Master Interview

Question 1

What is the meaning of ‘overriding authority’ for a Master?

Answer 1

The Master has the overriding authority and responsibility to make decisions regarding safety, security, and marine pollution prevention.

Question 2

What is the candidate’s total service as a Master and Chief Officer?

Answer 2

7 years as a Chief Officer.

Question 3

What types of dry cargo has the candidate experienced?

Answer 3

Iron ore, coal, grains, bauxite, scrap metal, and steel product (hot and cold-rolled steel coil).

Question 4

What are the candidate’s main trading routes?

Answer 4

Panama Canal, Suez Canal, Strait of Malacca, Danish Straits, Kiel Canal, Indian Ocean, Asia, English Channel, and Magellan Strait.

Question 5

What is the candidate’s biggest weakness in onboard operations?

Answer 5

They have trouble asking for assistance or advice.

Question 6

What is the candidate’s approach to teamwork?

Answer 6

A leader needs to lead, motivate, encourage, and provide support within the team, with effective communication.

Question 7

What is the candidate’s reason for changing their last company?

Answer 7

They were seeking a better management relationship, a change of environment, and to gain experience with a new company.

Question 8

What are the candidate’s strengths in onboard operations?

Answer 8

The ability to adapt and adjust to changing situations, and the ability to work as a team.

Question 9

What is the candidate’s experience with audits?

Answer 9

“The candidate has experience with Flag, Class, and Company/Owner audits.””
“How many companies has the seafarer served?”,”The document mentions the number of companies served

Question 10

What is a ‘safe port’ as defined in a charter agreement?

Answer 10

A ‘safe port’ requires the charterer to only send a vessel to ports that it can reach safely, meaning they are ‘free from harm or risk’ and the vessel can lie safely afloat at all tides.

Question 11

What is the function of the National Cargo Bureau (NCB)?

Answer 11

The NCB performs surveying and inspections for the loading and discharging of a ship. They also issue a Certificate of Loading for grains loaded according to USCG regulations.

Question 12

What is a Bill of Lading (B/L)?

Answer 12

A Bill of Lading is a legal document and evidence of a contract of carriage between a carrier and a shipper. It also serves as proof that the carrier has received the goods from the shipper in good condition.

Question 13

What is the difference between a Time Charter and a Voyage Charter?

Answer 13

A Time Charter is a time-bound agreement where a vessel is leased for a fixed period. A Voyage Charter is where a vessel is leased for a specific voyage, with the agreement listing ports and cargo restrictions.

Question 14

What is ‘dead freight’?

Answer 14

Dead freight is the compensation an owner is entitled to when a charterer fails to provide the agreed-upon quantity of cargo. It is the amount owed for space chartered but not fully occupied.

Question 15

What is a ‘clean Bill of Lading’?

Answer 15

A ‘clean Bill of Lading’ is a document that confirms there was no damage or loss to goods during shipment. It is issued by the carrier after inspecting all goods

Question 16

Who is the consignee of the cargo?

Answer 16

The consignee is the shipment receiver

Question 17

When a Bill of Lading (B/L) is not available at the discharging port, why can’t the cargo be discharged?

Answer 17

Discharging without the original B/L can lead to competing claims for the cargo. The carrier may be held liable for wrongful delivery and may have to compensate the rightful owner for the full value of the cargo.

Question 18

What is the ‘Can Test’ and what is it used for?

Answer 18

“The ‘Can Test’ is a procedure used for nickel ore to check for high moisture content that could lead to liquefaction.”

Question 19

You take a can, fill it halfway with a sample, and drop it sharply 25 times from a height of 0.2 meters[cite: 535, 536, 537, 538]. [cite_start]If free moisture or fluid appears, the cargo should not be loaded.

Question 20

What is the minimum speed and maximum consumption for a vessel described as “ABT 14 knts” and consumption “ABT 30 mts ifo”?

