General Marine Engineering — Most Asked Questions
150 questions asked about general marine engineering across the General and Fn 3 and Fn 4b papers, heaviest first. 4 of them are must-master. These are the questions that named no specific system, so they could not be filed elsewhere.
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1 type of engine?
Also asked: “which typr of engine”, “Engine make /model”, “Type of engine and bhp”
Answer
Ocean-going ships use slow-speed two-stroke crosshead engines for propulsion and medium-speed four-stroke trunk-piston engines for auxiliaries and smaller vessels.
- Main propulsion: large slow-speed two-stroke crosshead engines — Sulzer, MAN B&W, Mitsubishi.
- Auxiliary and medium power: four-stroke trunk-piston engines — Wartsila, Pielstick, Sulzer, MAK.
- Crosshead engines make much higher power at lower rpm because the crosshead bearing has more room than a gudgeon-pin assembly; trunk engines are shorter, cheaper and suit mass production.
- Two-stroke piston: crosshead type with piston rod and guides, compression-type rings, more headroom; four-stroke: trunk type with skirt-driven gudgeon pin.
Surveyor follow-up: why can’t a trunk-piston engine match a crosshead engine’s power at the same low rpm?
Full theory: Diesel Engine Basics — Terms, Strokes & Timing -
2 ENGINE NOT STARTING ON AIR
Also asked: “The engine turn on starting air but fails to fire”, “Motor not starting”, “engine starts on air but not on fuel resons”
Answer
Split no-start-on-air into air supply, interlocks/safeties, and distributor/valves — check them in that order.
- Air side: start-air pressure low or isolated, control air low, leaks in the manifold, drains full; cylinder pressure above start-air pressure will hold a start valve shut.
- Interlocks and safeties: turning gear still engaged, emergency stop active, auxiliary blower not on auto, lube/jacket-water/low-pressure or high-temperature trips holding her out.
- Distributor and valves: air-start distributor out of sequence, sticky or leaking cylinder start valves — a hot start-air inlet on a running engine marks the leaker.
- If she turns on air but will not fire, cross to fuel: empty service tank, choked filters, tripped supply pumps, stuck rack, puncture valve active, cold fuel, or dead injector needles.
Surveyor follow-up: she kicks on air but stops the instant air is cut — fuel or air fault, and your first gauge to read?
Full theory: Marine Compressed Air & Main Engine Starting Air System -
3 High voltage system
Answer
Marine high voltage means anything above 1000 V — normally 3.3 kV and up — earthed through a resistor so one earth fault alarms instead of exploding.
- HV systems of 3.3 kV and above are normally earthed, usually through resistors from the generator neutrals to earth.
- Each resistor is sized to hold the maximum earth-fault current at or below generator full-load current; the neutral current is watched by an earth-fault relay for alarm and trip.
- Alternative: a high-impedance three-phase earthing transformer on the HV busbars limiting the permitted earth-fault current.
- Work rules: trained authorised persons only, permit to work, isolated, earthed-down and proven dead, insulated tools, arc-flash PPE — and never defeat the interlocks.
Surveyor follow-up: single earth fault on the HV board with the ship blacked-out risk — trip it or run and monitor?
Full theory: Marine High Voltage (HV) Installations — 3.3 kV, 6.6 kV & 11 kV Switchgear and Safety -
4 Scavenge fire and ur action?
Answer
A scavenge fire is oil deposits burning in the scavenge trunk — catch it on temperature and surging, starve it of fuel, and never feed it air.
- Causes: oil and carbon deposits set alight by blowback of hot gas through scavenge ports, wrong exhaust-valve timing or high exhaust backpressure; slow-burning carbon can start it too.
- Warnings: scavenge-space fire alarm (about 90°C), rising exhaust temperature on the unit, turbocharger surging, smoke from the air filter or scavenge-box doors, slowing engine on a big fire.
- Small/local fire: slow down, cut fuel to the affected unit, boost cylinder oil, stand clear of scavenge and crankcase doors — it should die in 15–30 minutes, then restore fuel step by step.
- Big fire: stop the engine, boundary-cool, shut fuel and air to the space, use fixed smothering — opening doors mid-fire feeds it.
Surveyor follow-up: temperatures are falling after you cut fuel — when exactly do you open the scavenge doors, and what do you carry?
Full theory: Scavenge Fires, Trunk Safety & Relief Devices -
5 MOTOR MEP SAFETY
Answer
Machinery-space safety is permits, isolation and guards: nothing bypassed, nothing running on standby, nothing unguarded.
- No alarm or trip bypassed without the Chief Engineer’s permission — and with posted precautions while it is bypassed.
- All machinery guards secured, hot surfaces lagged, work area clean and lit; confirm the machine is off standby and isolated, fuses pulled, before touching it.
- Enclosed space and hot work only on permit: ventilate, test atmosphere, attendant at entrance, rescue gear ready.
- Electrical work grounded, switchboard matting and gloves used, pilot and control circuits treated as live until proven dead.
Surveyor follow-up: you must bypass a faulty alarm to sail — whose permission, and what stays in place until it is restored?
Full theory: Safety — Crankcase Explosion, Scavenge Fire and Starting Air Line Explosion -
6 How to ascertain air in refer system? How to remove?
Also asked: “how to remove air fron the ref system?”, “air in the refer system ( indications) method to remove air frm system ?”
Answer
Air in the refer plant shows as high condenser and compressor temperatures with discharge pressure up — vent it off at the condenser purge valve.
- Symptoms: condenser running hot, compressor discharge temperature and pressure above normal for the seawater temperature and load.
- Confirm against overcharge: overcharge shows a full sight glass with high pressure too — check charge history before venting.
- Purge at the condenser purge valve to atmosphere a little at a time until discharge pressure returns to normal.
- Find the entry: leaking shaft seals, charging-hose connections or long standstill on vacuum side — fix the leak or the air comes back.
Surveyor follow-up: pressures normal again after purging but climb back in a week — air, overcharge or something else?
Full theory: Refrigeration Principles and the Vapour Compression Cycle -
7 types of starter?
Answer
Start heavy motors soft: DOL for small loads, star-delta or autotransformer where the starting surge would dip the board.
- DOL: full voltage, maximum current and torque — starting surge about 5 times full-load current; cheap and simple.
- Star-delta: starts in star at reduced voltage, then snaps to delta — surge about one-third of DOL, torque about one-third too.
- Autotransformer: tapped reduced voltage — surge falls as the square of the tap, so a 50% tap gives about a quarter of DOL current.
- Numbers on a 200 A motor: DOL about 1000 A, star-delta about 330 A, 50% autotransformer about 250 A — pick against load inertia and board dip.
Surveyor follow-up: motor starts clean on star but stalls at changeover to delta — supply or load fault?
Full theory: Motor Starters — Taming 8–10× Current -
8 Emergency fire p/p regulations
Also asked: “Emergency fire p/p reg”, “Eng fire pp regulation”, “Emg fire pp regulations”
Answer
The emergency fire pump is the backup when the engine room is lost: outside the machinery space, self-driven, feeding two jets anywhere on board.
- Capacity at least 40% of the main fire pumps combined, never below 25 cubic metres per hour.
- Pressure enough for two simultaneous jets reaching the farthest hydrants — about 2.6 bar on mid-size cargo ships, higher on large ones.
- Sited outside the engine room — forward of the collision bulkhead zone, steering flat or shaft tunnel — with its own suction within 4.5 m lift under all trim and list.
- Independent drive: diesel with hand starting and two battery sets, or electric from the emergency generator, with fuel for hours of running.
Surveyor follow-up: main pump trips on blackout — how do you prove the emergency pump takes over?
Full theory: Ship Fire Main & Emergency Fire Pump System -
9 Motor running hot reasons
Also asked: “motor overheating reason”, “Why motor overheating”, “Motor is heating reasons”
Answer
A hot motor is overloaded, starved of cooling, or fighting a bad supply — check load, air path, bearings and phases in that order.
- Overload beyond rated current is the commonest cause — read the ammeter against the nameplate before anything else.
- Blocked ventilation, failed cooling fan, high ambient or clogged filters push temperature up at normal current.
- Single-phasing or unbalanced voltage makes it hum loud, vibrate and draw excess current on the healthy phases.
- Tight or dry bearings, shorted windings and frequent starts add heat — feel, listen and megger before re-running.
Surveyor follow-up: current normal but the frame is too hot to touch — ventilation or winding, and what proves it?
Full theory: Induction Motors — Principle, Faults & Testing -
10 Working of AVR?
Also asked: “Function of AVR”, “How AVR works”
Answer
The AVR holds alternator voltage steady by watching the output and trimming the small exciter field that drives the big main field.
- Voltage sensing from the main stator feeds the AVR; low voltage raises exciter-field current, high voltage cuts it.
- The exciter armature output is rectified to the main field, so a small control signal steers full output power.
- It averages two phases for stable regulation and rolls voltage off with speed below the knee frequency so the engine is never overloaded at low rpm.
- Failure signs: hunting voltage means sensing or diode trouble; dead output with residual magnetism intact points at the AVR or exciter circuit.
Surveyor follow-up: voltage collapses when load goes on but recovers at no load — AVR or prime mover?
Full theory: Brushless Alternator Working, Paralleling & AVR Explained -
11 chain drive advantages and checks ?
Answer
Chain drive lets designers put the camshaft where it fits and repair it cheaply — paid for with stretch, slack and timing drift you must watch.
- Advantage: flexible camshaft placement and easy part replacement at lower cost than gear trains.
- Cost: many wearing parts that stretch and slacken, shifting fuel timing and valve events silently.
- Check tension at schedule intervals or on any doubt — grasp and pull-away feel plus measured slack against makers limits.
- Renew guides, tensioners and worn links before timing error shows as smoke, hot exhaust or hard starting.
Surveyor follow-up: exhaust temperatures creeping up on all units with timing marks correct — chain or fuel, and what measurement settles it?
Full theory: Camshaft Chain Drive, Hydraulic Tensioners & Timing Synchronisation -
12 EXAMINATION OF MARINE ENGINEER OFFICER
Answer
The Class 4 certificate comes in two halves: written papers on functions plus orals and sea time — drawings ready for both.
- Written papers cover motor, MEP, electrical and safety functions; each function must be passed before the oral for it.
- Orals test systems running and emergencies — surveyors ask the must-master questions from this bank, often with a sketch.
- Required sea time and approved courses come first; shortfalls in either block the examination entry.
- Prepare the standard drawings — engine, boiler, purifier, pumps, electrical — before attending, since both written and oral examiners call for them.
Surveyor follow-up: which function does steering gear fall under, and which drawing would you offer first?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
13 How does it work?
Also asked: “How it operates?”, “How it functions”
Answer
Answer any how-does-it-work with the same spine: purpose, flow path, working step, control, and what proves it is healthy.
- Purpose first: what the machine moves, makes or protects, in one sentence.
- Flow path: inlet to outlet naming every major part the working fluid touches.
- Working step: the energy change — pressure to velocity, heat to work, voltage to torque — at the active element.
- Control and proof: how output is regulated, which gauges and alarms confirm it, and the one reading that says it is healthy.
Surveyor follow-up: now apply that spine to the machine behind you — purpose and flow path first.
Full theory: Engine Watchkeeping — Handover, Rounds & Work Safety -
14 What is air gap?
Also asked: “Air gap and purpose”, “What is Air gap? Why it is provided?”
Answer
The air gap is the clearance between rotor and stator — small and even for efficiency, checked with a plastic feeler.
- As small as manufacturing allows: 1 to 2 mm on marine alternators, since a wide gap raises leakage flux and winding losses.
- Must be uniform all round — off-centre or out-of-round brings magnetic pull, heating and falling efficiency.
- Checked manually with a plastic feeler gauge, never steel, and recorded as part of bearing condition monitoring.
- Doubles as cooling passage, so blocked ventilation plus a wide gap cooks the machine twice over.
Surveyor follow-up: air gap tight on one side and wide opposite — bearing or foundation, and what else do you measure?
Full theory: Brushless Alternator Working, Paralleling & AVR Explained -
15 What is hot corrosion and cold corrosion?
Also asked: “Hot corrosion? how it happens? mention melting pt temperature. cold corrosion? how it happens? at which juncture it occurs”, “Cold corrosion, hot corrosion. where happens add why”
Answer
Hot corrosion burns the hot end, cold corrosion acids the cool liner — one needs steady cooling, the other needs liner temperature.
- Hot corrosion attacks exhaust valves and hot chamber parts where combustion temperature and deposits combine — held off by steady cooling, good spray shape and valve temperature control.
- Cold corrosion attacks liner, rings and grooves where sulphur oxides condense with water on cool surfaces into acid.
- Cure for cold corrosion is liner temperature profile plus correct alkaline cylinder oil matched to fuel sulphur.
- Read the wear: hot-end cracking and guttering versus liner polishing and ring-groove washing with high iron in the drain oil.
Surveyor follow-up: liner wear high with low-sulphur fuel — cooling or lubrication, and which temperature proves it?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
16 Type of lo onboard test?
Answer
Onboard LO tests track death by contamination: TBN, viscosity, water, flash point and insolubles — condemn on condition, not hours.
- TBN by pressure-rise test mixture — falling reserve means acids are winning.
- Viscosity by flowstick comparator against fresh oil — rises with oxidation and soot, falls with fuel dilution.
- Water by crackle test of heated drops plus calcium-carbide pressure test for quantity.
- Flash point by Pensky-Martens apparatus for fuel ingress, alkalinity by pH paper, insolubles by blotter spot test.
