ONDECK
Academy
OOW Oral Prep
Module 05 — OOW 3000 GT Oral Preparation
What-If Emergencies
MOB · Collision · Grounding · Flooding · Steering Failure · Blackout · Fire · Receiving a Distress
The examiner will put you in the scenario. They want to hear structured, immediate thinking — not hesitation. Know the sequence: Immediate actions first, then call the Master, then assess and respond. Never reverse that order on a life-safety emergency.
Man Overboard
| Priority sequence |
|---|
| 1. Raise the alarm — shout "Man Overboard" and press the MOB button on GPS/ECDIS to mark position |
| 2. Post a lookout — dedicated person keeps eyes on the person in the water at all times. Never lose visual contact |
| 3. Throw lifebuoy with light and smoke — immediately, as close to the MOB as possible |
| 4. Call the Master — immediately |
| 5. Sound alarm / all hands — MOB signal per the muster list (commonly three prolonged blasts on the whistle; a ship's signal, not a COLREGs one) |
| 6. Broadcast Mayday or Pan-Pan — Mayday if life in danger, Pan-Pan if serious but not immediately life-threatening |
| 7. Manoeuvre the vessel — don't wait for the Master: helm hard over to the side he went (swings the stern and propellers clear of him) and start the recovery turn; the Master takes the conn when he arrives |
| 8. Prepare rescue boat or swimmer — per vessel's SMS |
MOB Turns
- Williamson Turn: Hard over to the side of MOB → when 60° off course, hard over opposite → rudder amidships about 20° short of the reciprocal and steady on it. Good in restricted visibility — returns to original track. Slow; takes her furthest from the MOB
- Anderson Turn: Hard over to side of MOB → about 250° off the original course, rudder amidships and start stopping → a near-full circle back. Fastest — for an immediate action with the MOB in sight
- Scharnow Turn: Hard over → when 240° off the original course, hard over opposite → rudder amidships about 20° short of the reciprocal and steady on it. Delayed action: brings her back into her own wake in less distance than a Williamson — never for immediate action, and only effective if you know how long ago he went
Key Points
- Never lose visual contact — the lookout's job is solely to point at the MOB
- Press MOB on GPS the moment the alarm is raised
- Note time, position, course, speed, sea state
- Consider drift — wind and current will move the MOB
- Final approach slow: stop short to judge drift, wind or sea fine on the weather bow and the MOB fine on the lee bow, then turn away and stop with him close on your LEE side — the hull makes a lee. Propellers stopped near him; recover amidships, clear of the screws. A big hull drifts faster than a swimmer — never drift down over him (IMO Guide to recovery techniques, MSC.1/Circ.1182). A rescue boat or tender closes him slowly heading into wind and sea
- Have crew ready with recovery equipment before coming alongside
Collision
| Immediate actions |
|---|
| 1. Sound general alarm — all hands |
| 2. Call the Master to the bridge |
| 3. Distress or urgency message — MAYDAY if in grave and imminent danger, otherwise PAN PAN — position, vessel details, nature of emergency, number of persons on board |
| 4. Do not immediately separate the vessels — if embedded, the other vessel may be preventing flooding |
| 5. Close all watertight doors and hatches |
| 6. Muster crew and account for all persons |
| 7. Damage assessment — where is the damage, what is flooded, what is the rate of ingress |
| 8. Check stability — is the vessel developing a list, is she settling |
| 9. Offer assistance to the other vessel — stand by and render assistance so far as you can without serious danger to your own ship, and exchange names, ports of registry and ports from and to (Collision Convention Art. 8 — in UK law, Merchant Shipping Act 1995 s.92) |
| 10. Save the VDR data; report to flag state (MAIB for a UK ship), coastal and port authority, and owner/DPA |
DO NOT SEPARATE IMMEDIATELY: If the vessels are locked together, the other vessel may be acting as a plug. Assess flooding first before ordering engines astern.
