You've been caught in a storm

The captain will often ask the candidate during an Oral Exam, a storm is heading your way, what are you going to do?

(1) Clear the decks, remove anything that can block the freeing-ports

(2) Put anything that can be placed below decks, below

(3) Switch on Navigation lights

(4) Check everything that cannot be placed below is securely fasten down

(4) Switch on the radar(s) and tune them in, (One on 12 miles and the other on 6 mile scale)

(5) Double up the watches

(6) Have an engine-room watch

(7) Check every compartment regularly

(8) Track the way the storm is moving, if in the Northern Hemisphere, the lows usually go in a North East direction

(9) Listen to all shippen forecasts including the following;

(i) BBC radio shipping forecast

(ii) Navtex

(iii) TV forecast (most vessels now have satellite TV)

(iv) Oil-rig forecasts

(v) Coastguard forecasts

(vi) The Internet (http://www.met-office.gov.uk/datafiles/offshore.html)

(10) Close up to another vessel and contact him, and try and dodge alongside him

(11) If there is any large vessels in the area, take shelter on his leeside

(12) If possible, take shelter off any high coastline, as long as the wind is blowing from the land to the sea, dont sheltler if the wind is blowing from the sea to the land

(13) Check to see where your spare wheelhouse windows are (incase a wave breaks the original window)

(14) Be very cautious about Rogue/freak waves, even very large ships have disappeared without trace because of these, records have shown a wave 30 metres high breaking over an oil-rig in the North Sea