Surveyor follow-up: viscosity falling with flash point low — what contamination, and where is it coming from?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
17 Difference between watertight and whether tight doors......and where u test ..water tight doors
Also asked: “Difference between water tight and weather tight doors and hw will you test them”
Answer
Watertight stops a head of water; weathertight stops weather — one is proved by pressure, the other by hose.
- Watertight door holds a flooding head of water, fitted in bulkheads below the bulkhead deck and in internal subdivision.
- Weathertight door sits exposed above the waterline — decks and superstructure — keeping out spray, rain and green seas.
- Watertight proved by pressure-tank or hydrostatic head test with proper seating all round and no sill groove to trap dirt.
- Weathertight proved by hose test; both need packing, clips, clear markings and operation from both sides.
Surveyor follow-up: hose test passes but the door weeps under head — which type is it, and where do you look first?
Full theory: Decks, Openings and Watertight Closing Appliances -
18 Safety of MSB
Answer
Switchboard safety is insulation, segregation and isolation: matting underfoot, guards on bars, dead circuits before hands go in.
- Approved rubber matting before the board, insulated gloves, insulated hand lamps with no metal guards.
- Busbar, breaker, cable and low-voltage compartments segregated by metallic partitions; dead-front construction with guards on live parts.
- Isolate and lock off before work, pull fuses, treat pilot lights and control circuits as live from a separate source.
- Draw-out breakers go dead when racked out; rack back only with doors shut and arc-flash cover worn.
Surveyor follow-up: main breaker isolated but a pilot lamp still glows — live or dead, and what feeds it?
Full theory: Switchboards & Protection — MSB to Emergency Bus -
19 Ships sailed?
Answer
Answer with rank, company, ship type and plant: one line per ship, newest first, ending on what you stood watch on.
- Rank held and company name for each ship, in order with dates.
- Ship type, deadweight and trading area — tanker, bulk carrier, container or offshore.
- Main plant: engine make, power and type the surveyor can question you on.
- Your watch role: what you operated, overhauled and bunkered — the surveyor picks the next question from it.
Surveyor follow-up: tell me one breakdown on your last ship and what you did on it.
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
20 with simple sketch show a CO2 flooding plan suitable for ER briefly explaining components
Also asked: “With a simple neat sketch show a carbon dioxide flooding plan suitable for engine room briefly explaining components”
Answer
Sketch the bank, the manifold and the two cabinets: bottles to master valve to distribution, with pilot bottles and alarms driving the release.
- Bottle bank with siphon tubes feeding a common manifold through non-return cylinder valves.
- Master valve plus time-delay unit holding pilot gas 60–90 seconds so the crew escapes before flooding.
- Distribution pipework to engine-room nozzles sized for full flooding concentration.
- Two release cabinets — local in the CO2 room and remote at fire control — with pilot bottles, cabinet-open alarms and ventilation trips.
Surveyor follow-up: draw the release sequence on your sketch — which valve opens first and why?
Full theory: CO2 Fixed Fire-Fighting System on Ships -
21 Explain briefly with sketches a. Single hull tankers
Answer
Single-hull tankers carry oil against one plate; double hulls add a second skin — MARPOL phased the single hull out after Erika.
- Single hull: cargo tanks bounded directly by the side shell and bottom — one crack means oil out.
- Double hull: ballast spaces wrap the cargo block sides and bottom, absorbing groundings and collisions.
- Phase-out: pre-MARPOL Category 1 gone by 2005, MARPOL and small tankers Categories 2 and 3 by 2010.
- Sketch in section: shell, ballast wing tank, cargo tank, centreline — then the same ship as single hull with cargo against the shell.
Surveyor follow-up: your last ship single or double hull — draw her midship section and name the spaces.
Full theory: Midship Sections Compared by Type of Ship -
22 Hunting gear mechanism
Also asked: “hunting lever mechanism”
Answer
The hunting gear stops the pump when the rudder catches the order: telemotor, floating lever and rudder stock chasing each other to neutral.
- The telemotor moves one end of the floating lever from the bridge wheel; the other end ties through a spring link to the stock.
- Pump delivers oil only while the wheel is moving — the lever strokes the pump control off centre.
- As the rudder reaches the ordered angle, the stock drags its lever end back and hunts the pump rod to mid position.
- No hunting means the pump keeps delivering and the rudder runs past its order — prove return-to-neutral every watch.
Surveyor follow-up: rudder overshoots every order and hunts back and forth — which link in the gear do you check first?
Full theory: Steering Gear Checks and Tests — Daily Rounds, the 12-Hour Test and Drills -
23 Thrust block clearance
Answer
Thrust clearance is the shaft’s ahead-to-astern freedom across the collar: new near half a millimetre, never past 2 mm in service.
- Bar the shaft so the collar bears on the ahead or astern pads, then feeler the gap at the opposite face.
- New engines read about 0.5–1.0 mm total; service limit 2 mm before pads are renewed.
- Worn thrust shows as shaft creep, jumping main-bearing readings and wiping of the loaded pads.
- Log ahead and astern faces separately with the oil-wedge and pad condition noted.
Surveyor follow-up: clearance 1.8 mm and growing each survey — run to dry dock or open up now?
Full theory: Crankshaft Alignment, Web Deflections & Bearing Clearances -
24 exhaust of all unit high
Answer
Every unit hot together means the whole engine breathes badly: scavenge air hot, passages fouled, fuel wrong or timing off.
- High scavenge temperature from a choked air cooler or early scavenge fire raises every exhaust together.
- Fouled scavenge and exhaust passages plus a blocked air filter starve all cylinders equally.
- Bad bunkers, poor purification and retarded timing push all pyrometers up with smoke.
- One unit hot is injector or valve; all units hot is air, fuel system-wide, or timing — check the common causes first.
Surveyor follow-up: scavenge temperature normal with all exhausts high — air side or fuel side, and what single reading decides?
Full theory: Marine Turbochargers: Aerodynamics, Bearings, Washing & Surge Mitigation -
25 Angle of lol
Answer
Angle of loll is the heel a ship with negative GM flops to and stays at: presume loll, lower the centre of gravity, never ballast blindly.
- A ship with initial negative GM heels to the loll angle and rests in neutral stability; heeled less than that, she can go over.
- Always presume loll first: compare port and starboard listing moments and hunt for slack tanks before touching a valve.
- Cure by lowering G — discharge high weights, press up low tanks only when full so no new free surface appears.
- Never run ballast into a slack tank to fix loll: until full it adds free surface and deepens the negative GM.
Surveyor follow-up: list or loll — what single comparison proves which one before you touch a valve?
Full theory: Ship Stability: GM, Righting Levers and Free Surface -
26 Emergency situation onboard ships have to dealt in an efficient manner . in this regard briefly explain on following aspects
Also asked: “Emergency situations on board ships have to be dealt in an efficient manner. In this regard briefly explain following concepts”
Answer
Emergencies run on one spine: raise the alarm, muster and count, fight the casualty, protect the ship.
- Sound the right alarm at once and tell the bridge — fire, flooding, collision and man overboard each have their own signal and stations.
- Muster, take headcount and close up: watertight doors, fire dampers, ventilation and fuel quick-closing valves.
- Fight with the team in breathing apparatus on boundary cooling while the bridge manoeuvres and calls for help.
- Engine side: inform the chief, log position and start time of pumps, change to emergency suction, guard electrics, ready the boat if control is lost.
Surveyor follow-up: fire and flooding together — which team goes where, and who decides?
Full theory: Safety and Emergencies -
27 Explain the parts of the rudder system of a semi balanced type on the water side
Answer
Underwater the semi-balanced gear is blade, horn, stock and bearings: part of the blade ahead of the stock for balance, horn above for support.
- Blade split by the stock line: the top unbalanced part carries structural support, the balanced part below cuts steering torque.
- Rudder horn extends over part of the chord — shallow or deep horn tunes response and torque.
- Stock through the hull with upper bearing inside and bottom pintle support; skeg variants add a fixed forefoot.
- Losing the gear mid-turn lets the balanced part weathervane her back toward centreline on its own.
Surveyor follow-up: point at the rudder and name the horn, stock and pintle — then say which part balances it.
Full theory: Rudder: Construction, Types & Support -
28 Rta and rt- flex difference
Also asked: “RTA versus RT Flex”, “difference between rtflex and rta”, “Rta vs rtflex”
Answer
RTA is camshaft control; RT-flex is camshaftless common-rail control — same Sulzer family, free choice of timing and pressure.
- RTA drives fuel pumps and exhaust-valve pumps mechanically from the camshaft with fixed timing geometry.
- RT-flex drops the camshaft for common-rail injection and valve actuation under full electronic control.
- Payoff is variable injection pressure with free valve timing: lower part-load consumption, smokeless running and stable slow steaming.
- First RT-flex at sea in 2001 after research from 1998 — intelligent-engine control of each unit through the load range.
Surveyor follow-up: RT-flex exhaust temperatures spread with timing correct — electronic or mechanical fault, and what proves it?
Full theory: Two-Stroke Structure — Frame, Tie Rods, Liner, Piston & Crosshead -
29 What is dead front panel?
Answer
Dead-front means no live metal faces you: everything hot hides behind steel, only handles, meters and lamp lenses show.
- Open boards expose breakers, links and terminals on an insulated base — banned above 55 volts to earth on AC ships.
- Dead-front conceals all live parts in steel cubicles; the front carries only operating handles, instruments and indicator lenses.
- Modern shipboard main and section boards are dead-front with segregated busbar, breaker, cable and low-voltage compartments.
- Open a dead-front door and the guards, shutters and interlocks must still stand between hands and bars.
Surveyor follow-up: dead-front door open with a pilot lamp glowing — live or dead, and what feeds it?
Full theory: Switchboards & Protection — MSB to Emergency Bus -
30 A.e. inlet exhaust valves
Also asked: “Inlet and exhauts valve of ae”
Answer
Auxiliary-engine valves live the same life as main-engine valves on fast repeat: inlet breathes cool, exhaust takes the heat, tappets hold the gap.
- Inlet opens early or late at a cost — early pumps exhaust back into the manifold, late wire-draws the suction and kills volumetric efficiency.
- Exhaust runs hotter with a wider tappet gap; air-inlet valves need no extra cooling and overhaul at longer intervals.
- Too little clearance opens early and closes late; too much opens late and closes early — both cost power and heat.
- Set cold with the follower off the cam peak, prove timing on the marks, and recheck on schedule as gear wears.
Surveyor follow-up: one AE unit smokes with tappets correct — valve, timing or fuel, and what proves it?
Full theory: The Valve Gear and Fuel Injection — Valves, Camshaft Drive, Pumps and Injectors -
31 All the power operated doors must be capable of closing simultaneously from bridge and Ship Control Centre (SCC) is not more than 60 seconds when the ship is in an upright condition
Answer
All power doors shut together from bridge or control centre inside a minute upright — each door evenly inside 20 to 40 seconds.
- Simultaneous closure of every power door from bridge and ship control centre within 60 seconds upright.
- Each door closes at a steady rate taking 20 to 40 seconds start to finish — never a slam.
- Doors still close listed 15 degrees either side with a local audible alarm unlike any other in the space.
- Hand operation from both sides on power failure, with open and shut indication at the console.
Surveyor follow-up: one door takes 50 seconds alone — power, control or door, and does the ship sail?
Full theory: Decks, Openings and Watertight Closing Appliances -
32 Development of plans for shipboard operations
Answer
Shipboard-operation plans live inside the safety management system: key operations named, procedures written, crew drilled.
- The company names every key operation touching safety and pollution — navigation, bunkering, enclosed entry, hot work.
- Each gets a written plan with responsibilities, checks, communications and stop-work authority.
- Plans are taught, drilled and audited; non-conformities feed corrective action back into the procedure.
- The master holds overriding authority to depart from any plan when safety demands it.
Surveyor follow-up: bunkering plan missing the stop-work line — system failure or paperwork, and who answers for it?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter IX — ISM Code & Safety Management Systems -
33 Explain briefly with sketches a) Shear force
Also asked: “Explain briefly with sketches on a. Shear force”
Answer
Shear force is the vertical slice load along the hull; bending moment is its running total — still water plus waves decide hogging or sagging.
- Plot shear and bending at stations along the length for still-water loading first.
- Add wave hogging with crests amidships and sagging with trough amidships — the curves flip between the two.
- Shear peaks near the quarters, bending peaks amidships; class limits cap both.
- Sketch both conditions side by side: still water, hogging wave, sagging wave with maxima marked.
Surveyor follow-up: loaded to marks with a sagging swell ahead — hogging or sagging moment amidships, and what breaks first?
Full theory: Ship Stresses and Longitudinal Hull Strength -
34 Fire safety plan where is it kept and why is it kept there
Also asked: “Fire control plan and location. Why is it kept in that location”
Answer
Fire plans live inside and outside accommodation and with the shore: the crew fights from one, firefighters enter from the other.
- Posted inside accommodation alleyways for the crew — stations, mains, pumps, hydrants, dampers and fixed systems at a glance.
- Duplicated outside in a weathertight case at the gangway for the shore party boarding a strange burning ship.
- Copy lodged ashore with the company so advice reaches the ship when comms survive and fire does not.
- Muster stations chosen per ship layout with team leaders reporting to command — the plan is the first order.
Surveyor follow-up: outside case empty with the inside plan current — detain, endorse or accept, and why?
Full theory: Fire Control Plan, Muster List & Flooding Response -
35 Hyper mist system explain
Also asked: “Explain hypermist system”
Answer
Hypermist drowns fire in fog: two detectors agree, the plunger pump fires at 70 bar, and zone nozzles mist at 50 bar.