Answer 20

Based on a 0.5 knot margin for speed and a 5% margin for bunker consumption, the minimum speed is 13.5 knots and the maximum consumption is 31.5 metric tonnes.

Question 21

What is the definition of “Good Weather Condition” in a charter party?

Answer 21

‘Good Weather Condition’ is defined as a maximum wind speed of Beaufort force 4 (11-16 knots), a combined sea and swell of Douglas sea state 3 (0.5-1.5 meters), and no adverse currents or swell influence.

Question 22

Under pilotage, is the marine pilot responsible for their actions?

Answer 22

Yes, marine pilots are responsible for their actions during navigation to ensure the safety of the vessel, as well as to protect state waters, harbors, ports, the environment, life, and property

Question 23

What is a Charter Party?

Answer 23

A contract of carriage entered into between the owner and charterer for the transportation of the cargo.

Question 24

What is Laytime?

Answer 24

Allotted time given to the charterer of a vessel for loading and unloading.

Question 25

What is Demurrage?

Answer 25

Compensation for failure to load or unload the vessel within laytime.

Question 26

What is Despatch Money?

Answer 26

A reward for completing loading before the expiration of the laytime.

Question 27

What does SHEX stand for?

Answer 27

SHEX stands for Sundays and Holidays Excepted.

Question 28

What does SHINC stand for?

Answer 28

SHINC stands for Sundays and Holidays Included.

Question 29

What is Stowage Factor?

Answer 29

The amount of space occupied by a given quantity of any dry commodity such as grains in bulk or in bags. It indicates how many cubic meters of space one tonne occupies in a hold.

Question 30

What is Dead Weight?

Answer 30

The actual amount of weight in tonnes that a vessel can carry when loaded to the maximum permissible draught.

Question 31

What is a Bill of Lading?

Answer 31

A contract of carriage that serves as a title of the cargo and confirms the carrier's receipt of the cargo.

Question 32

Explain the 'both to blame collision clause' in a Charter Party.

Answer 32

If the vessel comes into collision with another ship as a result of the negligence of the other ship and any act, The Owner/s of the cargo carried hereunder will indemnify the carrier against all loss or liability. If two vessels are involved in a collision, and both are found to be at fault, the damages will be split equally between them, regardless of the degree of each party's fault.

Question 33

Name at least five (5) basic Statutory Trading Certificates of a Merchant Vessel.

Answer 33

Certificate of Registry, Certificate of Classification, International Loadline Certificate, International Tonnage Certificate, and SOLAS Certificates (SE, SC, SR, Minimum Safe Manning, SMC, ISSC).

Question 34

What are the rights and duties of the state over vessels flying their flag in the high seas?

Answer 34

The flag state has the right and duty to maintain regular checks on the seaworthiness of ships, maintain a register of the vessel, and take measures to ensure safety at sea concerning the construction, equipment, and seaworthiness of the vessel.

Question 35

What is Passage in International Maritime Law of the Sea?

Answer 35

Passage is navigation through the Territorial sea, proceeding to or from internal waters or calling at port facility outside internal waters.

Question 36

What is Innocent Passage?

Answer 36

Innocent Passage allows a foreign vessel to transit through the territorial sea of a coastal state unhampered, so long as its passage is not prejudicial to the peace, good order, or security of the coastal state.

Question 37

What is Transit Passage?

Answer 37

Transit Passage allows a vessel the freedom of navigation solely for the purpose of continuous and expeditious transit of a strait between one part of the high seas.

Question 38

When is deviation from the stipulated course considered lawful and justified?

Answer 38

Deviation is lawful if there is an immediate danger, to protect and preserve the cargo for the safety of the ship, to save human life, or to aid a ship in distress where human life may be in danger, and where reasonably necessary for obtaining medical or surgical aid for any person on board.

Question 39

What is a Protection & Indemnity (P&I) club?

Answer 39

A P&I club covers a shipowner or the charterer of a ship for liability for loss of or damage to cargo if there has been a breach of the contract of carriage. It protects against third-party liability risks.

