The student is provided with knowledge, proficiency andskills as to the manoeuvring and handling of a ship in all condi-tions, including:
• manoeuvres when approaching pilot stations and embark-ing or disembarking pilots, with due regard to weather, tide, head reach and stopping distances
• handling the ship in rivers, estuaries and restricted waters, having regard to the effects of current, wind and restricted water on helm response
• application of constant rate of turn techniques
• manoeuvring in shallow waters, including the reduction in underkeel clearance caused by squat, rolling and pitching
• interaction between passing ships and between one’s own ship and nearby banks (canal effect)
• berthing and unberthing under various conditions of wind, tide and current with or without tugs
• ship and tug interaction
• use of propulsion and manoeuvring systems
• choice of anchorage; anchoring with one or two anchors in limited anchorages and factors involved in determining the length of the anchor cable to be used
• dragging anchor; clearing foul anchors
• dry-docking, both with and without damage
• management and handling of ships in heavy weather, in-cluding assisting a ship or aircraft in distress; towing opera-tions; means of preventing a vessel not under command from getting in a position where swell is coming from abeam, lessening drift and use of oil
• precautions in manoeuvring to launch rescue boats or sur-vival crafts in bad weather
• methods of taking onboard survivors from rescue boats and survival crafts
• ability to determine the manoeuvring and propulsion char-acteristics of common types of ships with special reference to stopping distances and turning circles at various draughts and speeds
• importance of navigating at reduced speed to avoid dam-age caused by the ship’s bow or stern wave
• practical measures to be taken when navigating in or near ice or in conditions of ice accumulation onboard
• use of, and manoeuvring in and near, traffic separation schemes and in vessel traffic service (VTS) areas