- Activation needs two detectors in the same zone — single-detector alarms never release water.
- Fire panel zones the alarm to the hypermist panel, which starts the plunger-type high-pressure pump and opens the zone solenoid.
- Pump delivers about 200 litres per minute at 70 bar; each nozzle mists 12–20 litres per minute at 50 bar.
- Visual and audible alarms sound in the space on release; the fog cools, displaces oxygen and shields the crew.
Surveyor follow-up: one detector in alarm with smoke showing — wait for the second or go manual, and who decides?
Full theory: Ship Sprinkler & Hypermist (Water Mist) Systems -
36 In case of hand operation of the door, during a power failure, the door must be closed within 90 seconds
Answer
Dead ship, shut doors by hand inside 90 seconds from either side — power loss never leaves a bulkhead open.
- Every power sliding door carries its own hand gear workable at the door from both sides.
- Ninety seconds from first pull to fully shut with the ship upright and no power anywhere.
- Single electrical failures must never drive a shut door open; power monitoring alarms the loss at the bridge console.
- Master-mode switch at the bridge chooses local or central control — test both before sailing.
Surveyor follow-up: hand gear proved last month but the door needs two men today — pass or overhaul, and what do you log?
Full theory: Decks, Openings and Watertight Closing Appliances -
37 In content of the ISM code define the following
Also asked: “In context of the ISM code, define the following”
Answer
The ISM definitions chain company to ship: documents prove the system, audits prove it runs, evidence proves the facts.
- Company: the owner, manager or bareboat charterer holding ISM duties; Administration: the flag state.
- Document of Compliance for the company and Safety Management Certificate for each ship running the approved system.
- Audit: systematic independent check that the system matches the plan and works; observation: a fact found in audit backed by objective evidence.
- Non-conformity, major non-conformity and near-miss grade the gaps; corrective action closes them or certificates fall.
Surveyor follow-up: observation or non-conformity — a missing enclosed-space entry in the log, and what grade?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter IX — ISM Code & Safety Management Systems -
38 Lub oil property
Answer
Good LO is judged by viscosity behaviour, alkalinity, cleanliness and safety margins — each with a hard limit.
- Viscosity index states how little viscosity swings with temperature; additives flatten the curve.
- Viscosity itself must stay within +40% and −15% of fresh — rising with oxidation and soot, falling with diesel dilution.
- Flash point 180°C minimum warns of fuel ingress; TAN under 2 with zero strong acids from sulphur or seawater.
- Cloud point marks wax birth, pour point marks flow death — both decide whether cold oil reaches the bearings.
Surveyor follow-up: viscosity up 50% with TAN climbing — oxidised, fuel-diluted or seawater-hit, and what do you do?
Full theory: Marine Lube Oil Chemistry, Tribology & Microbial Degradation -
39 Me ae lo diff
Answer
Main and auxiliary engines drink the same system oil but dose cylinders differently: crosshead mains keep them apart, trunk auxiliaries share.
- Crosshead main engines split system oil in the crankcase from high-TBN cylinder oil injected at the liner.
- Trunk auxiliaries use one oil for crankcase and cylinders, so its TBN and detergency compromise between the two duties.
- Crankcase grades run SAE 30 with modest TBN; cylinder grades run SAE 50 with TBN matched to fuel sulphur.
- Sampling proves the split: rising liner iron in a main means cylinder oil failure, in an auxiliary it means the shared oil is failing.
Surveyor follow-up: auxiliary liner wear high with correct feed rate — oil grade, sulphur or cooling, and what proves it?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
40 Power-operated sliding doors shall be capable of closing with the ship listed to 15 degrees either side
Answer
Power doors must still shut heeled 15 degrees either way — gravity and friction never excuse an open bulkhead.
- Proved listed both sides with the ship upright otherwise and power on.
- Closure still even at 20–40 seconds with the local alarm sounding distinct from every other alarm.
- Hand gear from both sides still makes 90 seconds dead ship at the same list.
- A door that stalls listed gets adjusted, not excused — the bulkhead is either shut or the ship does not sail.
Surveyor follow-up: door shuts upright but stalls at 10 degrees list — hydraulic, track or seal, and what do you check first?
Full theory: Decks, Openings and Watertight Closing Appliances -
41 Remote operating positions at the navigation bridge shall have means of visually indicating whether the doors are open or closed. A red light indicates a door is fully open and a green light indicates that the door is fu
Also asked: “Remote operating positions at the navigation bridge shall have means of visually indicating whether the doors are open or closed. A red light indicates a door is fully open and a green light indicates that the door is fully closed”
Answer
Bridge consoles show every door at a glance: green shut, red open, duplicated on the bulkhead deck by the emergency pumps.
- Coloured lamp per door on the bridge — green shut, red open — with the set duplicated beside the manual emergency pumps.
- An open-close index at each door operating position confirms locally what the bridge sees.
- Power availability is watched near each motor with loss alarming audible and visual at the bridge console.
- No single electrical failure may drive a shut door open or blind the indication.
Surveyor follow-up: bridge shows green but the door stands open — indication, control or door, and what proves it?
Full theory: Decks, Openings and Watertight Closing Appliances -
42 Shell and tube type heat exchanger
Answer
Shell-and-tube coolers put hot fluid across tubes outside and seawater inside: baffles force the cross-flow, division plates keep the passes honest.
- Seawater inside tubes, tube plates and water boxes; oil or jacket water outside across baffled tubes.
- Two-pass or straight flow to suit size; bypasses and wax-type control valves trim temperature.
- Falling performance means air lock, fouling or holed division plates bypassing fluid past the tubes.
- Leaks found by fluorescent tracer and sludge discolouration; maintenance is leak check, condition check and scheduled cleaning.
Surveyor follow-up: outlet hot with seawater flow normal — air, fouling or bypass, and what single check decides?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
43 Specifications of engine
Also asked: “Engine specs of my vessel”, “Tell me the specification of Engine”
Answer
Quote the engine as numbers: bore, stroke, speed, cylinders, power and appetite — your ship’s figures, not a textbook’s.
- Bore and stroke in millimetres with cylinder count and layout — inline, V or radial.
- Rated rpm with kilowatts per cylinder and total MCR in kilowatts or bhp.
- Specific fuel consumption in grams per kilowatt-hour at rating with the fuel grade behind it.
- Builder, model and year plus turbocharger and governor type — the surveyor questions the plate on your engine.
Surveyor follow-up: give me your last engine’s specs from memory — then show me where the plate disagrees.
Full theory: Diesel Engine Basics — Terms, Strokes & Timing -
44 The direction of movement should be clearly indicated and displayed at all operating positions
Answer
Every door station shows which way she moves and whether she is open or shut — no guessing at a flooding bulkhead.
- Direction arrows and open-shut index fixed at each operating position on both sides of the bulkhead.
- Bridge console repeats every door on lamps with the same sense — red open, green shut.
- Markings survive paint, rust and darkness: stamped, contrasted and lit where needed.
- A station with faded arrows or a dead lamp fails the bulkhead, not the bulb.
Surveyor follow-up: local index says shut, bridge says open — which do you believe, and what do you do?
Full theory: Decks, Openings and Watertight Closing Appliances -
45 The door shall have an approximate uniform rate of closure under power. The closure time, from the time the door begins to close to the time it closes completely, shall be in no case less than 20 seconds or more than 40
Also asked: “The door shall have an approximate uniform rate of closure under power. The closure time, from the time the door begins to close to the time it closes completely, shall be in no case less than 20 seconds or more than 40 seconds with the ship in an upright condition”
Answer
Power doors shut evenly in 20–40 seconds: slower crushes nobody, faster traps nobody — uniform rate, every time.
- Timed start-to-finish upright on power, steady rate with no final slam.
- Under 20 seconds risks trapping and damage; over 40 risks the ship with an open bulkhead.
- Fire sliding doors instead run 0.1–0.2 metres per second with self-closing against 3.5 degrees opposition.
- Log each door’s time on trials; a drifting time means hydraulics, track or power trouble.
Surveyor follow-up: door shuts in 15 seconds flat — pass with a warning or adjust and retest?
Full theory: Decks, Openings and Watertight Closing Appliances -
46 gauge glass safety?
Answer
Gauge glasses carry their own guards: ball shutoff below, restrictor above, reflex glass that cracks without shattering.
- Tubular glasses fit a ball valve low down that slams shut on fracture before flashing water scalds the watchkeeper.
- Steam-end restrictor orifices choke the blow-down to a tell-tale wisp marking the failure.
- Plate-type reflex glasses crack but hold together instead of bursting like plain tube.
- Hollow steel balls at the open ends shield the operator from falling hot water during normal reading.
Surveyor follow-up: glass bursts with the ball valve seized open — steam, water or both, and what do you shut first?
Full theory: Normal Operation, Load Control, and Watchkeeping -
47 stroke and 2 stroke difference
Also asked: “4 stroke and 2 stroke difference”, “2stroke vs 4 stroke”, “Choke difference between 2 stroke and 4 stroke”
Answer
Two-stroke fires every revolution through ports; four-stroke fires every second revolution through valves — power density versus control.
- Two-stroke completes suction, compression, power and exhaust in two piston strokes with inlet and exhaust ports in the liner wall.
- Four-stroke spreads the same four events over four strokes with inlet and exhaust valves in the head.
- Two-strokes give roughly twice the power strokes per revolution at low speed with crosshead height; four-strokes package trunk-tight and high-revving.
- Sound and feel differ too: two-stroke rumble against four-stroke purr at the same output.
Surveyor follow-up: exhaust-valve two-stroke with one dead injector — which strokes suffer, and what does the exhaust show?
Full theory: Two-Stroke Structure — Frame, Tie Rods, Liner, Piston & Crosshead -
48 How kinetic energy is converted to pressure energy in T/C?
Also asked: “Kinetic to pressure energy conversion”, “What converts kinetic energy into pressure energy in TC?”
Answer
The blower throws air out fast and the diffuser slows it down: velocity dies, pressure rises, the volute collects it.
- Exhaust heat turns to kinetic energy across the nozzle ring and turbine blades, spinning the common shaft.
- The inducer feeds air smoothly into the impeller eye; the impeller flings it outward at high velocity.
- The diffuser at discharge slows that fast air, trading velocity for pressure energy into the volute.
- Aluminium blower on the cool side survives because heat stays on the turbine side of the shaft.
Surveyor follow-up: boost low with turbine speed normal — diffuser fouled or filter choked, and what pressure proves it?
Full theory: Marine Turbochargers: Aerodynamics, Bearings, Washing & Surge Mitigation -
49 Name some convention and code?
Answer
Name them in pairs: SOLAS with ISM and LSA, MARPOL with IBC and IGC, STCW with the training tables.
- SOLAS for safety of life at sea with ISM management, ISPS security, LSA, FSS and FTP codes beneath it.
- MARPOL for pollution with IBC chemical, IGC gas, IMDG packaged-goods and IMSBC solid-bulk codes beneath it.
- STCW for training and watchkeeping with competency tables for deck, engine and radio departments.
- Load Line, Tonnage, COLREG and MLC complete the working set the surveyor expects on call.
Surveyor follow-up: chemical parcel on a product tanker — which convention wakes up, and which code sizes the tanks?
Full theory: Maritime Codes & Conventions: The Complete List -
50 Oil Content Monitor and Control Unit
Also asked: “control unit (oil content monitoring”
Answer
The monitor watches oil in the discharge and stops it past the limit: sample, measure, alarm, auto-stop, log the failure.
- Sampled effluent passes the measuring cell against the 15 ppm limit on machinery-space discharge.
- Past the allowed instantaneous rate the unit auto-stops the discharge — no debate, no override.
- Any monitor failure stops the discharge too and goes in the Oil Record Book as Code F.
- Tanker systems add rate-per-mile control; prove calibration and stop function on schedule.
Surveyor follow-up: monitor fails mid-discharge with clean effluent — keep pumping or stop, and which code goes in the book?
Full theory: When You May Discharge — MARPOL Annex I Limits, Distances and Special Areas -
51 Scavenge fire reason
Also asked: “Scavenge fire reason”
Answer
Scavenge fires burn leaked oil and carbon in the trunk: blow-past, over-oiling and hot blowback light them.
- Prolonged blow-past from worn rings and liners feeds unburnt fuel into the under-piston space.
- Excess cylinder oil scraped down by the rings adds fuel to the same deposits.
- Wrong exhaust-valve timing and high back-pressure blow hot gas back through the ports to light it.
- Slow burning of carbon beds can smoulder for hours before flashing — watch scavenge temperatures and alarms.
Surveyor follow-up: scavenge temperature climbing on one unit with exhaust up — fire, cooler or timing, and what do you cut first?
Full theory: Marine Turbochargers: Aerodynamics, Bearings, Washing & Surge Mitigation -
52 Dark lamp method
Answer
Dark-lamp syncing closes the breaker when the lamps die: matched volts and phase mean no circulating current.
- Three lamps wired between incoming set and bus rise and fall with the frequency difference as speed is trimmed.
- Bright means voltages oppose in phase; dark means they match — close the breaker at dark with the synchroscope near twelve.
- A slow incoming set closed early motorizes and drags the board, tripping healthy sets off line.
- Modern synchroscopes do the same job; lamps remain the backup every engineer must still use.
Surveyor follow-up: lamps bright at the close attempt — shut or wait, and what happens if you shut now?
Full theory: Brushless Alternator Working, Paralleling & AVR Explained -
53 Holdings down bolts loose
Answer
Slack holding-down bolts let the engine walk: vibration changes, transverse movement appears, chocks and bolts fail next.
