SECOND MATE OF A FOREIGN GOING SHIP

CHARTWORK
NOTES
1.
2.
3.
4.

All questions carry equal marks. Answer all questions.

Use chart No. 5047. Deviation Card No.2.
Positions of landmarks are approximate and to be used for identification only Variation 6o W.
Speed of vessel 12 knots, height of eye 10 M.

1. At 1630 hrs. In DR position 51 o 23N 004o 57 W, a vessel heading towards Carmarthen Bay,
observes Swansea Ro. bn. (RC) (51o 33.5N 003o 51W) INT QK FL G bear 068 o (G), GE-2o (L). A
sun sight at the same time gave an intercept of 1.5 towards Azimuth 230 o (G). Calculate the
following:
a. Vessels position at 1630 hrs.
b. From the position at 1630 draw a course to arrive Carmarthen bay anchorage, keeping Caldey
Is. Lt. 3 clear at all times, counteracting a current estimated to set 270 o (T) at 3 knots and a
Northerly wind causing a leeway of 4 o.
c. The time when caldey Is. Lt. will be abeam.
2. A vessel steering 000o (T) observes Lundy South Lt. to bear 054o (T) at 2000 hrs. At 2016 hrs. The
South Lt. became obscured and at 2030 hrs. North Lt. bore 070 o (T). At 2050 hrs. It bore 114 o (T) and
the current was estimated to be setting 125 o (T) at 2.2 knots. Find the (a) speed made good (b) Course
made good (c) Position at 2000 hrs. (d) Time when Caldey Is. Lt. (51 o 37N 004 o 41W) will be
raised.
3. At 0600 hrs. UTC on 2nd Feb. 1972, a vessel anchored at Carmarthen Bay observes the following:
Watch tower
(51o 42N 004o 20W) . 045o (C)
Rhossili Down Tr. (189) (51 o 35N 004o 17W) 118o (C)
Helwick Lt. Vessel
. 180o (C)
Find the (a) Compass error
(b) Position of the vessel.
4. A vessel steering 035o (T), observes Hartland Pt. Lt. (51 o 01N 004 o 32W) to bear 078 o (T) at 2000
hrs. At 2020 hrs. The same Lt. bore 123 o (T) and at 2050 the Lt. Bore 190 o (T), while Lundy Is.
South Lt. bore 283 o (T).
Find (a) Course made good. (b) Speed made good. (c) Position at 2000 hrs.
5. Find the height of tide at 1200 hours GMT at Gentbrugge (# 1539d) on 6th day of March 1992.
6. i) What do you understand by the terms: clearing lines, clearing marks, and clearing bearings?
ii) Give the chart abbreviations for the following:a) Chimney b) Stranded wreck c) Sounding of 128 m of which position is doubtful d) Radar
Conspicuous Pt. e) Fishing Limits.
ANSWER
CHART No. 5047
Remarks:

Q 1. b: From 1630 hrs. Position draw a tangent on the circle drawn with Cadely Is. Lt. as center
and 3 as radius. From the point of contact draw a course to Carmarthen bay anchorage.
Q. 2: To get the required answers two bearings of each light are not needed. By taking first & any
other P/L, the problem can be solved.
1. (a) 1630 hours position : 51o 24N, 005o W
(b) CTS 054o T, 1831 hours
2. See the remark above
3. (a)4oW
(b) 0600 hours UTC position 51o 37.1N, 004o 26.3W
4. (a) CMG 041.5o T
(b) SMG 13.2 knots
(c) 2000 hours position 51o N, 004o 41.5W
5. 0.5 m
6. i) See the chapter Terms Used in Chart Work.
ii) a).

c)

b).

128

PD

d)

e)

SECOND MATE (F.G.) EXAMINATION

CHART WORK
1. All questions are compulsory & carry equal marks.

