Entry & progression
Certificate: MCA Chief Mate (Yachts) <3000 GT, STCW Regulation II/2 (management level) — the Master's deputy, responsible for the deck department, cargo/stability, and watchkeeping. Route: hold OOW (Yachts) <3000 GT, complete the management-level modules and written exams and the qualifying seagoing service, then the MCA oral (MSN 1858). Ancillaries: STCW basic safety, PSCRB, Advanced Fire Fighting, Medical First Aid, Proficiency in Medical Care, GMDSS GOC, MCA-approved ECDIS, HELM Management, ENG1. Progresses to Master (Yachts) <3000 GT and the Yacht Unlimited pathway.
Preparing the plan berth to berth
The Chief Mate builds the passage plan through the appraisal-plan-execute-monitor cycle, berth to berth, using the charts, sailing directions, light lists, tide tables and stream atlas, routeing charts and navigational warnings. The plan marks no-go areas, clearing bearings, wheel-over points, contingency anchorages and abort points, sets the required underkeel clearance, and lays out the pilotage for entry and departure. It is then submitted to the Master for approval — the Chief Mate prepares, the Master approves — and briefed to the bridge team.
- Appraise: gather all charts, publications, weather and tidal information and assess the risks of the whole passage.
- Plan: lay the track with no-go areas, clearing bearings, wheel-over points, abort points and underkeel clearance.
- Execute: brief the team, confirm the plan against the actual tide and weather, and sail on the tidal window.
- Monitor: fix and cross-check position throughout, and act early when the ship is set off the plan.
Fixing and monitoring position
Position is fixed and monitored by more than one means — visual bearings and transits, radar ranges, the echo sounder, and GNSS cross-checked against them — with a running estimated position kept so any jump is obvious. The Chief Mate ensures the watchkeepers fix at appropriate intervals for the waters, use parallel indexing where useful, and never rely on a single aid, especially near danger.
NOTE — The mate plans, the Master approves The Chief Mate typically prepares the passage plan, but it becomes the ship's plan only when the Master has reviewed and approved it. That division — preparation by the mate, approval by command — is exactly what the examiner expects to hear.
WARNING — Cross-check near danger A confident but wrong GNSS position has grounded well-found ships. Near any danger, confirm the electronic position against a visual bearing, a radar range or the depth, and keep the running EP going.