QUESTIONS & ANSWERS FOR 2/O
1. Can you tell me about your education background and working experience? (omitted ) Please refer to the same questions for the master.
2. Can you tell me about your last vessel? (omitted) Please refer to the answers to the same questions to the master or chief officer. 3. What are your responsibilities as a Second Officer? The 2/O will be the navigational officer and medical officer on board. His duty includes; (1) Navigation watch keeping (from 1200 to 1600, and from 0.00 to 0400); (2) Chart and navigational publication corrections, (3) Passage plan making, (4) Checks for the communica tion equipment and instruments on board the GMDSS ships and spare parts, (5) Care of all the basic navigation equipment and instruments, including magnetic compasses, gyrocompasses, gyro repeaters, time changes, depth sounders and course recorder. (6) Stocks of the stationery, medical duty, and other duties designated by the master or C/O.
4. Please briefly describe the chart drawing procedure. Firstly, I shall Register the navigational warnings in the Register Book and record the warning number in the card. Secondly, I shall select the charts that are affected by the warnings. Then I shall use pens, scissors and glues to fix permanent notices. I shall also use pencils to fix temporary and preliminary notices. All of the notices must be used to fix charts and keep chart corrected up to dated. When I fix the chart, I shall frequently consult the geographical index.
5. Can you describe the charts correction procedures? Please refer to the same question to the captain. Firstly, you have to make sure that you have received the latest Notice to Mariner; you have to write the notice request on time. The master shall make emergency request if the latest is not received. Secondly, to record the Notice to Mariner on the correction logs on time according to the chronological order. Thirdly, when correcting the chart, first check that the last published correction to it has been made to the chart, otherwise, this should be dealt with first. Erasure should never be made, when deleting information crossed through or series of short double strokes should be used. While correction fluid should not be used. Always insert information before you delete any information.
6. Who should draft the passage plan on board? What are included in passage plan? When you make passage plan, what information do you need? Unusually, the passage plan shall be made by the second officer, but shall be approved by the master. During passage, when error or mistake is found about the passage plan, immediate correction shall be made by the second officer. But during voyage the furnished passage plane can not be hanged without nay approval. Admiralty Notice to Mariner. Port guida nce. Sea chart. Printed (10) Catalogue of admiralty charts and other publications. Choosing the sea charts from it. Sea charts should include the largescale ones for the costal water, small scale chart for ocean water, and planning chart for lord land zone. Besides, the following information and publications are also necessary in the passage plan making: Sailing directions, Pilot book, Port entry guida nce, Tide table’s local area warning from the NAVAREA areas, List of light and radio signals. 7 What sailing areas should the passage plan cover? If you miss one or two charts for next voyage, can the ship gave sea going or not? The passage plan should cover the sailing area from berth to berth. The ship can not go if one or two charts are not available. 8. If the signal of “three red lights vertically aligned” is found on board a ship during night voyage, what do you think is wrong with the ship? If a motor ship is moving under the way, but not under comma nd, what kind of light signals does she use? This is a draught limited vessel. It is very hard for that vessel to maneuver and to keep away. Our vessel should give a wide berth and tale actions to keep away beforehand. The motor ship should use notundercontrol lights, i.e., twosideslights. 9. Usually, in a vessel, the second officer shall be designated as officer responsible for care of magnetic compasses and gyrocompasses. Please describe how do you take care of Magnetic compass. The liquid magnetic compass shall be regularly checked for air bubbles and shall be always covered when it is not in use. Where fitted as standby system, the magnetic compass control of the automatic pilot should be tested weekly. 10. How do you set and adjust gyrocompass’ corrections? The 2/O shall frequently check the compressor’s error. Actually, gyrocompass’s accuracy shall be checked at least once a day at sea and at anchor, and for each course steered. During the watch, the simultaneous check shall be made at least hourly. If there is any significant deviation error, the 2/O shall adjust it immediately. The data or errors shall be recorded in the Compass Record Book and Deck Logbook. The electronic devices shall be away from the compasses in a reasonable distance. The chief mate or other designated officer shall test the error difference in the morning or in the night. 11. What are the second officer’ responsibilities while the vessel is in port? To ensure the safety of life on board, ship, cargo and port, the second officer must implement a good watch keeping if he is on duty in the port. The second officer is also required to maintain orders and facilitate the routine working of the vessel. When on duty, he should be aware of the air draft, sea gauge and under keel clearance, the state of ship to avoid dangerous listing, trim or hull stress during cargo handling or ballasting to prevent pollution of the environment by the ship. During cargo watch, he should watch and supervise the loading process and report any big incident or abnormality to the C/O. 12. Please tell me what is the difference between the great circle line and Rhomb line Theoretically, great circle line is the shortest distance between two places, while the rhumh line is longer than the great circle line. However, it is very hard for a vessel just to take the circle line or rhumh line.
13. During the cargo loading, if you find the cargo damaged in holds, what should you do? I shall record the dama ge by writing or even by photo and report this to the C/O immediately. The C/O should report it to the tallyman and ask them to replace the cargo, if possible. At the same time, the officer on duty should make the onthespot record.
14. We are wondering when you usually do chart work? When you are watch keeping, can you do the chart work? Whenever I receive the Notice to Mariner. I will do the correction and drawing, especially for a new voyage. At the same time, I shall collect the outofdated charts and file them to avoid any misunderstanding or confusion. When the voyage employment is issued. The 2/O begins to do the sea chart work at the discretion of the master. The correction is to be done right after the new Notice to Mariner is received, Generally, I should not do the chart work when am watch keeping. Doing chart work during watch keeping can give rise to some potential danger to the maneuvering of the vessel.
15. What is the maximum blood alcohol concentration (BAC) rate on board? According to the ISM, the BAC shall not be more than 0.04% by weight any time when being tested. But watch keepers are not allowed to drink any alcoholic beverage 4 hours before their watch. Besides, when bunkering, loading and unloading, mooring and unmooring. 4 hours before and after port all, the sailor on board cannot have any alcoholic drinks.
16. How did you keep you medicine log book? I should be responsible for the medical inventory and keep a good record on the use and inventory of different medicine. I should also make sure that the aide bags are at proper locations. I should also be careful with the medicine locker. The medicines that are out of validity should be replaced on time.
17. When do you call the master to the bridge? In the following situations, I will have to call the master to the bridge if the master is not in the bridge: (1) When the visibility is lower than the one mentioned in the master’s standing order; (2) Breakdown of the main engine, steering gear, gyrocompass or any other critical equipment related to the safety of the vessel; (3) When the ship’s position and sounding are unusual or strange; (4) When the navigational marks or sounding do not appear as expected; (5) When heavy weather is encountered; (6) When ship is behaving in unusual way; (7) When marine pollution is seen or suspected;