2. Positions of landmarks are approximate & for reference only.

3. Use chart No. 5047.
4. Ships speed 12 knots. HE 12m, Deviation Card No.2. Variations as per chart.
1. A vessel while steering a course 034o (T) observes Lundy Island South Lt. (51o 09N 004 o 39 W) for
the first time at 2000 hrs. The visibility at this time was 5 miles. The light was obscured at 2036 hrs.
If the current was setting 338 o (T) at 3 knots, find:
a) Position of the vessel at 2036 hrs.
b) Course & speed made good.
2. A vessel Steering a certain compass course, observes following at 1900 hrs.
Govans Head Pt. (37) (51o 35.8N, 004 o 55.4W)
259 o (c)
o
o
Caldey Is. Lt. (51 37.9N, 004 41.0W)
079 o (c)
St. Govan Lt. Vessel (51 o 30.6N, 004 o 59.7W)
30 o on her starboard bow.
o
At 1930 hrs. finds the same Lt. Vessel 60 on her starboard bow. Find position of vessel at 1900 hrs.
and the compass course steered by the vessel.
3. A vessel at Anchorage observes the following compass bearing.
St. Gowans Lt. V/L
(51 o 30N 005 o 00W)
.. 221 o (C)
Caldey Island Lt.
(51 o 38N 004 o 41W)
.. 061 o (C)
o
o
St. Gowan Head
(51 36N 004 56W)
...305 o (C)
Find the position of the vessel and the compass error.
4. A vessel having a draft of 11 m drops pilot at Bristol Pilot Grounds (51 o 21N 003 o 19W) in gale
force winds and is bound for Swansea (51o 32N 003o 57W) while the vessel is equipped with ARPA,
Echo sounder, Doppler Log. She is also experiencing steering problems. In view of the above, plan a
safe passage for the intended voyage.
5. Find the correction to be applied to the handled sounding at 1900 hours at Flushing (# 1534) on 26 th
April 1992.
6. a) What is a Gnomonic Projection? How do you transfer a Great Circle track from a Gnomonic Chart
to a Mercator Chart?
b) What are the routing charts?
c) What are fog detector lights?
d) How do you find the scale of Longitude from the scale of latitude?

ANSWER
CHART No. 5047
1. Here the obscured is not last sighted. It just gives you a position line as given as dotted line on the
chart.
a) 2036 hours position 51 o 7.6N, 004 o 50.4W
b) CMG 024 o T, SMG 13.6 knots

2. Position of vessel at 1900 : 51o 37N, 004 o 46.7W

Course 200 o (T), 201 o (C)
3. Position of the vessel 51 o 32N, 004 o 54W Compass error 2 o W
4. See the chapter on Passage Planning.
5. 2.15 m
6. a) GNOMONIC PROJECTION: - The gnomonic projection is that in which the point of sight, or eye,
is assumed to be at the center of the earth & the plane of the projection is a plane placed tangential to
the surface of the sphere.
B
T
A
Plane of the projection.
b
a

In the figure O is the earths center & T the point of tangency, point a will be projected on the
chart at A and point b at B & so on.
Charts based on Gnomonic Projection are Gnomonic Charts.
Transferring a great circle track from a Gnomonic to a Mercator chart:
The latitude & longitude of a series of points relatively close together along the G.C. track, as shown
on the Gnomonic chart, are picked off and transferred to appropriate Mercator chart. The points are
joined together by straight lines, each of which is a Rhumb Line Course. The points normally picked
up are at intervals of 10 of longitude and their Latitude noted. The Lat., Long. Of each point in turn,
is then marked to Mercator Chart.
b) Routing Charts: - These are for specific areas and published for every month with various details.
The charts are intended to provide ship masters with a graphic summary of factors which may
affect the loading of a vessel and may affect the choice of route while making ocean passage.
Main features include shipping tracks, distances, load lines in force, wind, current, ice berg limits,
etc.
c) Fog Detector lights: - These are fitted at certain light stations for the automatic detection of fog.
They are in addition to the main light. A detector exhibits a powerful light which may be
continuous or may be in the form of a powerful flash of about one second duration. Sometimes
they may also be fitted away from the main light. Fog detector lights detect the fog and
automatically starts the functioning of the light & its fog signal. As it is shown on the chart
d) On the Mercator chart, the scale of longitude is constant, all the meridians being parallel straight
lines. The scale of latitude and distance varies with the following formula:
SCALE OF 1 LATITUDE = SCALE of 1 LONGITUDE x Secant of LATITUDE.
Or
SCALE OF 1 LONGITUDE = SCALE 1 of LATITUDE x Cosine of LATITUDE.