- First signs are altered vibration and visible transverse movement high on the engine.
- Long-sleeve hydraulically tensioned bolts carry tension only — shear and slack crack them fast.
- Resin chocks poured in situ carry the bedplate fair; slack bolts fret chocks, tank top and conical seats.
- Stop, realign, re-tension to elongation and re-prove — running slack writes off the bedplate.
Surveyor follow-up: vibration changed after a heavy-weather passage — bolts, chocks or alignment, and what do you measure first?
Full theory: Engine Bedplate Foundation, Holding Down Bolts & Epoxy Chocking -
54 What is annealing?
Answer
Annealing softens metal by heat and slow cool: structure recrystallises, hardness falls, ductility returns.
- Heat to the set temperature and cool in the prescribed slow manner without changing composition.
- Copper tube annealed before flaring seals soft without cracking; refrigerated pipework depends on it.
- Against it stand hardening by quench, nitriding by ammonia soak and work-hardening by cold work.
- Pick the treatment by the property wanted: softness and toughness from annealing, hardness from quench.
Surveyor follow-up: flare cracks on unannealed copper — anneal, replace or force it, and at what temperature?
Full theory: Marine Materials, Metallurgy & Mechanical Testing -
55 What is power factor?
Answer
Power factor is useful power over apparent power: kilowatts over kilovolt-amperes, lagging on motors, corrected by capacitors.
- Lagging loads like motors draw reactive current that does no work but heats cables and trims capacity.
- Low factor means bigger current for the same kilowatts — Bills, breakers and alternators all feel it.
- Parallel capacitors feed leading current cancelling the lagging share; size in kilovars from the before-and-after angles.
- Worked scale: a 20 kW motor at 0.87 lagging needs about 5 kilovars to reach 0.95 — current falls, kilowatts stay.
Surveyor follow-up: power factor 0.7 lagging on the board — alternators, cables or fuel, and what do you switch in?
Full theory: Phase, RMS Value & Power Factor Explained -
56 What is vit
Also asked: “How does vit work”
Answer
Variable injection timing moves the barrel, not the cam: a threaded sleeve shifts spill ports to advance or retard injection.
- Basic jerk pumps fix injection start at port covering and vary only the end — part-load suffers.
- VIT adds a threaded barrel in a rack-turned sleeve that cannot move axially, so the barrel rises or falls instead.
- Raising or lowering the barrel moves spill ports against the plunger edge, shifting injection start freely.
- Payoff is lower part-load consumption and smokeless running with timing matched to load.
Surveyor follow-up: exhaust smoky at part load with VIT fitted — timing set, VIT stuck or fuel, and what proves it?
Full theory: Electronic Cylinder Lubrication: Alpha Lubricator & Pulse Systems -
57 Wt is garbord starke
Answer
The garboard strake is the first shell strake out from the keel — same thickness as the bottom shell, doubled in survey attention.
- One strake each side of the keel from stem to stern, taking docking wear and grounding load.
- Same thickness as the remaining bottom shell; the sheerstrake above runs 10–20% thicker instead.
- Shell thickness grows with length, draft and frame spacing — about 10 mm at 60 m to 20 mm at 150 m.
- Name it with the keel and centre girder on the bottom-shell drawing before the surveyor asks.
Surveyor follow-up: point at the bottom shell and name keel, garboard and sheerstrake in order.
Full theory: Double Bottom Structure and Bottom Framing -
58 Wt is safe matic system of steering gare
Answer
Safematic is follow-up steering with a fallback: wheel orders an angle, feedback stops the rudder there, hand lever covers failure.
- Follow-up mode: feedback transmitter drives the rudder to the ordered angle and hunts the pump to neutral.
- Feedback failure shifts to non-follow-up where the operator is the feedback on a spring lever.
- Telemotor failure drops to local hand or trick-wheel control at the gear itself.
- Prove all three modes before sailing with hard-over timing on follow-up and jogs on the rest.
Surveyor follow-up: feedback fails mid-channel with traffic around — which mode, and what changes for the helmsman?
Full theory: Steering Gear Rules — Main and Auxiliary Gear, Performance and Tests -
59 dye penetrant test
Also asked: “Dye penetration test”
Answer
Dye-penetrant finds surface cracks the eye misses: clean, spray white developer, bleed red dye, read the lines.
- Clean the weld to bare metal, then coat with white developer that sharpens the eye.
- Spray bright-red dye and let it dwell into any crack open to the surface.
- Wipe the surface: red lines bleeding back mark cracks needing grinding and re-weld.
- Visual first for shape and spatter, dye for surface cracks, magnetic or ultrasonic where dye cannot reach.
Surveyor follow-up: red line at a weld toe after cleaning — accept, grind or NDT deeper, and how deep?
Full theory: Shipbuilding Materials, Welding and Weld Defects -
60 how to improve power factor
Also asked: “Power factor improvement method”
Answer
Raise power factor by feeding leading current: parallel capacitors first, synchronous condenser for big plants, excitation trim on sets.
- Static capacitors across low-factor loads pass leading current cancelling the lagging share — size in kilovars from the angle change.
- Synchronous condensers do the same job rotating for large industries with swinging loads.
- On board trim alternator excitation and share reactive load so no set runs needlessly lagging.
- Proved by board meters: current falls for the same kilowatts as the factor climbs toward unity.
Surveyor follow-up: factor 0.7 lagging with capacitors fitted — failed bank, wrong size or new load, and what proves it?
Full theory: Phase, RMS Value & Power Factor Explained -
61 A force acting on an object is said to be a static force if it does not change the size, position, or direction of that particular object. The force applied to a structure act as a load to that particular structure, whic
Also asked: “A force acting on an object is said to be a static force if it does not change the size, position, or direction of that particular object. The force applied to a structure act as a load to that particular structure, which is why static force is also known as a static load”
Answer
Static loads sit still, dynamic loads move: the structure answers static with stress and strain, dynamic with vibration and fatigue.
- Static force holds size, position and direction — the structure carries it as steady stress and strain.
- Applied forces become structural loads: still-water bending, cargo weight and hydrostatic pressure.
- Dynamic forces add motion — waves, slamming and rotating imbalance driving fatigue beyond steady stress.
- Design proves both: scantlings for the static load plus margins and surveys for the moving part.
Surveyor follow-up: still-water bending within limits but cracks at the hatch corners — static or dynamic failure, and what proves it?
Full theory: The Moving Parts — Liner, Piston, Gudgeon Pin and Connecting Rod Wear -
62 A low initial cost system based on carbon steel and cast iron which will require considerablemaintenance over the life of the plant
Answer
Cheap steel buys dear maintenance: carbon steel corrodes, grey cast iron shocks, bronze and ductile irons survive — protect or pay.
- Carbon steel is cheap and strong but wastes in seawater, especially at welds and bronze junctions by galvanic action.
- Ordinary grey cast iron cracks under shock — side valves and stressed fittings demand steel, bronze or ductile iron to spec.
- Sacrificial iron ions and cathodic protection buy time; galvanizing, coatings and compatible metals buy more.
- Lifetime cost beats purchase price: inspect, descale and renew cheap pipe on schedule or it renews itself by bursting.
Surveyor follow-up: grey-iron sea valve offered as a cheap spare — accept, reject or test, and under what rule?
Full theory: Marine High Voltage (HV) Installations — 3.3 kV, 6.6 kV & 11 kV Switchgear and Safety -
63 Bulbous bow construction
Answer
The bulb cancels bow wave and steadies pitching, but slamming demands heavy framing: horizontal stringers forward with deep vertical webs.
- A fine hollow entrance with a bulb cuts wave-making resistance at design speed and length.
- Blunt full-ended tankers pair big bulbs with wide entrances for the same payoff at their speeds.
- Below the waterline the bow gets dense fore-and-aft framing with breasthooks and webs carried as far forward as possible.
- Survey point: panting, pounding and weld cracks in the bulb shell and its internal support structure.
Surveyor follow-up: cracks at the bulb-to-shell weld with calm seas ahead — slam damage or fatigue, and what do you check inside?
Full theory: The Moving Parts — Liner, Piston, Gudgeon Pin and Connecting Rod Wear -
64 Check coolant medium in / out temperature (Difference temperature: should be low
Answer
Small in-out difference means healthy heat transfer: low delta-T at full flow proves the cooler breathes; wide delta-T proves fouling.
- Read inlet and outlet on both media at steady load — charge air, jacket water, oil and seawater together.
- Low difference with strong flow means clean tubes and full exchange doing their job.
- Wide difference with falling performance means air lock, scale or sludge throttling one side.
- Confirm with pressure drops and sight-glass flow before opening — then clean, vent and re-prove.
Surveyor follow-up: outlet hot with inlet normal and flow normal — fouled tubes or air lock, and what single vent proves it?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
65 Cleaning of water side can be done with soft tube brush and oil side with carbon tetra chloride solution in reverse direcion to
Answer
Clean coolers wet and backwards: tube brush waterside with flushing, solvent circulation oilsides, pressure-test before boxing up.
- Open the water box and end cover, brush tubes wet while flushing so scale leaves with the water.
- Circulate detergent or solvent oilsides in reverse to normal flow for hours until discharge runs clean.
- Leaking tubes show as oil globules and dark sludge patches in seawater boxes — sponge, inspect and plug or retube.
- Pressure-test the nest before return to service and log the tubes plugged against the 10% retube rule.
Surveyor follow-up: oil in the seawater box with no tube visibly holed — carry-over or leak, and what test proves it?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
66 Cleaning- first the surface to be tested is cleaned thoroughly with
Also asked: “The test surface should be cleaned thoroughly, a thin layer of”
Answer
Clean before you test: bare metal first, white developer second, red dye third — skips fail the test, not the weld.
- Clean the joint to bare metal removing slag, oil and paint so dye can enter any crack.
- Spray white developer to sharpen contrast, then bright-red dye with full dwell time.
- Wipe back: red lines bleeding through mark surface cracks for grinding and re-weld.
- Undersurface defects need ultrasonic or radiography — dye only reads what breaks the surface.
Surveyor follow-up: red line vanishes after wiping — crack, porosity or poor cleaning, and what do you repeat?
Full theory: Shipbuilding Materials, Welding and Weld Defects -
67 Conditions of fair competition for ship owners
Also asked: “• Conditions of fair competition for ship owners”
Answer
Fair competition means one rulebook for every flag: same safety, pollution and labour standards enforced on all ships alike.
- IMO conventions bind every trading ship to identical construction, equipment and operational bars.
- Port-state control detains substandard ships so cheap non-compliance never undercuts compliant owners.
- Common labour standards stop wage and hours abuse from buying freight rates.
- Classification and flag surveys prove the same steel, systems and manning whatever the port of loading.
Surveyor follow-up: substandard ship undercuts your freight — convention, port state or class, and which one acts first?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter IX — ISM Code & Safety Management Systems -
68 Diff between ME n MC
Answer
MC is camshaft control, ME is electronic control: one drives pumps from the cam, the other from high-pressure hydraulics.
- MC carries a chain-driven camshaft with fuel, exhaust and indicator cams plus pump rollers and reversing gear.
- ME deletes the camshaft for a hydraulic high-pressure unit above the crankshaft feeding fuel pumps and exhaust valves.
- ME replaces pump gear, booster, VIT hardware and exhaust actuation with electro-hydraulic control per unit.
- Payoff is software timing, upgradeable modes and steadier part-load running over the engine’s life.
Surveyor follow-up: timing spread on an ME engine with hydraulics normal — control, feedback or actuator, and what proves it?
Full theory: Diesel Engine Basics — Terms, Strokes & Timing -
69 Fire control & Safety plan?
Answer
The fire control plan is the ship’s fire map: stations, mains, detectors, escapes and fixed systems posted inside, outside and ashore.
- Inside accommodation alleyways for the crew — hydrants, hoses, nozzles, shore connection and escape routes at a glance.
- Outside in a weathertight case at the gangway for the shore party boarding a strange ship.
- Copy with the company so advice reaches the ship when comms survive and access does not.
- Muster stations per ship layout with team leaders reporting to command — the plan is the first order.
Surveyor follow-up: outside case empty with the inside plan current — detain, endorse or accept, and why?
Full theory: Fire Control Plan, Muster List & Flooding Response -
70 HOW WILL YOU TEST THE CRANKCASE RELIEF DOOR?
Answer
Prove relief doors by hand, spring and mesh: lift free, snap shut, wire gauze wet with oil, sealing faces clean.
- Lift each door by hand against its spring — free travel with positive reseating and no sticking.
- Spring tension holds the door shut in normal running yet yields instantly to crankcase pressure.
- Wire mesh flame trap wet with oil, unclogged gratings and sealing faces intact all round.
- Log OMD pipes clear, breather proved and tools counted before boxing up the doors.
Surveyor follow-up: door lifts stiff with the mesh dry — spring, hinge or mesh, and do you oil it or renew it?
Full theory: Scavenge Fires, Trunk Safety & Relief Devices -
71 If complaint cannot be resolved onboard, the matter should be referred ashore to the ship manager/owner
Answer
Unresolved complaints go up the chain: head of department, master, then company, flag and port state — in writing, without fear.
- Onboard route first: seafarer to head of department to master with the complaint heard and recorded.
- Unresolved matters go ashore to the ship manager or owner with the log and agreement attached.
- Beyond the company lie flag-state and port-state complaint routes with no victimisation for good-faith reports.
- The MLC poster, agreement and logbook prove the route was open and used.
Surveyor follow-up: rating fears signing the complaint — who guarantees no victimisation, and where is it written?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
72 It is a level playing field for ship owners
Answer
One set of IMO rules for every owner keeps competition on efficiency, not on cutting safety corners.
