Just passed my OOW orals

[Rtaylor]

...and all is well in the world.

I've got a while to cool my heels now as I wait for my CoC to be processed (sending off the paperwork tomorrow). I will be applying for a few jobs but thought I would post here on the off-chance that anyone would know of a company looking for an inexperienced 3/O?

If anyone is coming up to their orals and wants a quick run down of some of the unexpected ones I was asked give me a quick PM and I will give you some more stuff to study

Robert

[Clanky]

Congratulations.

[size4riggerboots]

Well pop the champers open and have a cigar Congratulations! If you felt like writing up a full rundown of what you were asked and posting it up it here it'd be really helpful to the next lot coming though.

[Rtaylor]

Writeup as promised. I hope someone finds this useful;


OOW Orals exam 8-7-’14, Paisley office


I arrived 40 minutes early and was told to take a seat, I spent the whole time trying not to panic and flipping through my cards. I began to get worried when it was ten minutes after my exam was meant to start and there was no sign of my examiner…eventually the receptionist went and ‘chased him up’.


The examiner introduced himself and got me talking about my last ship as he was looking through my paperwork. I gave him, length, breadth, trading route, deadweight, lightship all that stuff. He said “let’s get started” and so it began.


First up was the sextant. Asked me to take the reading then how I would find index error. I didn’t know-major oversight! I thought you would set it to zero, look at the horizon and then if there was a difference in the two horizons you would adjust till they were the same, then that was your I.E. He gave me a look and said that you would take the upper then lower limb of the sun and divide the difference by two (or something to that effect). I felt pretty shaken by having made such a big mistake so early in the exam.


From this he pointed at the Stevenson’s screen and asked what it was, what was inside, what was it used for. I tried to be smart here and said that it would help predict fog, he asked what else I would use to predict fog and I said ‘dew point and sea temp’, this seemed to satisfy him.


Now that we were finished with instruments we sat down and went to work on the law/legislation side of things. I can’t remember exactly what he asked but here are some highlights;


ISM, 6 requirements?
How does it help you as 3/0? Talked about PMS, SMS, having procedures. He seemed happy with a fairly general overview.
SSO, who was it on your ship, duties. How would the 3/0 assist them in their duties?
Ship safety committee, who is on it?
Risk assessment, which jobs would require it? Mentioned COSWP chapter 16, seemed like a good call.
Permits to work, which jobs would require one? Would you do a risk assessment for all permits to work (I said yes, hope that was right…)
You are loading DG cargo and you spot DG leaking from a container as it is loaded and put in place. What do you do? I said stop loading, inform master and C/O, check manifest to find info on it then check IMDG code for emergency schedule.


Then on to LSA and FFA


requirements for pyrotechnics, what did you have?
requirements for lifejackets, immersion suits?
where were they kept?
Equipment in the rescue boat in addition to what is in the lifeboats.
How to test the fire main isolation valve. I goof’d here and had no idea.
Launching lifeboat, procedures (remember the FPDs!)


Finally we got to rules.


Some TSS questions…can’t remember the details but he said assume you are the OOW on a PDV, in the lane.


-CBD crossing from port
-RAM crossing from stbd
-tug and tow crossing from port
-tug and tow are now RAM, what has changed?


He asked about the sounds these vessels would make if they were under way and making way in fog, then under way and not making way, and PDV.


They were fairly straightforward, he advised me beforehand to think for a few seconds before answering. There were quite a few questions but nothing really worrying.


Definition of restricted visibility, what could cause it?


Asked me if I could go to port for a vessel fwd of my beam in restricted visibility. I said yes. He asked, when?
-if there is no risk of collision (i.e. they are going faster than us)
-if overtaking (this is what he was looking for I think)
-as per rule two but the master would make that decision.
He seemed pleased with these answers and asked me which other rules applied in restricted vis. I said the usual…1,2,3, rules 4 through 10, 19.
He said “You forgot rule 35” and went on for a bit with me sitting there. This threw me for a few seconds and had me thinking of rule 34 which was totally inappropriate before I realised what he meant.


Now he said you are on a cbd, in a TSS, RAM vessel is crossing from port. Actions. I messed up here by saying the RAM is not to impede our passage, he raised his eyebrows at this so I amended it to ‘my mistake, NUC and RAM’ are under no obligation not to impede our safe passage’ which got me off.


Then we did some smarty board stuff…vessel aground (he wanted day signal, fog signal etc.) and RAM under way and making way.


Finally we had some buoys, the worst one was;


Region b
cone
green/red/green (so indicating pref channel to port)
OUTBOUND (I started to panic here)
which channel is the secondary channel, place this toy boat in it.


I went with the port channel (can’t remember the exact question but you get the idea), given that it was a 50:50 chance I thought ‘better look confident about it’.


I messed up again here, he put one on the table, it was a can but was slightly tapered so I asked if it was a can or a cone. Again, he looked at me like ‘dude, what?’ and said, slowly, ‘I would call this a cone’ lifting a very obviously conical buoy from the box…


After about 5 minutes of easy questions and chat he said, “Let’s call it a pass”, despite my many mistakes.
He stamped my NoE and we chatted for a bit, he was friendly and easygoing.


My advice to anyone sitting the exam is, from my clearly limited experience,
-Know ISM well
-don’t bull****, say when you don’t know (as I should have done with the fire main isolation valve)
-if you don’t know a number or detail say where you would find it (SOLAS is a good bet, ideally give chapter number)

[Chiefy]

well done

[Faust]

Congratulations and thanks for the report.

[YoungMariner]

Congrats.