SECOND MATE (F.G.) EXAMINATION CHART WORK

1.
2.
3.
4.

All questions are compulsory & carry equal marks.

Use chart No.:5072.
Ships speed 12 knots. HE 12m, Deviation Card No.2.
Positions of landmarks are approximate and are to be used for identification only.

1. At 0800 hrs. A vessel steering a course of 290 o (T) observes forward of beam Chritianso (s) Lt (51 o
19N 015 o 11E) to be 6 nm. At 0930 hrs. It observes Simrisham iso WRG (53 o 33.5N 014 o 22E) to
bear 310 o (T). If the current was setting 330 o (T) at 2 kts throughout, find the position of the vessel at
0800 hrs.

2. A vessel while steering a course of 232 o (T) observes the following bearing of the utklippan Lt.
(55 o 57N 015 o 42E): 1900: 282 o (T), 1930: 311 o (T), 2015: 023 o (T). If the current is known to be
setting 020 o (T), find the position of the vessel at 1900 and 2015 hrs. Also find the course and speed
made good.
3. A vessel near Hammerodde Lt. Ho. (55 o 18N 014 o 47E) observes the bearing of the Lt. Ho. as 137 o
(T). At the same time the vertical sextant angle was observed to be 12.6. If the tide had fallen by 2 m
below MHWS and the index error was 2 on the arc, find the position of the vessel. Thereafter, with
the current setting 345 o (T) at 2 knots, the vessel steered a course of 258 o (T). Find the course and
speed made good and also the distance off from Sandharmmeren Lt. Ho. (55 o 23N 014 o 12E) when
it is abeam to stbd.
4. At 2000 hrs. A vessel drops pilot at Simrishamn pilot station (55 o 33.5N 014 o 24E) and steers a
course of 071 o (T) at 9 knots with the meteorological visibility being 5 miles. The vessel is to proceed
to Karlshan pilot station (56 o 08N 014 o 54E). The master decides to alter course when Simrishamn
Lt. (Iso. WRG 6s) obscures (last seen). After altering course she is to pass Hano Lt. {Gr. Fl. (3) 15} in
position (56 o 01N 014 o 51E) 3 miles on the port side. If the current is known to be setting 120 o (T)
at 2 knots, find the time and position when:
i)
ii)

Vessel alters course towards Hano Lt:

Hano Lt. is sighted.

5. a) With reference to the IALA Maritime Buoyage or the Cardinal system, how is the general
direction of buoyage system determined.
b) Assuming that there is a wreck in position 55 o 56.5N 014 o 25E, how should the buoys be placed
to assist the mariners?
6. A vessel drawing 2m forward and 2.8m aft has to cross a sand bar marked 1m on the chart with an
under keel clearance of 2.5m in the port of Liverpool (ATT-1) on 16 th March, 1992. Find the earliest
time she can cross the same on a rising tide.