- Identical convention standards for construction, equipment, pollution and labour across flags.
- Survey, certification and port-state enforcement apply the same bar in every port.
- Substandard operation is detained, not discounted — compliance costs land equally.
- Efficient ships win on fuel, maintenance and management, never on missing safety gear.
Surveyor follow-up: competitor skips safety drills to save time — who catches him first, and how?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter IX — ISM Code & Safety Management Systems -
73 It is convenient to measure distances from the
Answer
Measure the ship from fixed datums: perpendiculars for length, baseline for height, midships for breadth and draft.
- Length between perpendiculars from forward to aft reference lines for tonnage, freeboard and stability work.
- Baseline at the keel top as the zero for all vertical heights with draft read from it.
- Midships section as the breadth and depth datum for scantlings, tonnage and subdivision length.
- State the datum with every figure — a distance without its reference is not a measurement.
Surveyor follow-up: length overall versus between perpendiculars — which one sizes the load line, and why?
Full theory: Tonnage Measurement: Gross & Net Tonnage -
74 Kva kvar kw
Answer
Read the power triangle: kW does the work, kVAr magnetises, kVA feeds both — factor is work over feed.
- Active power in kilowatts equals volts times amps times cosine of the phase angle.
- Reactive power in kilovars equals volts times amps times sine — the magnetising share doing no work.
- Apparent power in kilovolt-amperes is the vector sum the cables and alternators must carry.
- Raise a lagging factor with parallel capacitors or excitation trim and watch current fall for the same kilowatts.
Surveyor follow-up: 100 kW at 0.7 lagging — apparent and reactive power, and what capacitor fixes it?
Full theory: Electrical Fundamentals — Current, Power & Laws -
75 Lo test on board
Also asked: “LO tests carried out on board”, “Lo. Test procedures onboard”
Answer
Onboard LO tests track death by contamination: TBN, viscosity, water, flash point and insolubles — condemn on condition, not hours.
- TBN by pressure-rise test mixture — falling reserve means acids are winning.
- Viscosity by flowstick comparator against fresh oil — rises with oxidation and soot, falls with fuel dilution.
- Water by crackle test of heated drops plus calcium-carbide pressure test for quantity.
- Flash point for fuel ingress, pH paper for alkalinity, blotter spot for insolubles.
Surveyor follow-up: viscosity falling with flash point low — what contamination, and where is it coming from?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
76 Maintenance of the ship & equipment
Answer
Maintenance runs on the system, not memory: planned schedules, spares logged, wear trended, records ready for audit.
- Planned maintenance with intervals, job cards and overhaul records carrying wear readings and rates.
- Minimum spares aboard with receipts, issues and reorder levels tracked in the spares register.
- Logbook and movement book travel with the watch — the first documents any casualty inquiry demands.
- Analysis of defects and non-conformities resets intervals and exposes repeat failures before they recur.
Surveyor follow-up: spares register shows zero balance on a critical seal — sail, rob the sister ship or stay, and who decides?
Full theory: Maintenance and Troubleshooting — Overhauls, Tappet Clearance and Reading a Fault -
77 Mc and mcc diff
Also asked: “Difference in MC and McC”, “Difference between MC and MC-C”
Answer
MC is the camshaft engine, MC-C its compact-pressured update: same mechanical control, tighter ratings and pressures.
- MC carries the classic camshaft with fuel and exhaust cams driving pump gear and valve actuation.
- MC-C keeps camshaft control with uprated pressures, timings and turbocharging for higher output from the same frame.
- Both stand apart from ME engines, which delete the camshaft for electro-hydraulic control.
- Name the variant from the plate: ratings, pressures and control mode settle MC against MC-C.
Surveyor follow-up: MC-C exhaust hotter than MC at the same load — rating, timing or turbo, and what proves it?
Full theory: Diesel Engine Basics — Terms, Strokes & Timing -
78 Minimum requirements of seafarers to work on ships
Answer
No one sails without age, health, training, agreement and placement papers — five gates before the gangway.
- Minimum age 16 with medical fitness proved by certificate.
- Basic safety training and qualification for the rank with documents in hand.
- Signed employment agreement with wages, leave and repatriation terms.
- Licensed recruitment and placement with no blacklisting — papers checked at flag and port state.
Surveyor follow-up: agreement signed but medical expired yesterday — sail, stay or revalidate, and who decides?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
79 Natural aspirated engine
Also asked: “• Natural aspirated engine”
Answer
Naturally aspirated engines breathe what the piston sucks: no blower, no boost — simple, responding slowly, sipping air at atmospheric pressure.
- Suction stroke alone fills the cylinder through open ports or valves with no turbocharger help.
- Valve overlap stays small since no boost scavenges the charge — turbocharged engines overlap wider.
- Power per litre trails boosted engines; reliability and simplicity lead instead.
- Small auxiliaries and lifeboat engines keep natural aspiration where boost complexity never pays.
Surveyor follow-up: same block turbocharged versus natural — which overlap is wider, and why?
Full theory: Two-Stroke Structure — Frame, Tie Rods, Liner, Piston & Crosshead -
80 Reason for water coming from gear box
Answer
Water in the gearbox means cooling or sealing has failed: cooler tubes, seals or glands leaking into the oil.
- Lube-oil cooler tubes holed admit seawater into the oil circuit — check sludge colour and globules first.
- Shaft seals and stuffing-box glands weep cooling or jacket water past worn faces into sumps.
- Piston-rod glands and water-cooled piston circuits add the same contamination path on big engines.
- Prove with crackle and analysis, find the leak by cooler test and seal inspection, change the oil before journals pit.
Surveyor follow-up: milky gearbox oil with the cooler tight — seals, glands or condensation, and what test proves it?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
81 SEA must be signed by the seafarer and the ship owner, or his authorised representative
Also asked: “• SEA must be signed by the seafarer and the ship owner, or his authorised representative”
Answer
The employment agreement is void unsigned: seafarer and owner or authorised agent both sign with place and date.
- Full names, birth details, owner address, rank, wages, leave and signing place and date on the face of it.
- Both parties sign — the seafarer and the owner or his authorised representative, never one side alone.
- The agreement rides captivity and notice clauses: piracy or armed robbery extends its protection past expiry.
- Original aboard for inspection with a copy ashore — unsigned means unseaworthy manning.
Surveyor follow-up: agent signed but the owner is unnamed — valid agreement or detention paper?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
82 Section A has Multiple choice, Fill in the blank and True or False type ques'
Also asked: “Section A has Multiple choice, Fill in the blank and True or False type ques’”
Answer
Section A is the objective half: MCQs, fill-in-the-blanks and true-false testing breadth before the long answers.
- Multiple choice rewards taught facts — eliminate distractors by units, limits and regulation numbers.
- Fill-in-the-blanks wants exact terms: pressures, temperatures, codes and certificate names spelt right.
- True-false punishes guessing — answer only what the book states, mark the rest for review.
- Finish Section A fast and bank time for Section B sketches and calculations carrying the heavy marks.
Surveyor follow-up: this bank is your Section A practice — which tier do you clear first, and why?
Full theory: Engine Watchkeeping — Handover, Rounds & Work Safety -
83 Simpson‘s First Rule is based on the assumption that the curved portion of a figure forms part of a parabola (y = ax² + bx + c), and gives the area contained between three consecutive, equally-spaced ordinates. Area ABCD
Also asked: “Simpson‘s First Rule is based on the assumption that the curved portion of a figure forms part of a parabola (y = ax² + bx + c), and gives the area contained between three consecutive, equally-spaced ordinates. Area ABCD = (h/3 ) x (1y1+ 4Y2 + 1y3”
Answer
Simpson’s first rule turns half-ordinates into area: one-third the spacing times one-four-one, repeated along the waterplane.
- Three equally spaced ordinates under a parabolic curve give area as spacing over three times first plus four times middle plus last.
- Chain the rule along the waterplane: 1-4-2-4-2 down to 4-1 multipliers across odd counts of ordinates.
- Needs an odd number of ordinates at equal spacing — Simpson’s second rule covers the even-count remainder.
- Use it for waterplane area, then volume, displacement and TPC straight off the same table.
Surveyor follow-up: seven half-ordinates at 4 m spacing — write the multiplier line before touching the calculator.
Full theory: Ship Hydrostatics: Buoyancy, Displacement and Trim -
84 Single phasing, how will we know it's
Also asked: “Single phasing and how to detect... what happen due to single phasing”, “What is single phasing and what are the consequences”, “Single phasing. What will happen”
Answer
Single-phasing announces itself: louder hum, shaking shaft, excess current, hot copper smell and smoke from the casing.
- Hear it first — humming far above normal with vibration instead of smooth rotation.
- See current climb on the healthy phases while speed sags under load.
- Smell hot insulation and watch for light smoke or fumes off the casing.
- Confirmed fault means stop at once, start the standby, then megger windings and earth continuity before any test run.
Surveyor follow-up: the motor restarts after cooling — run it or keep it stopped, and what do you check first?
Full theory: Induction Motors — Principle, Faults & Testing -
85 The Administration required a test of a prototype division in accordance with the Fire Test Procedures Code to ensure that it meets the above requirements for integrity and temperature rise
Answer
New A, B and C divisions prove themselves in a furnace: prototype tested to the FTP Code for flame and heat passage before class accepts them.
- The furnace test burns one face to the standard time-temperature curve while instruments read the cold face.
- Integrity means no sustained flame or hot-gas passage for the rated minutes.
- Insulation means the cold-face rise stays inside limits — average and spot readings both count.
- Pass earns type approval with A-60 down to A-0 grades; fail means redesign, not exemption.
Surveyor follow-up: prototype passes integrity but fails temperature rise — which grade does it earn, if any?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter II-1 — Construction: Subdivision, Stability, Machinery & Electrical -
86 The employment, engagement or work of seafarers under the age of 18 shall be prohibited where the work is likely to jeopardize their health or safety. The types of such work shall be determined by national laws or regula
Also asked: “The employment, engagement or work of seafarers under the age of 18 shall be prohibited where the work is likely to jeopardize their health or safety. The types of such work shall be determined by national laws or regulations or by the competent authority, after consultation with the shipowners' and seafarers' organizations concerned, in accordance with relevant international standards”
Answer
Under-18s sail under guard: hazardous and night work banned unless national law sets strict safeguards with training and supervision.
- No under-18 on work risking health or safety — heights, enclosed spaces, heavy lifts and night watches top the list.
- Each flag lists the banned tasks in national law after consultation with owners and unions.
- Allowed duties need risk assessment, supervision, training and medical fitness proved on paper.
- Breach detains: the agreement, roster and risk assessment must agree before sign-on.
Surveyor follow-up: 17-year-old cadet rostered for a night engine-room watch — compliant or not?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
87 The employment, engagement or work on board a ship of any person under the age of 16 shall be prohibited
Answer
No one under 16 works at sea — absolute ban with no exemptions, proved by birth details on the agreement.
- Sixteen is the floor for any shipboard employment, engagement or work.
- Birth date on the seafarer agreement plus medical and training papers prove compliance.
- Under-18 limits sit above this floor; under-16 is simply prohibited outright.
- Flag and port-state inspectors check the agreement first — a missing birth date fails the ship.
Surveyor follow-up: trainee aged 15 with parental consent and light duties — sail or stay ashore?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
88 Type of engine, vessel
Also asked: “Type of vessel,type of engine(always mentioned the”, “Type of ship/engine”
Answer
Open with engine and vessel in one breath: cycle, piston, speed and use plus type, trade and plant.
- Engine by cycle, piston, speed and service — two-stroke crosshead slow-speed or four-stroke trunk medium-speed.
- Vessel by type, deadweight and trade with the company operating her.
- Power and appetite: kilowatts or bhp per cylinder with specific consumption and fuel grade.
- Your watch role on that plant — the surveyor aims the next question from it.
Surveyor follow-up: your last engine by all four — cycle, piston, speed and use.
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
89 Type of vessel
Also asked: “Type of ship Ship specificaton”
Answer
Name the vessel by cargo and structure: container, bulk, tanker, gas, passenger, ro-ro or offshore — then her subdivision.
- Three big groups first: container ships, bulk carriers and tankers with oil, gas, chemical and product splits.
- Dry extras: passenger, ro-ro and offshore types with their own subdivision and stability rules.
- Type decides midship section, freeboard, fire cover and pollution annexes — say it before details.
- Finish with your ship: type, deadweight, trade and the plant behind you.
Surveyor follow-up: your ship loads a new cargo type next voyage — which rules change with her?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
90 What is ip
Answer
IP states enclosure defence in two digits: first against solids, second against water — higher means tighter.
- Letters IP plus two numerals: solid-particle defence first, liquid defence second, with a third for impact strength on some gear.
- Higher first digit means smaller objects kept out, up to dust-tight; higher second means stronger water jets and immersion.
- Match the rating to the space: deck gear weathertight, engine-room gear drip-proof, hazardous spaces flameproof as well.
- A broken seal, missing gland or open cover voids the rating whatever the plate claims.
Surveyor follow-up: IP56 motor offered for open deck — accept it, and what do the 5 and 6 each promise?
Full theory: Instruments & Safety Systems -
91 What will you do in scavenge fire
Also asked: “How will u know scavenge fire taken place”
Answer
Starve a scavenge fire, never feed it: slow down, cut fuel to the unit, cool around it and let it die out.
- Ease rpm down, puncture fuel to the affected unit, keep jacket and piston cooling full on.
- Raise cylinder lubrication, shut scavenge drains against flame spread and watch air and exhaust temperatures.