Grounding
| Immediate actions |
|---|
| 1. Stop engines immediately |
| 2. Sound general alarm — call Master |
| 3. Send Mayday or Pan-Pan — assess severity first |
| 4. Sound all tanks and bilges — assess flooding and damage |
| 5. Check stability — note any list developing |
| 6. Note the state of the tide — is it ebbing or flooding? This determines urgency |
| 7. Do not attempt to motor off until flooding assessed — if hull is breached, motoring off may accelerate flooding |
| 8. Plot position accurately — determine extent of grounding and depth around the vessel. Show aground signals: anchor light(s) plus two all-round red lights in a vertical line, or three balls by day (Rule 30(d)); in restricted visibility the anchor bell with three separate, distinct strokes before and after the rapid ringing (Rule 35(h)) |
| 9. Check for pollution — any oil or fuel discharge |
| 10. Consider salvage assistance if vessel cannot free herself |
TIDE STATE IS CRITICAL: If the tide is ebbing, the situation will worsen rapidly. If flooding, there may be time. Know this before deciding whether to attempt to free the vessel.
Flooding / Major Hull Damage
| Immediate actions |
|---|
| 1. Sound general alarm — all hands to emergency stations |
| 2. Call Master |
| 3. Close all watertight doors, hatches, and openings |
| 4. Identify the source and location of flooding |
| 5. Start bilge pumps and damage control pumps |
| 6. Attempt to stem the flooding — portable pumps, plugging, shoring |
| 7. Monitor stability continuously — note list and trim |
| 8. PAN PAN early; MAYDAY if the vessel is in grave and imminent danger |
| 9. Prepare LSA — lifejackets, liferafts, EPIRB |
| 10. Muster all persons and account for them |
Steering Failure
| Action sequence |
|---|
| 1. Switch to backup steering system — secondary hydraulic pump, second steering unit |
| 2. Call Master immediately |
| 3. Advise engine room — engines to standby, ready to use as steering |
| 4. Show Not Under Command signals — two all-round red lights (two balls by day); in restricted visibility, one prolonged and two short blasts at intervals of not more than 2 minutes (Rule 35(c)) |
| 5. Broadcast warning to vessels in vicinity on VHF Ch 16 |
| 6. Transfer to emergency steering — aft steering position |
| 7. Communicate course requirements to emergency steering by telephone or radio |
| 8. Consider anchoring if in navigable depth and close to hazards |
EMERGENCY STEERING DRILLS: Every OOW must be familiar with the emergency steering position and procedure. The drill is required — at least every three months, and the steering gear is checked and tested within 12 hours before departure (SOLAS V/26). Knowing it only in theory is not enough.
Blackout / Total Power Failure
| Immediate actions |
|---|
| 1. Note the vessel's position, course, and speed at time of failure |
| 2. Call Master |
| 3. Verify emergency generator has started and emergency lighting is operational |
| 4. Check steering — emergency steering may still function on backup |
| 5. Display NUC lights / shapes — two all-round red lights |
| 6. Sound NUC signal on manual fog whistle if in restricted visibility |
| 7. Maintain lookout — binoculars, watch all round |
| 8. If in traffic — broadcast on portable VHF Ch 16, warn vessels of your situation |
| 9. Monitor vessel's movement — use hand bearing compass to check for drift |
| 10. Consider anchoring if in shallow enough water and drifting towards danger |
Fire at Sea — Bridge Actions
| Immediate actions |
|---|
| 1. Sound the alarm — the fire alarm or general emergency alarm (seven or more short blasts followed by one long) per the muster list |
| 2. Call Master |
| 3. Send Mayday if vessel safety is threatened |
| 4. Alter course to put fire downwind — reduce fire spread |
| 5. Stop ventilation to the affected area — close dampers and fans |
| 6. Close fire and watertight doors |
| 7. Muster all persons — account for crew and guests |
| 8. Engine-room fire beyond first attack: fixed system on the Master's order, only after the space is evacuated and everyone is counted, ventilation stopped, fuel shut off and openings closed |
| 9. Deploy fire party with correct extinguishing agent |
| 10. Prepare LSA for evacuation if fire cannot be controlled |
Receiving a Distress Message SOLAS V Reg 33 / IAMSAR
SOLAS V Reg 33: The Master of a ship at sea which is in a position to be able to provide assistance, on receiving information from any source that persons are in distress, is obliged to proceed with all speed to the assistance of persons in distress, if possible informing them or the SAR service that the ship is doing so. In UK law (Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2020) failing to comply is a criminal offence.
