ONDECK
Academy
OOW Oral Prep
Module 14 — OOW 3000 GT Oral Preparation
Pilot & GMDSS
Pilot embarkation · OOW responsibilities with pilot · Pilot card · GMDSS sea areas · Equipment · Distress procedures
The Pilot — Legal Position
The presence of a pilot on board does not relieve the OOW or the Master of their responsibility for the safe navigation of the vessel. The pilot is an adviser — the Master commands the vessel at all times.
| Responsibility | Who holds it |
|---|---|
| Safe navigation of the vessel | Master and OOW — at all times |
| Giving helm and engine orders | Pilot (under Master's authority) |
| Overriding the pilot | Master — if the pilot's actions endanger the vessel |
| Pilot's actions or intentions in doubt | OOW must seek clarification from pilot. If doubt remains, notify Master immediately and take whatever action is necessary |
Pilot Card and Wheelhouse Poster
Pilot Card — given to pilot on boarding
- Current draught (forward and aft)
- Air draught
- Trim
- Engine type and horsepower
- Propeller type (fixed/CPP) and direction of rotation
- Thruster details (if fitted)
- Stopping distance and manoeuvring data
- Any defects affecting navigation or control
Master/Pilot Information Exchange
- Passage plan briefing — route, critical areas, departure/arrival details
- Tug arrangements
- Berthing plan
- Port-specific procedures and VTS requirements
- Emergency procedures
- Communications — VHF channels, key contacts
- Any factors that could affect the pilotage
Pilot Boarding Arrangements SOLAS V Reg 23
| Requirement |
|---|
| Pilot ladder rigged at midship — extending from the embarkation point to the water surface. Steps must be horizontal |
| Minimum 1.5m clear space between the ladder and any discharge outlets |
| Ladder free of knots — only man ropes permitted at the top |
| Two man ropes, lifebuoy with light and line, lighting for night embarkation |
| A responsible officer to be at the embarkation point |
| Vessel speed reduced for embarkation — pilot boat given safe approach |
| Pilot ladder must be inspected before use — defective ladders must not be used |
GMDSS — Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
GMDSS replaced the Morse code distress watch. All SOLAS vessels must carry GMDSS equipment matched to the sea areas they operate in. The system ensures distress alerts can be sent and received at any time, anywhere.
GMDSS Sea Areas
| Sea Area | Coverage | Required equipment |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Within range of a VHF coast station with DSC — typically up to 30–40nm from shore | VHF DSC radio, EPIRB, SART/AIS-SART, NAVTEX |
| A2 | Within range of an MF coast station (outside A1) — up to approximately 150–200nm offshore | VHF + MF DSC radio, EPIRB, SART, NAVTEX |
| A3 | Within coverage of an Inmarsat geostationary satellite — approximately 70°N to 70°S (outside A1 and A2) | VHF + MF + HF or Inmarsat, EPIRB, SART, NAVTEX/EGC |
| A4 | Polar regions outside A3 coverage (above 70°N and below 70°S) | VHF + MF + HF DSC, EPIRB, SART — Inmarsat not reliable |
GMDSS Equipment — What Each Item Does
| Equipment | Function | Distress watch frequency |
|---|---|---|
| VHF DSC (Ch 70) | Distress alerts, urgency and safety calls, ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications | Ch 70 DSC watch — automatic. Ch 16 voice watch |
| MF DSC (2187.5 kHz) | Medium frequency distress alerts — extends range beyond VHF | 2187.5 kHz DSC watch — automatic |
| HF (various bands) | Long-range communications — ocean passages | HF DSC watch on appropriate frequency for sea area |
| Inmarsat / Iridium | Satellite communications — voice, data, distress | Enhanced Group Call (EGC) — MSI received automatically |
| NAVTEX | Automatic reception of MSI (navigational warnings, weather, SAR) on 518 kHz (international) or 490 kHz (national) | Automatic — continuous monitoring |
| EPIRB | 406 MHz distress beacon — activates manually or automatically on immersion. Transmits to COSPAS-SARSAT | N/A — transmits only when activated |
| SART / AIS-SART | Transponder for search and rescue — responds to 9 GHz radar or broadcasts AIS position | N/A — activated when needed |
| Two-way VHF portable radios | Survival craft and on-scene communications — minimum three required on SOLAS vessels | Operated on Ch 16 when in survival craft |
Sending a Distress Call — Mayday Procedure
MAYDAY × 3 — THIS IS — vessel name × 3 — MAYDAY — vessel name — position — nature of distress — number of persons — any other useful information — OVER
On VHF: transmit on Channel 16. On DSC: press the dedicated distress button (hold for 5 seconds) — transmits vessel MMSI, position (if connected to GPS), and nature of distress automatically. Then follow up with voice Mayday on Ch 16.