Question 40

What is General Average?

Answer 40

General Average is the maritime partial loss sustained from a voluntary sacrifice, such as jettisoning part of the cargo to save the ship or crew, or from extraordinary expenses incurred by one of the parties for everyone's benefit, such as the cost to tow a disabled vessel.

Question 41

How do you program your ship maintenance activities aboardship?

Answer 41

Provide clear instructions for work to be done and ensure that maintenance is performed in accordance with the PMS and manufacturer's guidelines. Predictive maintenance involves planning repair activities, early detection of potential failures, minimizing unscheduled repairs, and maximizing system availability and operability.

Question 42

What are the things to consider in preparing your maintenance program?

Answer 42

Preventive maintenance includes regular/periodic inspections, cleaning, lubrication, reassembly according to the equipment maintenance schedule, and conditional analysis to keep equipment/systems in good working order and prevent further damage.

Question 43

What course of action should you take when navigating in an area with restricted visibility due to fog and dense traffic?

Answer 43

Comply with the relevant rules of the International Regulations for preventing Collisions at sea. Every vessel should proceed at a safe speed adapted to prevailing circumstances and restricted visibility.

Question 44

What are the indications that your ship is in a collision with another target?

Answer 44

The compass bearing of an approaching vessel does not appreciably change, or when an appreciable bearing change is evident, particularly with a very large vessel or a tow or when approaching a vessel at close range.

Question 45

What is the meaning of 'about' when applied to a vessel's speed and consumption in a charter party?

Answer 45

'About' implies a margin of error. It is commonly understood to be 0.5 knots for speed and 5% for bunker consumption.

Question 46

When should a ship perform at the charter party speed?

Answer 46

A ship must perform at the charter party speed during continuous 24-hour periods of good weather.

Question 47

What is the preferable action for a Master if a following current increases the vessel's speed over ground?

Answer 47

The preferable action is to lower the RPM and advise/report the owner or operations department.

Question 48

Who owns the bunkers remaining on board (ROB) after the vessel is delivered to the charterers?

Answer 48

The charterers will take ownership after paying the owners at the charter party value.

Question 49

What is the meaning of 'Clean Bill of Lading'?

Answer 49

A 'Clean Bill of Lading' is a document that declares there was no damage or loss of goods during shipment. It is issued by the carrier after inspecting all goods for any damage, missing quantities, or deviations in quality.

Question 50

What is the purpose of a Mate's Receipt?

Answer 50

A Mate's Receipt is a temporary receipt issued and signed by the Chief Officer to acknowledge that goods are ready to be loaded on a ship. It acts as evidence that the goods were loaded but does not have the same validity as a Bill of Lading.

Question 51

Who is the consignee of the cargo?

Answer 51

The consignee is the shipment receiver.

Question 52

When the original Bill of Lading is not available at the discharging port, why can't the cargo be discharged?

Answer 52

Discharging without the original B/L can lead to competing claims for the cargo. The carrier may be held liable for wrongful delivery and may have to compensate the rightful owner for the full value of the cargo.

Question 53

What parts of a Bill of Lading should a Master check for accuracy before signing?

Answer 53

The Master should check the quantity of cargo, the description and condition of the cargo, the date of the B/L, the description of the voyage, the terms and conditions, and the payment of freight.

Question 54

What are the minimum speed and maximum consumption for a vessel described as 'ABT 14knts' and 'ABT 30 mts ifo'?

Answer 54

The minimum speed is 13.5 knots and the maximum consumption is 31.5 metric tonnes, based on a 0.5 knot margin for speed and a 5% margin for bunker consumption.

Question 55

What is the 'Can Test' and what is its purpose?

Answer 55

The 'Can Test' is a procedure used for nickel ore to check for high moisture content that could lead to liquefaction. You take a can, fill it halfway with a sample, and drop it sharply 25 times from a height of 0.2 meters. If free moisture or fluid appears, the cargo should not be loaded.