Bring the pilot aboard, then hand over the bridge.

Why it matters in the oral

The pilot comes up in almost every oral: how you prepare the bridge, what goes on the pilot card, and whether the pilot being on board changes who is responsible. It does not.

These lessons take you from the approach to the pilot station through to the exchange on the bridge, and on to a moment where you have to speak up.

Oral questions

Pilotage questions, and what a good answer covers.

The most-asked come first. In the course, each one follows the lesson where you have just done it.

1. With a pilot on board, who is responsible for the ship, and what does the officer of the watch do?Often asked

   A good answer covers:

   • The pilot advises and cons, but the Master stays responsible for the ship, and the officer of the watch keeps the watch
   • Exchange information with the pilot: the plan, the ship's handling, and anything unusual
   • Monitor every order: check it against the plan, the chart and the ship's position and movement
   • If in doubt about the pilot's actions, ask him; if still in doubt, tell the Master and act if the ship is in danger
   • Keep the look-out, the radar and the ECDIS going, and the pilot informed

   Practised in the lesson Bridge team challenges: speaking up to the pilot.

   Show me on the bridgeAt the steering stand: the pilot's orders, and the ways to speak up about one.

2. You think the person conning has made a mistake. How do you raise it?Often asked

   A good answer covers:

   • Start with a question, so the mistake can be put right easily, or the reason explained
   • If that does not settle it, state the concern plainly, with the facts: the course, the danger, the time
   • If it still is not put right, challenge: say what is wrong and what you recommend
   • If the ship is standing into danger and there is no time, act: take the con or call the Master, and say so
   • Use names and clear words, and make sure you were heard

   Practised in the lesson Bridge team challenges: speaking up to the pilot.

3. What are the requirements for rigging a pilot ladder?Often asked

   A good answer covers:

   • A ladder that is certified, in good condition, and secured to strong points on deck, not to the rails
   • Rigged clear of discharges and of the ship's flare, on the side and at the height the pilot asked for
   • A lifebuoy with a self-igniting light and a heaving line at hand, and the boarding point lit at night
   • Rigged and checked by a responsible officer, who is at the boarding point in touch with the bridge while the pilot boards

   Practised in the lesson Embarking a pilot.

   Show me on the bridgeAt the port wing console: the pilot boarding section, the ladder and its fittings.

4. How do you handle the ship for a pilot boarding?Often asked

   A good answer covers:

   • Call the pilot station in good time and agree the boarding side, the height of the ladder, the course and the speed
   • Make a lee on the boarding side: wind and sea on the other side
   • Keep a steady course and the speed asked for, usually a few knots, enough to steer but no more
   • Keep a look-out for the pilot boat and avoid wheel or engine movements while she is alongside
   • Tell the pilot station when the pilot is on board, and log the time

   Practised in the lesson Embarking a pilot.

5. How do you prepare the bridge for taking a pilot?Often asked

   A good answer covers:

   • The passage plan covers the pilotage to the berth, and the pilot station has our ETA
   • Steering gear tested, engines on stand-by and on bridge control, thrusters ready
   • Anchors cleared away and ready to let go, with the crew standing by
   • The pilot card filled in, and the wheelhouse poster and manoeuvring data at hand
   • The Master called, and the boarding arranged: side, ladder height, lee and speed as the pilot station asks

   Practised in the lesson Preparing for the pilot and the master-pilot exchange.

   Show me on the bridgeAt the port wing console: the checks before the pilot, and the pilot card.

6. What goes on the pilot card?Often asked

   A good answer covers:

   • The ship: name, call sign, length, beam and tonnage
   • Draughts forward and aft, and the air draught, as they are now
   • Engines and propellers: type, power, and the speeds at each engine order; thrusters
   • Anchors and cable, and anything else in the manoeuvring data
   • Defects that matter to the pilot: engines, steering, thrusters, navigation equipment

   Practised in the lesson Preparing for the pilot and the master-pilot exchange.

7. What is covered in the master-pilot exchange?Often asked

   A good answer covers:

   • The ship to the pilot: the pilot card, the wheelhouse poster, how she handles, and any defects
   • The pilot's plan: route, speeds, tugs, berthing, and the tide, weather and traffic he expects
   • His plan checked against our passage plan, differences talked through and agreed before going on
   • Who has the con, the Master still responsible, and how the officer of the watch monitors and speaks up
   • The working language, the VTS and VHF channels, and how orders to the helm are given and repeated

   Practised in the lesson Preparing for the pilot and the master-pilot exchange.

8. Why do junior officers sometimes fail to speak up, and how does a good bridge team prevent it?

   A good answer covers:

   • Rank and experience: reluctance to question the Master or the pilot
   • Not being sure, or not wanting to look wrong
   • A good team briefs the plan, invites challenge, and agrees how concerns are raised
   • Closed-loop communication: orders repeated back and confirmed

   Practised in the lesson Bridge team challenges: speaking up to the pilot.

9. When would a pilot refuse to board, and what do you do?

   A good answer covers:

   • A ladder that is unsafe, wrongly rigged, at the wrong height, or on the wrong side
   • No lee, too much speed, or the ship swinging
   • Missing fittings: no lifebuoy, heaving line, lighting or officer
   • Put it right straight away, tell the pilot station, and keep the ship clear of danger while you wait

   Practised in the lesson Embarking a pilot.

All the questions, by topic

Preparing for the OOW 3000 oral? See the whole syllabus, topic by topic. Other topics: Radar and ARPA, ECDIS and electronic aids, Position fixing, Passage planning, COLREGs, Watchkeeping, GMDSS and distress, Emergencies, Ship handling, Weather.