| Action |
|---|
| Note the details (position, nature, persons on board) and call the Master immediately |
| Acknowledge the distress on VHF Ch 16: "MAYDAY — [vessel name] — received your distress" — if you are in the vicinity, after a short pause to let a coast station or MRCC answer first. A DSC alert: listen on Ch 16 for 5 minutes, acknowledge by voice only if no coast station or RCC has, and never acknowledge or relay it by DSC unless the RCC or coast station directs (MSC.1/Circ.1657) |
| Plot the distressed vessel's position on the chart |
| Calculate course and speed — ETA at distress position |
| Proceed with all speed and contact MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) — report your intentions and ETA; don't wait for instructions before proceeding |
| Prepare vessel for SAR operations — prepare lifebuoys, recovery equipment, medical facilities |
| Monitor Ch 16 continuously for updated information and instructions from MRCC |
| Released only when the SAR service or the persons in distress say assistance is no longer needed, or you learn other ships have been requisitioned and yours has not. If you cannot assist, or it is unreasonable or unnecessary to, log the reason and inform the SAR service — SOLAS V/33 |
Oral Exam Practice Questions
Question 1
Man overboard — what are your immediate actions?
Shout man overboard, press MOB on the GPS. Helm hard over to the side he went, to swing the stern and propellers clear. Post a dedicated lookout to keep eyes on the person — never lose visual contact. Throw the lifebuoy with light and smoke marker as close to the MOB as possible. Call the Master. Sound the MOB signal from the muster list (commonly three prolonged blasts). Send Pan-Pan or Mayday on VHF Ch 16 with position. Start the recovery turn — Anderson with him in sight, Williamson if sight is lost — and hand the conn to the Master when he arrives. Prepare the rescue boat and recovery equipment, and make the final approach slowly with him on the lee side, propellers stopped.
Question 2
You have grounded. The tide is ebbing. What do you do?
Stop engines immediately. Sound the alarm and call the Master. Assess flooding — sound all bilges and tanks. If the tide is ebbing, the situation is deteriorating — I need to know the rate of tide fall and the depth of water around the vessel. Inform the coastal authority — PAN PAN at minimum; MAYDAY only if there is grave and imminent danger. Check stability and note any list developing. Do not attempt to motor off until flooding is assessed — if the hull is breached, motoring off opens the wound. Lightening her to reduce draught is for the refloat moment, not a reflex — on a falling tide, pumping out ballast can cost stability as she takes the ground. Request salvage assistance.
Question 3
Steering fails in a busy traffic separation scheme. What do you do?
Switch to backup steering immediately. Call the Master and advise the engine room. Display NUC lights. Broadcast on VHF Ch 16 warning all vessels of my position and that I have lost steering. Transfer to emergency steering if backup fails. Use engines to maintain control if possible. If I am unable to steer clear of danger, consider anchoring. Contact the relevant VTS authority with my situation and position.
Question 4
You receive a Mayday. What are your obligations and actions?
Under SOLAS V Regulation 33, the master is obliged to proceed with all speed to assist. I note the details and call the Master immediately. If I am in the vicinity I acknowledge on Ch 16 by voice, after a short pause for a coast station or MRCC to answer — a DSC alert I never acknowledge by DSC unless directed. Plot the distressed vessel's position. Calculate course and ETA. Proceed, and contact MRCC: report that I have heard the distress and give my position and ETA. Prepare the vessel for SAR — recovery equipment, medical facilities. Monitor Ch 16. I am released only when the SAR service or the persons in distress say I am no longer needed, or I learn other ships have been requisitioned and mine has not. If I cannot assist, I log the reason and inform the SAR service.