FALSE ALERTS: Accidental DSC distress alerts must be cancelled immediately. Contact the nearest coast station on Ch 16 and advise that the alert was sent in error. Failure to cancel a false alert wastes SAR resources and is an offence.
The Master–Pilot Exchange — Contents, Both Directions
| From the ship | From the pilot |
|---|---|
| The pilot card: dimensions, draught, displacement, manoeuvring data (turning circles, stopping distances), propulsion and thruster particulars, equipment state and ANY defects | His intended plan: route, courses and speeds, tidal windows, tug arrangements, berthing plan and side-to |
| Our own berth-to-berth plan for the pilotage waters — compared and reconciled with his | Local conditions: works, traffic, depths differing from the chart |
| Working arrangements: helm order conventions, who works the engines, comms channels | Abort options and contingencies agreed |
The doctrine in one line: the pilot ADVISES; command and the watch remain the ship's. The MPX is what converts "the pilot's driving" into a briefed, monitorable operation — every subsequent pilot order is cross-checked against the agreed plan, repeated back closed-loop, and CHALLENGED promptly and specifically when it doesn't fit: "Pilot — that's the red to starboard ahead. Confirm your intention?" Escalation: master to the bridge; in extremis the conn taken back explicitly and logged. The MAIB library of pilotage groundings is a library of silent bridge teams.
Pilot Boarding Arrangements — The Physical Standard
SOLAS V/23 and the associated IMO standards make the ladder itself examinable, because pilots die on bad ladders every year:
| Item | Standard |
|---|---|
| The ladder | Certified pilot ladder, in good condition, secured to strong points — never shackled to side rails; steps unbroken, whipped, clean |
| Position | On the lee side as the pilot requests, clear of discharges, within the parallel body of the hull where possible |
| Combination arrangements | Where freeboard exceeds 9 m, accommodation ladder rigged in combination per the required geometry |
| Attendance | A responsible officer at the ladder with lifebuoy and light, comms to the bridge; the ship making the lee, course and speed as agreed with the pilot boat |
GMDSS Watchkeeping & Test Routines — The Cadence
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Continuous | DSC watch on Ch 70 (the set keeps it); AURAL watch on Ch 16 — a human keeps it: volume audible at the conn, checked at handover; plus the working/VTS channels for the area |
| Daily | DSC self-test without radiating; battery condition/charge; printers where fitted |
| Weekly | Live DSC test call where required; reserve power source tested |
| Monthly | EPIRB self-test and physical check (lanyard, hydrostatic release EXPIRY date — the classic Port State finding); SART test; survival craft VHF batteries; aerials and insulators inspected |
Everything logged in the radio log: tests, faults, repairs, distress and urgency traffic handled. At 0300 with water rising, the distress chain is exactly as strong as the last logged test says it is.
Controlling Distress Traffic — The Words That Run the Net
| Proword | Meaning |
|---|---|
| MAYDAY (×3) | Grave and imminent danger — distress traffic outranks everything |
| MAYDAY RELAY | You are passing on another vessel's distress — used when she cannot transmit or has not been acknowledged |
| SEELONCE MAYDAY | The controlling station imposes radio silence on the frequency — all stations not involved cease transmitting |
| SEELONCE FEENEE | Distress working is finished — the frequency reopens for normal traffic |
| PAN PAN (×3) | Urgency — safety of a vessel or person, not yet grave and imminent (the MEDICO request rides on this priority) |
| SÉCURITÉ (×3) | Safety of navigation or weather — the hazard you found becomes the next vessel's warning |
Receive-side discipline: within coast station coverage you do NOT send a DSC acknowledgement to another vessel's distress alert — that is the coast station's job, and a ship's DSC acknowledgement stops the alert repetition prematurely. You acknowledge by VOICE on 16, inform the MRCC, and proceed to assist under SOLAS V/33. Only beyond coast coverage does a ship acknowledge by DSC and take on the relay duty.
