooring guide line )
-Mooring ropes from rope store maintenance( Making cover to avoid chaffing)
-Pressure testing of fire hose
-Tankdome greasing and painting
-Seachest integrity
-Pneumatic shutdown of P/R ventilation in case of fire
-Bilge checking
-stenciling
-Pressure testing of cargo/IG (check isgott)
-Greasing of foam monitors
-Cleaning paintroom
-Flame screen cleaning – Galley / Mastriser
-Magnetic compass mirror cleaning
-Gyro repeater synchronizing
-Wilden pump overhauling ( isgott)
-High level/Overfill alarm checking
- FW Generator operation
-IG plant
-Write up on pyro technics and its maintenance
-Anchor and Anchor chain
-PV Valve
- ballast pump ohaul
-Calibrating Gas measuring instriments – Fixed and Portable
-Ballast Tank mushroom vent etc
Finding Displacement/TPC/DWT from draft using chart
Pumproom cleaning



DIAGRAMS
-Flamability diagram
-Sextant diagram


SHIP OPERATIONS
Vetting
Pilotage
PSC inspection
USCG Inspection
Ballast exchange
Cargo operation
Deballasting/Ballasting
Panama canal crossing
Picking up provisions and tallying
Cargo watch/Anchor watch/Deck watch/Bridge watch
Relieve and handover watch
Taking visual draft
Port operations
Taking FW sounding,ballast etc not including Cargo sounding
Ballast water exchange(next ship)

OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
Precargo meeting
Hourly cargo information exchange
Discussion of MSDS
Daily toolbox talk
Safety meeting
Weekly crew meeting
Over time mgmt.
RA,Near misses, unsafe act


CALCULATIONS
Compass Error
Sights ( Include a write up on sextant and diagram)
ETA Calc
Air Draft
Tide Calculations
Turning circle
Squat Calc
UKC
Wind calculation
Mooring winch break test
Spherical trigonometry
Draft survey report
Cargo report stability
Magnetic compass deviation curve/card
Chronometer calc
Reqrd speed / ETA
Wheel over position
Passage plan
Set and drift
Bunkering calc
Luminous range intensity
Radar plotting

[Polaris]

You should be looking to try to write a report of some sort for each tick box in your TRB.

[gadget123]

Basically you want to be writing reports which cover all of the tasks in the TRB.

Some reports can be written to cover multipul tasks, so for example chipping and painting the side of the ship, would cover:
-Work aloft
-Permits to work
-Preparation and care of steel work
-Painting

Some tasks in the TRB might be covered by multiple reports. Cargo work for example you may write one report on a container ship and then another if you sail on a tanker or a bulker.

Same with things like mooring and anchoring. I had several reports for various levels so there would be a report at the sort of operational level explaining the names for different lines, with diagrams of the mooring deck and the winches and explanations of how they work. And another one at the management level explaining things about communication, briefings and giving distances to the bridge.

All of the reports for the operations things were typed up with handdrawn diagrams, and copies of documents such as risk assessments or permits to work added in.
For the navigation side of things it was a mix of typed up reports explaining things like the purposes of the various logbooks and GMDSS checks, and calculations neatly handwritten.

The calculations in mine are:
-Loads of compass errors, sun, moon, stars and transits
-Loads of sextant sights, sun, moon, stars (with plotting sheet) including calculation of meridian passage
-Great circle sailing calculations
-Plain sailing calculation
-ETA calculation
-Air draft calculation
-Underkeel clearance calculation

While the MCA never looked at it, but both the collage and SSTG seemed pretty happy with what I'd done.

[gadget123]

I should have added that if something isn't covered in the TRB but you ship does it you should definitely add it in.

Things like helicopter evacuations, or unusual maneuvers like baltic or med mooring or any unusual maintenance are definitely worth including.

[Midge]

Could you clarify if this thread applies to FD or HND cadets as from a previous thread on the topic there are some differences between the two, might be helpful for people perhaps.

[gadget123]

The Operations and navigation workbook is the same regardless of what scheme you are following as it is for the MCA not the college. However some(maybe all) colleges require a work based learning project and some of the work can be used for both the the WBL and the Opps workbook.

[captain_hook]

Post #9 should be a sticky for this topic. If you cover all of the subjects discussed with written reports, dated and signed by your superior you should have covered everything required by an MCA examiner. There simply isn't enough information given by training companies in order to cover the navigation and operations workbook IMO. Two pages that can be overlooked in the TRB isn't enough for many cadets in companies that don't drive towards a high standard of training and knowledge.