NAVIGATION ENGLISH 
What is the Master’s Standing Order?
It is basically the Master’s own set of instructions and orders for the vessel’s operation. The contents may include such items as the watch-keeping duties for the officers, when to ask for order from the master, the port entry procedure, and how to deal with emergency situations like oil pollution, fire disaster, collision, grounding, as well as when to call the master to the bridge, and so on. For special vessels (tanker, LPG or car carriers, etc.) the standing orders may have some more contents.
The Standing Order is normally found on the first pages of Deck Log Book and in the Bridge Order Book. Besides, some warnings shall be prominently posted on the bridge and read and signed by all duty officers.
Did you encounter any problems during PSC inspections in the US ports?
No, I have never met any big problems because I always made good preparation according to the PSC inspection checklist before my vessel called at the US port. Each time I was able to go through the PSC inspections smoothly.
Or you can say:
Yes, I once had a problem during PSC inspection in a US port. The ARPA couldn’t be activated since the power supply was out of work. The USCG only allowed us a few hours to repair it. To their satisfaction, the ARPA was back to normal after only one hour. Luckily we didn’t have any fine imposed on us. I understand from this experience that good preparations in advance are very important. Even if there is a problem, I will ask my crew to rectify it in the least possible time.
What should the Master do if the figures of the loaded quantity are abnormally different from those on the bills of lading?
The Master should report the case to the ship owner as soon as possible. At the discretion of the company, the Master should prepare and send a Letter of Protest to the notary surveyor or terminal/port authority under the instruction of the ship owner. In such case, the Master should also require further measurements and calculations to be made.
What was your last vessel’s trading area? Which ports have you ever called?
I have rich experience in calling the ports in the US, some developed and developing countries and in the passage through the Suez Canal, Panama Canal, and Dover Strait, and Denmark Strait.
Tips:Some useful expressions for trading areas:
全球航线 ocean-going, world widely, globally, worldwide;
固定航线 fixed route;
国内贸易 domestic trade.
Can you tell me the differences between the Chinese state-owned shipping companies and foreign shipping companies?
Basically, in my opinion, there are not big differences at tall. It seems to me that foreign ship owners are more concerned about the master’s overriding authority on board while the Chinese shipping companies tend to ask their local agents to do more for the vessel. Another major difference between them is that the Safety Management System of the Chinese companies is in Chinese and the working language on board is Chinese. Foreign owner seem to care more about the implementation of the SMS manuals in reality. What’s more, most of the Chinese owners use the CCS for classification while foreign owners may use different classification societies.
Please list the famous shipowner in the world? Or ship management company? or Seafarer’s English test software?
1.Top 10 shipowner company:
A.P.Moller-Maersk（马士基）
MSC（地中海航运Mditerranean Shipping Co.）
COSCO（中远海）
CMA CGM（达飞）
HAPAG-LLOyd（赫伯罗特）
ONE（海洋网联船务）
EVERGREEN（长荣海运）
YANGMING（阳明海员）
PIL（太平船务）
HMM（现代船务）
another ship company:
ZIM（以星航运）
WANHAI（万海航运）
中谷海运
IRAN SHIPPING（伊朗国航）
KOREA MARINE（高丽海运）
安通控股
SITC山东海丰X-PRESS FEEDERS
UNIFEEDER（联合快线）
TS LINES(德翔海运)
2.To10 ship management company:
Anglo Eastern-Univan Group
V.Group
FLEET
BERNHARD Schulte Ship Management
Columbia Shipmanagement
Synergy Group
Wallem Group
Thome Ship Management
Wilhelmsen Ship Management
OSM Maritime
3.Seafarer’s English Proficiency test software:
Marlins Test
Seagull CES(Crew Evaluation System ) Test
ASK Test
ECDIS(for equipment supplier) test
iTEST
VIDEOTEL Test
发表于：2022-01-03 20:29
How do you understand the importance of keeping good and harmonious relationship with the Chief Engineer and other Officers and Engineers?
Without harmonious relationship with the Chief Engineer and the other Officers and Engineers, the Master cannot manage the ship well. But how can the Master achieve it? First of all, the Master must have close contact with the department heads because the daily management is delegated to them although the Master himself is responsible for the overall safety and personnel management. Secondly, the Master himself must know his job well and know when to do what and how. Thirdly, the Master should be very strict in himself in discipline and behavior. Fourthly, he should be fair in job assignment, pay distribution and other daily management. But if someone on board breaks the Master’s order or the rules on purpose, the Master will have to penalize the offender and can consider firing him according to the procedure of the ship owner.