- Small local fires die in 15–30 minutes untouched — then restore fuel step by step watching for re-ignition.
- Big fires stop the engine for boundary cooling and fixed smothering; doors stay shut until cool with gear ready.
Surveyor follow-up: temperatures falling after fuel cut — when do you open the scavenge doors, and what do you carry?
Full theory: Marine Turbochargers: Aerodynamics, Bearings, Washing & Surge Mitigation -
92 Why crank web deflection is taken ?
Answer
Web deflections warn of bent-line bearings: a shifting gap between crank webs means main bearings have moved.
- Read with a dial gauge between webs at fixed crank positions and fixed engine condition every survey.
- Changes from the shaft’s natural deflection map directly to bearing-height differences.
- Early warning beats late damage: wiping, pounding and cracked webs all arrive after the readings move.
- Invisible movement the eye cannot see still fatigues webs — trend against maker limits, not memory.
Surveyor follow-up: deflections shifted after dry dock with no bearing work — hull or engine, and what do you check first?
Full theory: Crankshaft Alignment, Web Deflections & Bearing Clearances -
93 explain principles underlying MLC 2006 convention
Answer
MLC rests on four pillars: every seafarer’s rights to fair work, decent living, health cover and compliant enforcement.
- Safe workplaces meeting safety standards with fair terms of employment.
- Decent working and living conditions from accommodation to catering.
- Health protection, medical care, welfare and social security spanning the voyage and home.
- Enforcement through flag certification, port-state inspection and no-more-favourable-treatment for non-ratifiers.
Surveyor follow-up: quote two rights from memory — then show me one working on this ship.
Full theory: Maritime Codes & Conventions: The Complete List -
94 firing order significance
Also asked: “4 firing order significance”
Answer
Firing order spreads power pulses evenly: equal ignition spacing balances forces, smooths the shaft and feeds the turbo steadily.
- Six-cylinder four-stroke spaces ignitions 120 crank degrees apart in sequences like 1-2-4-6-5-3.
- Six-cylinder two-stroke favours orders like 1-5-3-6-2-4 with seven and eight cylinder sets of their own.
- Even spacing balances free forces and moments while steadying exhaust pulses to the turbocharger.
- Air-start cams follow the same order — wrong sequence shows as failed starts and shaking running.
Surveyor follow-up: exhaust pulses uneven with timing correct — firing order, fuel or air, and what proves it?
Full theory: The Moving Parts — Liner, Piston, Gudgeon Pin and Connecting Rod Wear -
95 jeopardize the safety of ships or adversely affect the performance of the
Answer
No duty may risk the ship or cripple her performance: safety overrides commercial orders, schedules and drills alike.
- The master’s overriding authority stops any operation threatening safety or pollution prevention.
- Fatigued, undermanned or untrained operation that degrades performance is a non-conformity, not bad luck.
- Drills, maintenance and rest rules exist to keep performance above the danger line — skipping them jeopardises the ship.
- Report, record and correct: the log and audit trail prove safety won over schedule.
Surveyor follow-up: charterer presses for sailing short-handed — obey, refuse or call, and who backs the call?
Full theory: Safety and Emergencies -
96 zz bearing spefication
Also asked: “6305zz bearing spefication”, “6305 ZZ bearing specifications”, “6305zz bearing what it is ?”
Answer
Bearings read inside-outside-width plus seals and clearance: 6305ZZ decodes bore, series, sealing and fit.
- Six is the deep-groove family, 3 the dimension series, 05 the bore code for 25 mm.
- ZZ means steel shields both sides — sealed for life against dirt with no relubrication.
- Clearance and fit follow maker tables against shaft and housing tolerances, not guesswork.
- Renew on noise, heat, vibration or brinelling; state bore, OD, width and clearance ordering the spare.
Surveyor follow-up: 6305ZZ offered open instead of shielded for a dusty flat — accept or reject, and why?
Full theory: Motor Starters — Taming 8–10× Current -
97 Economiser fire explain?
Also asked: “Economizer fire causes explain”
Answer
Economiser fires burn soot and unburnt fuel on the coils: slow steaming lays the fuel, manoeuvring air lights it.
- Thick soot from incomplete combustion and high-carbon bunkers coats the coils, worst at manoeuvring with slow gas velocity.
- Excess scavenge air plus coil heat already present mixes fuel and air to ignition temperature.
- Warnings are smoke smell at the economiser, overheating metal and rising uptake temperatures.
- Starve with load control, soot-blow on schedule and boundary-watch; never hose a hot soot fire into steam explosion.
Surveyor follow-up: uptake fire with the engine at full away — slow down, soot-blow or water-wash, and in what order?
Full theory: Marine Turbochargers: Aerodynamics, Bearings, Washing & Surge Mitigation -
98 Ext. Anil deswal
Also asked: “Ext.Anil Deswal”, “exl anil deswal”
Answer
An examiner name is not a syllabus: examiners rotate, questions repeat — prepare the machine behind the name.
- Surveyors change panels and ports; banks tag names but examine systems, not personalities.
- The same examiner asks different ships different systems — purifier today, steering tomorrow.
- Prepare by weight, not by name: must-master answers first, high-priority systems next.
- Walk in with your ship’s plant, drawings and recent jobs — names never appear on the question paper.
Surveyor follow-up: which machine from your last ship do you want first — name it and open with its safeties?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
99 How to do continuity test
Also asked: “How to check Continuity”
Answer
Continuity proves the path is whole: dead circuit, meter or megger across the points, voltage-drop or lamp trace to the break.
- Prove dead first — no live checks on control and high-voltage circuits.
- Megger or multimeter across the isolated points: near-zero ohms means continuous, open means the break.
- Trace by voltage drop and test lamp from source through fuses, switches and terminals to the load.
- Blown fuses proved by back-side testing each fuse separately with the line switch proved live first.
Surveyor follow-up: megger shows open on a control wire that looks fine — break, terminal or device, and what next?
Full theory: Electrical Fundamentals — Current, Power & Laws -
100 Refer LO properties
Also asked: “Refri. system LO properties”
Answer
Refer-compressor oil must love refrigerant: miscible, wax-free, stable, low-pour and foam-shy — alkyl benzene leads.
- Miscible and soluble with the refrigerant without compounds or chemical mischief.
- Low floc point and wax content with low pour point so flow never congeals in the cold leg.
- Thermally and chemically stable with high viscosity index holding film even diluted.
- Low foaming to stop carryover on starts; compatible seals and driers complete the charge.
Surveyor follow-up: wax choking the expansion valve with correct charge — oil grade, moisture or temperature, and what proves it?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
101 What is clamp meter?Working?
Answer
A clamp meter reads current without breaking the circuit: jaws round one conductor sense the magnetic field.
- Select AC or DC amps at the highest range first, zero the jaws away from the conductor.
- Clamp one conductor only — paired go-and-return fields cancel and read near zero.
- Read running current against nameplate with voltage and temperature beside it.
- Series-probe amps instead need the circuit opened at a fuse link with capacitors discharged — clamps skip that danger.
Surveyor follow-up: clamp round a three-core cable reads near zero with the motor running — meter, method or motor?
Full theory: Instruments & Safety Systems -
102 What is water crackle test.?
Also asked: “What is water crackle test?”
Answer
The crackle test hears free water: ten hot drops that pop and spit hold water no eye can see.
- Heat ten drops in foil over a flame and listen — crackling confirms water in the oil.
- Quantify with the calcium-carbide pressure test and viscosity trend against fresh oil.
- Positive means find the leak — cooler tubes, glands or condensation — then centrifuge and drain.
- Spot, flash and alkalinity tests beside it name fuel, acids and insolubles in the same sample.
Surveyor follow-up: crackle positive with the purifier running clean — cooler, glands or sample bottle, and what proves it?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
103 which ship you did?
Answer
Open with ship and company in one breath: type, trade, owner and your rank — then the plant behind you.
- Ship type and deadweight with the company operating her and the trade she runs.
- Your rank and watch role on board — what you stood, overhauled and signed for.
- Main plant by builder, type and power so the surveyor can aim questions at it.
- One line on cargo quirks — tanks, hatches or reefers — since the next question comes from it.
Surveyor follow-up: your company runs tankers and bulkers — which rules change when you change ship type?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
104 AE Indicator cock leaking first action
Also asked: “Ae indicator cock leak”
Answer
A leaking indicator cock bleeds compression: tighten and reseat first, renew the seat if it still weeps.
- Shut the cock and feel for blow-past with the unit running — hissing and soot mark the leaker.
- Tighten the gland and reseat the needle; carbon and scale under the seat cause most weeps.
- Prove by cranking with cocks open then shut — compression should hold with no blow.
- Renew cock, seat and packing if reseating fails; log the unit and re-prove under load.
Surveyor follow-up: all cocks tight yet one unit still blows past — cock, rings or valves, and what proves it?
Full theory: The Diesel Generator Set — Bedding Down, Coupling and Driving the Alternator -
105 AE not starting on Fuel
Also asked: “A/E not starting, y?”, “AE not start on fuel?”
Answer
An auxiliary that turns on air but not fuel is starved, stuck or cold: filters, pumps, rack, injectors and heat in that order.
- Fuel side: empty service tank, choked filters, tripped supply pumps, active puncture valve, cold viscous oil.
- Metering side: stuck rack, jammed plunger, worn booster pump, leaking relief valve, governed fuel cut.
- Injection side: sticking needles, blocked holes, seized delivery valves, broken plunger springs.
- Air side behind it: low start pressure, sticky start valves, mistimed distributor, cold engine with surging turbo.
Surveyor follow-up: turns on air, fires on none with fuel pressure normal — rack, injector or governor, and what first?
Full theory: Starting the Engine — Air Start Valve, Distributor and the Four Interlocks -
106 Continuous running of compressor
Also asked: “air compressor continuously running”, “Air compressor running continously”
Answer
A compressor that never stops is leaking, mis-switching or mis-set: system leaks first, unloader and pressure switch next.
- Leaking lines, valves and receivers bleed pressure as fast as the pump builds it.
- Failed unloader holds the machine loaded past cut-out; faulty pressure switch never calls the stop.
- Second-stage faults show as first-stage relief lifting with interstage pressure wrong loaded versus unloaded.
- Prove by isolating sections, watching cut-in and cut-out pressures, then fixing leaks before electrics.
Surveyor follow-up: cuts out with the discharge isolated but runs forever on the system — leak or switch, and where?
Full theory: Air Compressor Operations — Lubrication, Drains & Running -
107 Dead motor revive
Also asked: “Motor recover from dead”
Answer
Revive a dead motor by drying, not forcing: isolate, wash out salt, dry warm, megger rising, then test-run light.
- Isolate, tag men-at-work, uncouple, lift to a clean bench and strip covers, fan, bearings and shaft.
- Wash salt with warm fresh or distilled water, then dry warm with readings climbing steadily.
- Megger, not multimeter, proves insulation recovery into the hundreds of volts range before refit.
- Rebuild with dry bearings, prove no-start checks — connections, trips, supply, single-phase and coupling — then run light.
Surveyor follow-up: megger climbing but stalled below 1 megaohm — keep drying or renew, and at what temperature cap?
Full theory: Induction Motors — Principle, Faults & Testing -
108 Describe the purifier safety system layout with a system schematic diagram, explaining how each of the safety devices keep the automatic purifier operation safe and trouble free
Answer
Sketch bowl, drive and water logic with every trip guarding it: speed, vibration, temperature and pressure each own a stop.
- Bowl-speed sensing trips on low speed before separation fails; vibration switches stop a walking bowl.
- High-temperature alarms guard feed and friction heat; pressure switches guard operating-water and feed lines.
- Bowl-height and sludge-space logic blocks desludge faults that would dump oil to the sludge tank.
- Draw drive motor through clutch and worm gear to the bowl with brakes, then each sensor wired to stop and alarm.
Surveyor follow-up: draw the sensor that stops a low-speed bowl — speed probe, vibration or temperature, and where?
Full theory: Purifier Safety: Emergency Stop, Fire-Fighting & Vibration Response -
109 ISOLATE THE SYSTEM
Answer
Isolate by lockout-tagout: know the energies, kill them all, dissipate the stored, lock every source, prove dead.
- Name every energy — electrical, pressure, heat, gravity and spring — before touching a valve or breaker.
- Shut the machine, close main sources including air disconnects, notify everyone affected.
- Lock and tag each incoming source with personal padlocks into key safes; permits live in the safe until cleared.
- Vent, drain and discharge residuals, then prove dead with meters before hands go in.
Surveyor follow-up: one lock for three fitters on one pump — compliant or not, and whose key releases it?
Full theory: Maintenance and Troubleshooting — Overhauls, Tappet Clearance and Reading a Fault -
110 If the grade of oil being used is same , why would you encounter the above problem ?
Answer
Same grade, same trouble means contamination, not selection: fuel, water and acids beat the grade into failure.
- Burnt oily matter and water through stuffing-box and gland leaks corrode journals whatever the grade.
- Piston-cooling water with inhibitors leaking inside poisons the same oil further.
- Fuel dilution thins viscosity while soot and acids raise wear — analysis names the intruder.
- Fix the leak, centrifuge hot, change the charge if TBN has collapsed — grade never cures contamination.
Surveyor follow-up: same drums, two engines, one failing — oil, operation or leak, and what analysis proves it?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
111 Loss of power
Also asked: “Loss in-power”
Answer
Blackout drill is breaker, set, restore: bus-tie opens, emergency set starts on undervoltage, main returns without paralleling.
- Undervoltage relay senses dead mains and auto-starts the emergency set on battery or local air.