ANSWERS
CHART No. 5072
1. Position at 0800 55 o 13.8N 015 o 15.8E
2. 1900 hours position 55 o 55.5N 015 o 56.0E
2015 hours position 55 o 52.2N 015 o 38.7E
CMG 251 o, SMG 8.2 knots.
3. Position of the vessel 55 o 21N 015 o 41.5E
CMG 268 o T, SMG 12.2 knots
Distance off 3.5 Miles
4. Last seen distance 8.2
i)
Position when A/Co. towards Hano Lt. 55 o 34.7N 014 o 35.5E time 2037 hours

ii)

Position when Hano Lt. is sighted 55 o 53.3N 014 o 46.7E Time 2223 hours

5. a) For open waters the general direction of buoyage is clockwise around continental land masses or
waterway concerned. Where the direction of the voyage is not obvious, it is indicated on the chart by
the symbol.

b) It is an isolated danger and is to be marked by isolated danger mark i.e. black with red horizontal
band, light Gp. FI. (2)
6. 0520 hours.

SECOND MATE (F.G)

CHART WORK
1.
2.
3.
4.

All questions are compulsory & carry equal marks.

Use chart No.:5072.
Ships speed 12 knots. HE 12m, Deviation Card No.2, Variation 1 o W.
Positions of landmarks are approximate and are to be used for identification only.

1. While steering a course of 228 o (T) Olands Sodra Grund Racon light (56 o 04N 016 o 42E) was last
sighted at 2100 hrs. When visibility was 5 M only. At 2200 hrs. Utklippan Lt. (55 o 57N 015 o 41E)
was first sighted, visibility remaining the same. Current was known to be setting 013 o (T) at 2.5 knots
throughout. Find the vessels position at 2100 hrs. And 2200 hrs. And also the time and position when
Utklippan light will be last sighted.
2. A vessel steering 080 o (T) experiencing set of 275 o T observes the following:
At 0930 hrs. Abbekas Lt (55 o 23N 013 o 37E) bore 338 o T
1000 hrs. Y Stad (S) (55 o 25N 013 o 49E) bore 358 o T
1045 hrs. Bearing of Kasehuvud (55 o 22N 014 o 04E) was taken and the position line passed
through the intersection of the two bearing obtained at 0930 and 1000 hrs. Of Abbekas and Y stad
respectively.
Find
i) Course and Speed made good

iii)

Position of the vessel at 0930 and 1045 hrs.

3. A vessel sailing out of Karlskron harbor observes Uthangan Lt (56 o 01N 015 o 47E) to bear 090 o (T)
at 2000 hrs. When visibility reduced to zero. Find the safe courses to steer to pass 6 nm North of
Hammerode Lt (55 o 18N 014 o 47E) when the current was setting 315 o (T) at 1.0 kts throughout.
When was the final course alternation made?
4. A vessel at anchor observes the following compass bearings
a) Chrisitanso (S) Lt.
(55 o 19N 015 o 11E)
:065 o (C)
o
o
b) Svaneke Lt.
(55 08N 015 09E)
:161 o (C)
c) Hammerodde Lt.
(55 o 18N 014 o 47E)
:284 o (C)
Find the vessels position and the deviation on the ships head.
5. A vessel having a draft of forward 5 m, aft 6 m wishes to cross a shoal marked 3 m on the chart with
an under keel clearance of 1 m. Find the earliest time on the rising tide of 16 th April, 1992 that she can
do so. {Port-Port Hedland, Australia ATT VOL. III}.
6. Write short notes on:
a) Chart Datum b) Negative surges c) Seismic sea waves d) Seiches e) Bore or Eagre.
ANSWERS
CHART NO. 5072
1. 2100 : 55 o 59.4N, 016 o 20.7E
2200: 55 o 53N, 016 o 06.6E
Position when last sighted: 55 o 43.5N 015 o 40.6E Time 2344 hours
2. Position 0930 55 o 12.6N 013 o 43.9E
1045 55 o 16.2N 013 o 59.7E
CMG 071 o (T)
SMG 7.68 kts
3. Dist. 37.2
SMG 17.3 knots
CMG 180 o (T)
At 2000, 1st course 175 o (T) Final co. Time 2317.5 hrs. 266.5 o (T)
4. Position 55 o 16.3N, 015 o 02.7E Dev.4 o W
5. 0705 hours
6. See the chapters Tide and Terms used in chart work.