注意：这是一个考验船长管理能力的问题。在实际工作中，不同船长有不同的管理经验和方法，但是船东希望船长在这方面采用适当的管理方法。有些船长在回答这类问题时，会不假思索的说：“I will dismiss those who do not listen to me”. 这样会显得过于霸道，也不符合船东和船旗国的船员管理程序。
How is a passage plan made on board ships? What materials do you need to refer to when you make such plans?
Usually, a passage plan should be made by the Second Officer before a new voyage starts. The Master should give the Second Officer the sailing instructions and his intentions on the sailing routes and before the Second Officer prepares the draft plan. Then the Master is supposed to check it very carefully. If something wrong is found in the passage plan, the Master should ask the Second Officer to correct it immediately. If nothing is wrong about the draft, the plan shall be ratified and implemented.
When the Second Officer is making the draft plan, the Master should help provide some important information sources for the Second Officer, such as the port entry guidance, the sailing directions, lists of lights, tidal stream tables, deep draught vessel planning guide, the IMO ship route guidance, government and port authority’s regulations, pilot charts, notice to mariner, weather information, and the voyage plan, and so on.
The Master should ensure that the plan covers “berth to berth” area in the passage. And the Master should help the Second Officer to select the best sailing route that will save fuel and time, and avoid bad weather conditions.
注意：一般航行计划由二副来做，但船长应给与必要的指导和提供必要的信息。
How should the pre-departure seminar be conducted in the port?
According to my experience, a safety meeting shall be held prior to departure and some of the important issues like the un-berthing operation (including the deck and engine room), cargo & hull lashing check, stowaway check, cooperation with the pilot and other engineering( technical) matters should be discussed at the meeting.
In case of cargo damage, what would you do as a Master? For example, before the vessel arrives at the discharging port, you find the quality of the surface of grain cargo has changed (deteriorated), how would you handle it?
I have to look into the reasons and volume of the damage first, and then I’ll contact the owner for further instruction. In the event of small quantity of grain, I shall just throw it into the sea to avoid disputes. Or I will follow the owner’s instruction to contact the P&I correspondent or local agent for their advice.
If necessary, I’ll prepare a Sea Protest to claim that the ship owner and the crew have exercised their due diligence.
注意：关于货损方面的处理程序，各个公司都有相关的操作和程序文件，上述只是一般处理原则。船长应采取灵活的措施，及时处理和调查货损事故原因，并准备相关证明材料。
Did you have the experience of working with foreign crews?
Yes, I have worked on four ships of mixed crew from China, China Taiwan, Philippine, Vietnam, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Burma and Ukraine.
注意：回答该问题时应实事求是。但是，外派资历是外国船东很看中的，如果你有很好的外派资历，可千万不要错过让船东知道。
What is a classification society? What is the purpose of classification survey? Please list some famous Classification Societies in the world.
A Classification society is usually an independent organization that carries out classification surveys, statutory surveys, surveys related to notarial matters for ships, offshore installations, marine freight containers, materials and marine equipment. It also provides safety management certification services to shipping companies and their ships. The purpose of classification survey is to evaluate the situation of a ship and the management of a company and its ship.
Tips:Some of the famous Classification societies:
NK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai,日本海事协会 )
CCS (China Classification Society)
ABS (American Bureau of Shipping)
DNV-GL (Det Norske Veritas - Germanisher Lloyd挪威和德国劳氏)
LR (Lloyd’s Register英国劳氏)
KR(Korean Register)
RINA(意大利船级社).
How do you understand the Master’s overriding authority under emergency situations?
If the situation and time permit, the Master should always report to the company first before taking actions. However, when the ship is in immediate danger, the Master shall exercise his overriding authority and take whatever actions necessary in dealing with an emergency situation in order to protect the safety of the seafarers, the cargo, the vessel, the port and the environment without considering too much the demands of the ship owner and the charterer. Nevertheless, the Master should report to the company in detail what has happened and filed after the event.
What type of cargo was carried on board your last vessel?
注意：曾经做过什么船，载过什么货物也是船东非常关心的问题，因为船东在考虑把他的一条船交给你时，对你是否有载过某种他们的船舶载的货物非常关键。因为你只有载过某种货物，你才对这种货物的特性、装卸时需要注意的事项、运输途中需要注意的事项有所了解和经验。
Tips:下面提供几种货物的名称，供参考：
Bulk cargo: cement, cement clicker, nickel, ore, iron, sand, phosphorus rock（磷矿）, potash in bulk(碳酸钾), salt, grain, pet coke, coal, fertilizer, Kaolin clay, scrap etc…
General cargoes: vehicle, loader (装货设备), wagon, heavy lifts（重型起重机）, over-length cargo（超常货物）, mining equipment(采矿设备), steel construction material.