- Bus-tie breaker trips so emergency feeds only emergency loads with no paralleling to a dead board.
- Start the main set again, close its breaker with the link still open, then transfer loads in order.
- Push-button starts in control room and generator flat back the auto relay on every test.
Surveyor follow-up: emergency breaker closed but no volts on the board — relay, breaker or set, and where first?
Full theory: Electrical Fundamentals — Current, Power & Laws -
112 Refer comp short cycling
Also asked: “Refer short cycling”
Answer
Short-cycling is the low-pressure switch doing its job on a sick plant: undercharge, frost, dirt or fat differential.
- Low charge drops suction until the LP switch trips, then pressure rebounds and restarts her — repeat until fixed.
- Frosted evaporator, dirty strainer and clogged drier starve suction the same way.
- Oversized differential and wrong capacity setting widen the stop-start band artificially.
- Prove by gauges and frost line: charge weighed, coil defrosted, strainer clean, differential reset.
Surveyor follow-up: short-cycling with a clear sight glass — charge, evaporator or switch, and what gauge proves it?
Full theory: The Refrigeration Compressor -
113 Single phasing?
Answer
Single-phasing is a motor on two legs: loud hum, shaking shaft, excess current, hot copper smell and casing smoke.
- Lose a phase and symmetry dies — heat-type overloads often miss it while the motor cooks.
- Signs stack fast: louder hum, vibration over rotation, excess current, burnt insulation smell, visible fumes.
- Stop at once, start the standby, then inspect windings with earth and resistance tests.
- Rectify the loose wire, contactor, relay, breaker or fuse, then test-run to rated volts, amps, rpm and temperature.
Surveyor follow-up: restarts after cooling with the fault still aboard — run it or keep it stopped?
Full theory: Motor Starters — Taming 8–10× Current -
114 Soot blowing procedure
Answer
Soot-blow with water and steam proved first: feed reserve full, gearboxes oiled, flame and level guards live, uptake watched.
- Prove reserve feed, blower gear oil, greased bearings, live flame-failure and low-water cutouts before a lance moves.
- Blow in sequence watching uptake temperatures and smoke for the clearing trend.
- Minutes of steam-air lancing clear loose deposits; flash up normally after to dry external surfaces.
- Hot air from air heaters or portable units dries the boiler if flashing cannot follow at once.
Surveyor follow-up: uptake fire during blowing with flame guards live — keep blowing, stop or water-wash?
Full theory: Normal Operation, Load Control, and Watchkeeping -
115 Type of compressor ?
Answer
Marine air comes reciprocating for starting air and rotary for bulk low-pressure air: stages with intercooling save the work.
- Single-crank tandem-piston reciprocating sets with staged ratios limited by discharge temperature.
- Multi-staging with intercooling nears isothermal compression — shaded work saved on the diagram.
- Reciprocating seals positively with valve maintenance as the price; rotary screw and vane types move big volumes gently.
- Rotary sets feed scavenge and boiler air where pressure stays low and flow stays huge.
Surveyor follow-up: starting-air set offered as a screw compressor — accept it, and what pressure decides?
Full theory: Air Compressor Operations — Lubrication, Drains & Running -
116 What are non essential loads?
Also asked: “what are non-essential load ..name few”, “Essential & non essential loads. Name few”
Answer
Non-essentials shed first on overload: hotel, comfort and cargo-hold ventilation go while steering, navigation and safety stay.
- Air-conditioning, entertainment, cabin and hold fans plus galley extras trip first on preferential stages.
- First trip near 110% load after seconds; overload trip near 150% guards the alternators themselves.
- Essentials never shed: steering, navigation, alarms, emergency lighting and fire pumps ride through.
- Prove by staged-trip test on schedule — a preferential that never trips is already a failure.
Surveyor follow-up: galley range on the preferential bus — essential or not, and what trips first with it?
Full theory: The Alternator and Switchboard — AVR, Load Shedding and the Automatic Plant -
117 What is High Voltage?
Answer
High voltage starts above 1000 volts AC and 1500 volts DC: spark in air plus shock by touch or nearness.
- IEC bands put supply high above 1000 RMS AC with low at 50–1000 and extra-low below 50.
- Most ships permit-to-work even below 1000 volts where switchboards bite the same.
- Work means isolated, earthed, proven dead with insulated tools, arc cover and a second man.
- Never defeat interlocks or rack breakers live — the permit states every step.
Surveyor follow-up: 990 volts on the board — low or high voltage precautions, and who signs the permit?
Full theory: Marine High Voltage (HV) Installations — 3.3 kV, 6.6 kV & 11 kV Switchgear and Safety -
118 What is ICCP
Answer
Impressed-current protection drives hull current backwards: anodes fed from a DC source swamp natural corrosion current.
- A passive reference cell reads hull potential as the natural corrosion measure.
- Insoluble anodes — platinum or platinised titanium — push opposing DC into the seawater.
- Opposing current at or above natural corrosion flips hull steel from anode to cathode so it stops wasting.
- Survey point: reference drift, anode wastage and controller output logged against draft and speed.
Surveyor follow-up: ICCP off with anodes intact in port — hull safe, wasting or over-protected, and what reading proves it?
Full theory: MGPS — Marine Growth Prevention / Anti-Fouling System -
119 What is ism, how will you implement on your ship
Also asked: “How will you know ism is followed in your ship”
Answer
ISM is safety run as a system: policy, people, plans, drills and audits proving the ship matches the manual.
- Build with a task force writing the manual to the Code, jobs named and the designated person appointed.
- Prove the system runs to earn the DOC for the company type and the SMC for the ship.
- Drill, train, maintain and record daily — muster lists, maintenance cards and logbooks carry the proof.
- Review and update on company experience and rule changes until safety culture, not paper, runs the ship.
Surveyor follow-up: show me ISM working on this ship — manual, drill record or logbook first?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter IX — ISM Code & Safety Management Systems -
120 Why do we use 2 stage compressor
Also asked: “Type of compressor and why 2 stage”, “Why compression in two stages”
Answer
Two stages with intercooling buy pressure cheaply: split the ratio, cool between, save work and temperatures.
- Single stages cap ratio by discharge temperature; splitting keeps each stage inside limits.
- Intercooling between stages nears isothermal compression — shaded work saved on the diagram.
- Boost ratios near six hold high efficiency across two modest stages where one radial stage would sag.
- Bonus is cooler rubbing surfaces, thicker oil films and happier valves stage to stage.
Surveyor follow-up: intercooler fouled with discharge hot — single-stage or two-stage penalty, and what proves it?
Full theory: Air Compressor Principle, Thermodynamics & Multistage Advantages -
121 With a flow chart show and explain the process involved in fuel treatment to achieve desired quality
Answer
Draw settling to service through heat, spin and filter: tanks settle, purifiers spin, heaters thin, filters polish.
- Settling tanks drop water and sludge by gravity with drains run daily.
- Centrifugal purifiers heated near 98 degrees cut viscosity toward 24 cSt for separation.
- Heaters with viscometer steam control land 10–14 cSt at the injector for atomisation.
- Fine filters guard the pumps with sludge to the heated sludge tank for disposal — soluble vanadium and sodium pass through regardless.
Surveyor follow-up: draw the flow from bunker tank to injector — where do purifier, heater and viscometer sit?
Full theory: Lube Oil & Fuel Systems — Properties, Treatment & Changeover -
122 autobackwash filter working
Also asked: “Auto backwash filter complete working”
Answer
Auto-backwash filters clean themselves on differential pressure: flow filters one leg while a flush leg blows the dirt out.
- Normal flow passes screens trapping dirt above the micron rating with pressure drop watched.
- Rising differential triggers the backwash arm — one element isolated and reverse-flushed while the rest keep filtering.
- Flush sludge to the drain tank without stopping the engine or opening the housing.
- Prove by differential gauges, flush counter and clean sight flow after each cycle.
Surveyor follow-up: differential high with flush running nonstop — element torn, valve passing or sludge tank full?
Full theory: Fuel Oil System — Interactive One-Line Diagram -
123 intrinsically safe circuits
Answer
Intrinsically safe circuits cannot spark an explosion: barriers cap energy so faults outside never reach inside.
- Each Exi circuit gets its own zener barrier outside the hazardous space.
- Fuse caps current through shunt diodes, resistors cap current inward, zeners clamp voltage on the circuit.
- Apparatus inside the space is rated Exi to match — ordinary gear, however small, is forbidden.
- Prove barriers, earths and labels before carrying live instruments into gas-dangerous spaces.
Surveyor follow-up: multimeter for the pump room — ordinary, flameproof or intrinsically safe, and what barrier proves it?
Full theory: Instruments & Safety Systems -
124 know How to overhaul stuffing box in place?
Also asked: “Overhauling of stuffing box in place”
Answer
Overhaul stuffing boxes with the rod in place: spacer on the palm, bolts out, rings and springs renewed to sequence.
- Palm bolts and locking out at bottom dead centre, spacer fitted on the palm before lifting.
- Securing bolts and locks out, box lifted with rod supported — rings, springs and segments laid in order.
- Clean grooves, renew worn rings and tired springs, stagger joints per the manual diagram.
- Rebuild torqued and locked with cooling and drain proved — blow-past test before full load.
Surveyor follow-up: blow-past persists with new rings — rings, springs or bore, and what proves it?
Full theory: Cylinder Liner Wear, Calibration & Cold Corrosion -
125 A fine filter with very fine mesh removes possible contaminants present in the fuel after centrifuging. Preheating and Combustion
Also asked: “• A fine filter with very fine mesh removes possible contaminants present in the fuel after centrifuging. Preheating and Combustion”
Answer
After the centrifuge the fine filter catches the last solids, then preheating lands viscosity for clean combustion.
- Very-fine-mesh filter polices the centrifuge outlet — abnormal dirt here means the purifier is passing.
- Preheating thins the fuel to injection viscosity so atomisation, not dribbling, meets the hot air.
- Clean combustion follows treated fuel: right pressure, right timing and hot enough air to finish the burn.
- Prove by filter differential, heater outlet temperature and exhaust clarity together.
Surveyor follow-up: fine filter choking days after cleaning with the purifier running — purifier, bunkers or heater, and what proves it?
Full theory: Lube Oil & Fuel Systems — Properties, Treatment & Changeover -
126 A) Mention types of marine diesel engine based on criteria giving at least four criteria. There are several ways of classification of diesel engines based on various parameters and some of these classifications are as fo
Also asked: “A) Mention types of marine diesel engine based on criteria giving at least four criteria. There are several ways of classification of diesel engines based on various parameters and some of these classifications are as follows”
Answer
Classify diesels by cycle, piston, speed and charging: two or four stroke, trunk or crosshead, slow to high speed, natural or boosted.
- Cycle: two-stroke fires every revolution through ports, four-stroke every second through valves.
- Piston: trunk with skirts for four-strokes, crosshead with guides for big two-strokes.
- Speed: low-speed cathedral crossheads for tankers and box ships, medium and high speed for geared and auxiliary duty.
- Charging: natural aspiration by piston suction against pressure charging by turbocharger — output per litre decides.
Surveyor follow-up: name your last engine by all four — cycle, piston, speed and charging.
Full theory: Diesel Engine Basics — Terms, Strokes & Timing -
127 Again clean the surface with the cleaner applied cloth
Answer
Second wipe with cleaner-cloth leaves the joint chemically clean: degreased, dried and ready for dye or paint.
- First clean removes slag, oil and paint mechanically; the cleaner-cloth pass dissolves the films left behind.
- Wipe one way with a fresh face each pass — scrubbing round in circles replants the grease.
- Let the solvent flash off fully before dye, developer or coating goes on.
- White-glove check: a clean cloth stays clean on the wiped joint before testing starts.
Surveyor follow-up: dye bleeding everywhere with no lines — dirty surface, bad dwell or wrong cleaner, and what do you repeat?
Full theory: Shipbuilding Materials, Welding and Weld Defects -
128 Alcohol; drugs (prescription and no prescription); caffeine
Also asked: “Alcohol; drugs (prescription and noprescription); caffeine”
Answer
Alcohol, drugs and caffeine all fail the watchkeeper differently: banned below limits, declared on prescription, dosed with sense.
- Alcohol limited by company and STCW rules with testing before safety-critical duties — unfit means relieved.
- Prescription drugs declared to the master with side effects weighed against watchkeeping; undeclared Game-over on incident.
- Non-prescription and recreational drugs banned outright with dismissal and detention behind a positive test.
- Caffeine is no substitute for the 10-and-77 rest rule — the watch needs sleep, not stimulants.
Surveyor follow-up: rating smells of alcohol before his watch — test, relieve or warn, and who decides?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
129 All functions full form
Answer
Name the four Class 4 functions by plant: Motor, MEP, Electrical and Safety — each with its written and oral.
- Motor covers main propulsion, boilers, purifiers and steering machinery.
- MEP covers auxiliaries — refrigeration, air, pumps, piping and separators.
- Electrical covers generation, distribution, protection and control.
- Safety covers fire, life-saving, pollution and seamanship with drills to prove each.
Surveyor follow-up: steering gear — Motor or Safety function, and which drawing do you offer first?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
130 Ash deposit takes place for fuels with high ash content
Also asked: “• Ash deposit takes place for fuels with high ash content”
Answer
High-ash fuel leaves its metals behind: vanadium, sodium and cat fines foul, wear and hot-corrode the hot end.
- Ash is vanadium, sodium, aluminium, nickel, silicon and sand riding the bunkers into the engine.
- Deposits foul gas ways, rings and turbo nozzles while abrasives grind liners, pumps and valves.