SECOND MATE (F.G) EXAMINATION

CHART WORK
1.
2.
3.
4.

All questions are compulsory & carry equal marks.

Use chart No.:5056.
Ships speed 12 knots. HE 12m, Deviation Card No.2, Variation 7 o W.
Positions of landmarks are approximate and are to be used for identification only.

1. After dropping pilot at 1900 hrs. At Needles pilot (50 o 38N 001 o 39W) a vessel intends to pass Bill
of Portland light Gp. FI. (4) (50 o 31N 002 o 27W) 5 miles off. Current is setting 020 o (T) @ 2 knots.
a) Find the compass course to steer and course and speed made good.
b) Find the time and position when Anvil point light (50 o 35N 001 o 58W) is abeam.
c) If meteorological visibility is two miles, at what time and position will bill of Portland light Gp.
FI. (4) Will be first sighted.
2. At 1800 hrs. A vessel obtains a radar range of Star point Light point light house (50 o 13N 003 o
38W) as 5 miles and at 1900 hrs. Radar range of Berry Head light house (50 o 24N 003 o 29W) was
5 miles. She was making good a course of 022 o (T) with current setting 336 o (T) @ 3 knots and
engine speed 12 knots. Find the compass course steered and the position at 1900 hrs.
3. At 2000 hours a ship steering 255 o (T) observes the East Channel buoy (49 o 59N, 002 o 29W) to
bear 180 o (T), and at 2100 hours it bore 114 o (T). At 2120 hours channel Lt. Vessel
(49 o 54.5N, 002 o 55.5W) bore 203 o (T). The current was known to be setting in the direction of
035o (T). Determine the position of the ship at 2120 hours and the rate of current.
4. A vessel on a course of 290 o (C) observes E Channel Light (49 o 59 N 002 o 29 W) bearing 190 o (C).
At the same time Channel Light vessel (49 o 55N 002 o 55W) bore 227 o (C). Find the ships position.
From this position find the compass course to steer to have start Point light (50 o 36.5N 003 o 22W)
30 on the port bow when 10 miles off.
5. A vessel having a draft of forward 4 m and aft 4.5 m has to cross a bar marked 2 m on the chart with
an under keel clearance of 3 m. Find the earliest time she can do so during the rising tide of 185 th
March 1992. (Port Cherbourg ATT VOL.I)

6. a) From the Admiralty List of lights and fog signals, what details do you get regarding the lights and
light houses?
b) Enumerate all the Publications wherein you will find details about IMO authorized Traffic
Separation Schemes.
c) What are the uses of a Special Mark?

ANSWERS
CHART NO. 5056
1. a) Compass Course to steer 248 o C. CMG 248 o T. SMG 13.7 knots.
b) Time when Anvil point light is abeam 1953 hours. Position when Anvil point light is abeam
= 50 o 33.4N, 001o 56.4W
c) 7.6
2. CTS 003 o T
1900 hrs. Position 50 o 26.3N, 003 o 23.0W
3. CMG 265 o (T), SMG 10.5 knots
Rates of current 2.6 knots, 2120 Position 50 o 03N 002 o 50W.
4. Posn. 50 o 11.7N 02 o 24.2 W
True course 278
Compass Course 272.8 o (C)
5. 0640 hours.
6. a) List of lights:- All information is given under the following columns:
S.No. Location
Latitude
Elevation
Range
Structure
Remarks
Name
Longitude
in meters
in miles
Height in m.
b) Chart and ships routing
c) Use of special Marks: ODAS BUOY-Ocean Data Acquisition Buoy (meteorological) Cable or
pipeline marks To indicate a cable or pipe laying operation Military exercise Zone Marks
Recreational area marks e.g. a Marina