Other: log, plywood（木板）, timber, container and so on.
发表于：2022-01-03 20:30
What is the suitable relationship between the Master and the Chief Engineer of a vessel? Or what kind of relation should the Master and the Chief Engineer have?
The Master is the No.1 leader of the ship, responsible for the whole vessel and the Chief Engineer is one subordinate of the Master. The Chief Engineer is in full charge of the Engine department. The Master gives the Chief Engineer full power to manage his department. In the meantime, it is also important for the Master to offer support and help to the Chief Engineer in his implementation of duties. Anyway, smooth cooperation and harmonious relationship between the Master and the Chief Engineer is very important to the safe operation of the vessel.
注意：船长和老轨的融洽的关系非常重要，但船长对船舶安全的绝对权威不能有任何折扣。船东希望船长既能和老轨处好关系，又能果断树立自己的管理权威。
Can you describe what preparations you need to make before your vessel enters a US port?
1.First, I must check all the certificates for the vessel and the seamen to make sure all the necessary certificates are available to deal with the customs clearances, the sanitary checks and other port checks. In addition, I must prepare such publications as currently corrected navigational charts, US costal pilot guide, light list book, tide table, US inland rules of navigation, and recent notice to mariners.
2.Ninety-six hours before arrival in a US port, The ENOA (Electronic Notice of Arrival) is to be sent to the relevant USCG(CC the local agent and the company) along with the Ballast water exchange report.
3.Forty-eight hours prior to entry to a US port, I shall conduct the following emergency steering drills and log them into the record books: operation of the main steering gear from steering compartment, communication between bridge and steering compartment, and alternative power supply. I shall also inform the Qualified Individual of my arrival.
4.Twenty-four hours before arrival in a US port, I shall notify the USCG of my ship’s arrival.
5.Twelve hours prior to arrival in a US port, the following equipment shall be tested and recorded in the log book: primary and second steering gear, internal control communications and alarms, standing-by emergency generator, and main propulsion machinery.
6.Drills are also the priorities of my preparatory work. Usually, the port authority of the US pays special attention to the drills. So boat drills, fire-fighting drills and other drills must be carried out before entering into any US port.
7.Sanitary situation of my ship is another consideration. Proper disposal of garbage on my ship and anti-pollution devices examination are very important.
8.All in all, much more care should be taken before entry into any US port than in the ports in other countries.
注意：美国是世界上海事立法最多和港口检查最严格的国家之一。熟悉美国有关海事立法和港口国检查要求对一名船长来说非常重要，这也是船东特别关注的问题之一。
Why should the Master always be aware of the actions being taken by the pilot?
Well, it’s because the presence of the pilot on the bridge does not relieve the Master from taking any measures necessary to assure the safety of the ship and marine environment. If he finds that the pilot’s orders are doubtful, the Master has to clarify the orders immediately. When necessary, the Master shall command the ship’s navigation himself.
注意：在ISM体系中特别强调的一点是引航员在船引水时并没有解除船长和船员对于船舶安全的责任，船长应让每位船员熟知该内容。
Can you differentiate the Chinese crews and the Filipino crews? Or how do you like the Filipino (Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Burmese, Ukrainian, Russian, British etc) seamen?
I had the experience of working with the Filipino crew. The Filipinos are mostly very professional and obedient. Their English is better as compared with that of Chinese seafarers. However, sometimes they are also demanding in terms of wages. As a whole, they are very nice seafarers. To me, the seafarers from different countries have both advantages and disadvantages.
注意：在回答这类问题时,切忌把其他国家的海员说得一无事处，要尽量说出他人的长处。船员队伍本来就很国际化，在一个类似“联合国”的工作团队里，能和不同国籍、不同文化、不同性格的人和睦相处，是非常重要的能力。
What should the Master do if he is unsure about his legal standing in a foreign country or a strange port?
He must contact the company at once for advice. He should also, if necessary, consult the local correspondent of the owner’s P & I and the local agent of the ship who can provide valuable advice and assistance.
注意：船东希望船长在国外陌生港口遇到无法解决的问题或困难时，能够及时与船公司进行沟通，或向当地船东互保协会进行咨询和寻求帮助。
Can you tell me about the companies you have worked for? What are the differences among these companies?
The company I have worked for the past ten years is a state-owned company. It is a good company. But the management of the company is, in some ways, different from foreign ship owners’ companies.
注意：回答该问题时应实事求是、客观陈述。