- Molten vanadium-sodium flux near 500 degrees dissolves exhaust-valve and blade coatings into hot corrosion.
- Centrifuges cannot touch dissolved metals — buy clean bunkers, treat hard, watch exhaust temperatures.
Surveyor follow-up: exhaust valves guttering with normal temperatures — fuel, cooling or timing, and what analysis proves it?
Full theory: Lube Oil & Fuel Systems — Properties, Treatment & Changeover -
131 Based on ignition system
Answer
Ignition splits compression against spark: diesels light by hot compressed air, petrol engines by timed spark.
- Compression ignition squeezes air until fuel spray lights on contact — heavy oil friendly.
- Spark ignition mixes charge first, then fires it with a plug — petrol and gas territory.
- Marine diesels run compression ignition for heavy fuel tolerance and part-load economy.
- Say which your engine uses before the surveyor asks — then its starting and timing that follow.
Surveyor follow-up: compression-ignition engine misfiring cold — fuel, air or compression, and what proves it?
Full theory: Two-Stroke Structure — Frame, Tie Rods, Liner, Piston & Crosshead -
132 Based on method of charging
Answer
Charging splits natural against boosted: piston suction alone versus turbocharger pressure feeding the cylinders.
- Natural aspiration draws near-atmospheric air on piston movement only — simple, low-output, small-engine territory.
- Turbocharging compresses exhaust-driven air into the engine for dense charge and high output.
- Boosted engines overlap valves wider and scavenge harder; natural engines keep overlap tight.
- Virtually every sizeable marine diesel today runs boosted — natural survives on small auxiliaries.
Surveyor follow-up: same block natural versus boosted — which overlap is wider, and why?
Full theory: Two-Stroke Structure — Frame, Tie Rods, Liner, Piston & Crosshead -
133 Bdn what all there in document and what are specifications of fuel mentioned in it
Answer
The delivery note states ship, supplier, product, quantity, density, sulphur and declaration with a sealed sample beside it.
- Receiving ship with IMO number, port, date, supplier name, address and telephone.
- Product names with metric-ton quantity, density at 15 degrees and sulphur percent mass.
- Signed declaration of conformity to sulphur and quality rules with the sample sealed and signed alongside.
- Kept three years for inspection with entries and sample backing every sulphur dispute.
Surveyor follow-up: sulphur box blank with density filled — compliant note or not?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Air Pollution: SOx, NOx & Exhaust Gas Cleaning -
134 Cam driven by ?
Also asked: “wht drive the camshaft”
Answer
Camshafts turn by chain or gears from the crankshaft at half speed on four-strokes — tension or teeth decide reliability.
- Chain drive flexes camshaft placement with cheap repair at the cost of stretch and timing drift.
- Gear trains hold tension forever but cost more and punish damage with full replacement.
- Super-long strokes add moment compensators on the gears spinning at engine or double speed.
- ME engines delete the drive entirely for electro-hydraulic control — no chain, no gears, no drift.
Surveyor follow-up: timing drifting with the chain tight — tensioner, guides or elongation, and what do you measure?
Full theory: The Moving Parts — Liner, Piston, Gudgeon Pin and Connecting Rod Wear -
135 Changing crew every few months
Answer
Frequent crew change buys freshness at the price of familiarity: handover, drills and rest discipline carry the risk.
- New faces need familiarisation with plant, alarms, escapes and muster stations before watchkeeping.
- Handover notes, sounding logs and defect lists bridge the knowledge gap between crews.
- Drills re-run for every changed crew — the muster list is rewritten, not inherited.
- Rest hours restart with the joiners; fatigue from travel plus first-night watches needs roster cover.
Surveyor follow-up: half the crew joined yesterday — sail on schedule or drill first, and what proves readiness?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
136 Cleared all 4 functions
Also asked: “Result: Cleared all 4 functions”
Answer
Clearing all four functions earns the certificate of competency: written plus oral per function with sea time behind.
- Motor, MEP, Electrical and Safety each need written passes before their orals.
- Sea time and approved courses gate the entries — shortfalls block the hall, not the result.
- Orals test running plant and emergencies with sketches from this bank.
- Results stack function by function until the certificate issues — celebrate only at four of four.
Surveyor follow-up: three functions cleared with Safety pending — sail as officer or rating, and why?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
137 Co2 system explain
Answer
Fixed CO2 smothers whole spaces: banked bottles, manifold, master valve, delay and distribution after crew, stops and seals.
- Release only on master’s order by the senior engineer from local or remote cabinet.
- Cabinet opening alarms the space and trips ventilation; crew counted out before valves move.
- Pilot gas waits 60–90 seconds through the delay so the master valve opens before bottle pressure arrives.
- Prove release by roar, cold bottles and manifold pressure — ventilate and seek shore advice before re-entry.
Surveyor follow-up: cabinet open with one man missing — release or hold, and what fills the delay time?
Full theory: CO2 Fixed Fire-Fighting System on Ships -
138 Compression ignition engine Based on operating cycles
Also asked: “• Compression ignition engine Based on operating cycles”
Answer
Compression-ignition cycles split two against four stroke: ports each revolution or valves each second revolution.
- Two-stroke completes the cycle in two piston strokes with ports in the liner wall.
- Four-stroke spreads it over four strokes with head valves in sequence.
- Two-strokes fire every revolution for power density; four-strokes fire every second for control.
- Marine mains run two-stroke crosshead compression ignition; auxiliaries mostly four-stroke trunk.
Surveyor follow-up: exhaust-valve two-stroke with one dead injector — which strokes suffer?
Full theory: Two-Stroke Structure — Frame, Tie Rods, Liner, Piston & Crosshead -
139 Concern over leaving loved ones behind
Answer
Separation strains every contract: contact home, welfare access and recreation carry the crew through long voyages.
- Worry peaks after sailing and before homecoming — workload and isolation amplify it.
- Cope by scheduled contact home, mess social life, exercise and talking early to officers.
- Company duty is communication access, recreation provision and fair rotations with leave honoured.
- Watchkeepers flag withdrawal and mistakes in each other before strain becomes casualty.
Surveyor follow-up: rating withdrawn after bad news from home — watch on, relieve or land, and who decides?
Full theory: STCW: The Convention & Its Eight Chapters -
140 Deposits reduces amount of air supplied to the engine for combustion
Also asked: “• Deposits reduces amount of air supplied to the engine for combustion”
Answer
Deposits throttle the engine’s breathing: fouled coolers, ports and filters cut charge air until power and temperatures slide.
- Carbon and sludge on heating surfaces and coolers choke heat transfer and air mass together.
- Fouled scavenge ports and air filters drop delivery pressure with cooler manifold air, not hotter.
- Starved cylinders run smoky and hot with rising exhaust and falling power on the same fuel.
- Prove by scavenge pressure against trials, then clean coolers, ports and filters before touching fuel.
Surveyor follow-up: delivery pressure down with suction also down — filter, cooler or turbo, and what proves it?
Full theory: Marine Turbochargers: Aerodynamics, Bearings, Washing & Surge Mitigation -
141 Diesel engines are classified based on various criteria as given
Answer
Classify diesels by cycle, piston, speed, charging and use: two or four stroke, trunk or crosshead, slow to high, natural or boosted.
- Four-stroke naturally aspirated or pressure-charged against two-stroke low-scavenge or pressure-charged.
- Trunk-piston against crosshead with vertical cylinders dominant at sea.
- Low-speed cathedral crossheads for tankers and box ships against medium and high speed for geared and auxiliary duty.
- Main propulsion against auxiliary use with cylinder counts and layouts to match.
Surveyor follow-up: name your last engine by all five — cycle, piston, speed, charging and use.
Full theory: Diesel Engine Basics — Terms, Strokes & Timing -
142 Difference between vit and supervit
Also asked: “VIT and super VIT diff”, “Vit/super vit difference”
Answer
VIT shifts injection start by moving the barrel; SuperVIT adds load-matched supercharge control on top.
- Basic jerk pumps fix start at port covering and vary only the end — part-load suffers.
- VIT threads the barrel in a rack-turned sleeve so spill ports move against the plunger edge.
- SuperVIT extends the same idea with finer load-matched timing and pressure control.
- Both chase lower part-load consumption with smokeless running — prove by exhaust clarity across the load range.
Surveyor follow-up: smoky part load with VIT fitted — timing set, VIT stuck or fuel, and what proves it?
Full theory: Electronic Cylinder Lubrication: Alpha Lubricator & Pulse Systems -
143 Documents carrying on board ship
Also asked: “What are the documents carried on ship?”
Answer
Trading papers prove identity, strength, safety and crew: registry, class, tonnage, load line, safety trio, pollution and manning.
- Registry, classification, tonnage and load-line certificates with stability booklet behind them.
- Safety construction, equipment and radio — or one combined cargo-ship certificate — with exemptions.
- Pollution set with record books: oil, sewage, garbage, air and ballast papers with entries current.
- Manning document with crew certificates, agreements and medicals — all originals, all endorsed.
Surveyor follow-up: which paper proves the draft, and which three prove the ship herself is safe?
Full theory: Major Certificates & Documents to Carry On Board -
144 Dual combustion cycle. b) briefly explain following term with sketch
Also asked: “• Dual combustion cycle. b) briefly explain following term with sketch”
Answer
Dual combustion burns part at constant volume and part at constant pressure: sketch pressure-volume with the two heat-addition legs.
- Draw compression, then a vertical pressure rise for the constant-volume burn followed by a horizontal push for constant-pressure burn.
- Real diesels split heat release between the two — neither pure Otto nor pure Diesel.
- Label cut-off, peak pressure and expansion work areas on the same card.
- Part (b) terms each get the same frame: definition, sketch, working line and shipboard example.
Surveyor follow-up: draw the dual card and point at the constant-volume leg — then the constant-pressure leg.
Full theory: Two-Stroke Structure — Frame, Tie Rods, Liner, Piston & Crosshead -
145 Dwt of my ship
Answer
Deadweight is what she may carry: loaded displacement minus light displacement — cargo, bunkers, water, stores and crew effects.
- Light displacement is hull, machinery and outfit with water in boilers at light draft.
- Loaded displacement at summer draft minus light equals deadweight to the marks.
- State your ship’s deadweight with summer draft, lightweight and displacement beside it.
- Density moves the draft for the same deadweight — dock-water allowance proves the difference.
Surveyor follow-up: deadweight constant but draft deeper in dock water — density or displacement, and what number proves it?
Full theory: Tonnage Measurement: Gross & Net Tonnage -
146 Eedi and Eeoi
Answer
EEDI rates the design, EEOI rates the operation: grams of CO2 per tonne-mile drawn and sailed.
- EEDI is calculated at design against required values per ship type and size for new ships.
- EEOI is measured in service from fuel burnt, cargo carried and miles steamed.
- EEXI extends design discipline to existing ships with power limits and retrofits.
- CII grades yearly operation with correction and improvement plans closing the loop.
Surveyor follow-up: EEDI file missing with CII rated — pass, endorse or detain, and which paper saves her?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex VI — Emission Reduction, EEDI, EEXI & CII -
147 Emg lighting check
Answer
Prove emergency lighting by blackout drill: main dies, batteries and emergency sets carry alleyways, stations and escapes.
- Fixed accumulator lamps on alleyways and escapes prove on mains failure with relay changeover.
- Machinery and accommodation emergency circuits hold from the emergency board or independent batteries.
- Test by simulated blackout with timings logged — failed lamps renewed, not noted.
- Bridge, control and muster lighting proved first; cabins follow on the same round.
Surveyor follow-up: one alleyway dark on test with the board live — lamp, relay or circuit, and what proves it?
Full theory: Emergency Generator: Testing & Requirements -
148 Entries, signed by who
Answer
Oil Record Book entries sign twice: the officer in charge dates each operation, the master signs each completed page.
- Date, code letter and item number head every entry with particulars in chronological order.
- The officer running the operation signs and dates that operation — quantity doubts from tank accuracy noted, not hidden.
- The master signs each completed page as reviewed and true.
- Unsigned operations and pages fail port-state control as fast as missing books.
Surveyor follow-up: operation signed but the page unsigned at sailing — sail or sign, and who holds the pen?
Full theory: When You May Discharge — MARPOL Annex I Limits, Distances and Special Areas -
149 Exhaust temperature increases
Also asked: “• Exhaust temperature increases”
Answer
Climbing exhaust means harder work or weaker breathing: overload, retarded timing, fouled passages or thin air.
- Overload and high friction raise every pyrometer together with falling speed.
- Retarded injection and worn pumps push heat into the exhaust instead of the shaft.
- Fouled turbo, cooler and ports starve air while deposits insulate crowns into hot spots.
- Prove by load, timing marks, scavenge pressure and cooler drops before opening a unit.
Surveyor follow-up: one unit climbing with the rest steady — common air or that cylinder, and what diagram proves it?
Full theory: Marine Turbochargers: Aerodynamics, Bearings, Washing & Surge Mitigation -
150 Explain one entry
Answer
Explain any record-book entry by code, facts and signatures: date, operation, quantities, positions and both pens.
- Code letter and item number first — sludge, bilge, bunkering or discharge with the right letter.
- Facts next: tanks, quantities, methods, positions and times start to finish.
- Officer signs the operation, master signs the page — both dated, both legible.
- Pick one real entry and walk it line by line; surveyors promote entries with numbers.
Surveyor follow-up: pick your last sludge entry and read it aloud — code, quantity and signatures?
Full theory: When You May Discharge — MARPOL Annex I Limits, Distances and Special Areas
Source: 123 written papers and surveyor oral banks, 24,613 entries, merged into 17,210 topics. Ticks are stored on this device only.