Additional Question
The pilot boards and immediately orders "full ahead, starboard ten" before any exchange has happened. What do you do?
Execute nothing unsafe, and get the exchange done in parallel with safe progress: "Pilot, half ahead while we complete the exchange — here's the pilot card, our draught is 2.9, and we have a plan showing the tide gate at the narrows at 1440. What are your intentions for the approach?" The MPX is not optional ceremony — until it's done I cannot monitor him, and an unmonitored pilot is the setup for half the groundings in the MAIB library. If he resists the exchange entirely, that itself is information: the master comes to the bridge and the team's monitoring tightens rather than relaxes.
Single-Letter Flags — The Ones That Get Asked
The International Code of Signals gives every single letter a complete message — hoisted alone, each is a sentence. Examiners pick from a short list, and several also exist as sound signals (one letter = its Morse equivalent by whistle or lamp):
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A (Alfa) | I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed — rigid replica at least 1 m high for dive ops |
| B (Bravo) | I am taking in, discharging or carrying dangerous goods — the bunkering flag |
| G (Golf) | I require a pilot |
| H (Hotel) | I have a pilot on board |
| J (Juliett) | I am on fire and have dangerous cargo aboard: keep well clear |
| K (Kilo) | I wish to communicate with you |
| L (Lima) | You should stop your vessel instantly |
| N over C | The two-flag distress signal — NC |
| O (Oscar) | Man overboard |
| P (Papa) | The Blue Peter — in harbour: all persons report aboard, vessel about to sail |
| Q (Quebec) | My vessel is healthy and I request free pratique — the customs/clearance flag on arrival |
| T (Tango) | Keep clear of me; I am engaged in pair trawling |
| U (Uniform) | You are running into danger |
| V (Victor) | I require assistance |
| W (Whiskey) | I require medical assistance |
| X (X-ray) | Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals |
| Y (Yankee) | I am dragging my anchor |
| Z (Zulu) | I require a tug |
The yacht set you will actually fly: A for dive ops, B when bunkering, Q on arrival in a new country, H with a pilot aboard — and the ones you must RECOGNISE on other vessels: T near pair trawlers, U and X aimed at you, Y in a crowded anchorage in a blow. Flag A versus flag B is the classic pairing question: divers versus dangerous goods — mix them up in front of an examiner and the interview gets longer.
Oral Exam Practice Questions
Question 1
A pilot is on board. Are you still responsible for the safe navigation of the vessel?
Yes — completely. The presence of a pilot does not relieve the OOW or the Master of responsibility for safe navigation. The pilot is an expert adviser who knows the local waters. The Master commands the vessel. If I have any doubt about the pilot's actions or intentions I must seek clarification from the pilot directly. If doubt still exists after seeking clarification, I notify the Master immediately and take whatever action is necessary until the Master arrives on the bridge.
Question 2
What are the GMDSS sea areas?
A1 — within VHF DSC range of a coast station, typically up to 30–40nm offshore. A2 — within MF DSC range, approximately 150–200nm offshore, outside A1. A3 — within Inmarsat satellite coverage, from approximately 70°N to 70°S, outside A1 and A2 — covers all ocean passages in the main cruising latitudes. A4 — polar regions beyond Inmarsat coverage, above 70°N and below 70°S. Each sea area requires specific GMDSS equipment to be carried.
Question 3
How do you send a Mayday on VHF?
On Ch 16: MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY — THIS IS — [vessel name × 3] — MAYDAY — [vessel name] — my position is [position] — [nature of distress] — [number of persons on board] — [any other relevant information such as vessel type, condition, assistance required] — OVER. I would also activate the DSC distress function on the VHF controller — hold the distress button for 5 seconds — which broadcasts an automatic digital alert with our MMSI and GPS position to all DSC-equipped vessels and coast stations in range. Then follow up immediately with the voice Mayday on Ch 16.