What Remote Control Means in This Context
Remote control of power plant and auxiliary machinery covers the systems that allow the officer of the watch — typically from the bridge — to control main engines, propulsion systems, and critical auxiliary plant (generators, bow thrusters, stabilisers) without a watchkeeper physically present in the machinery spaces. On a modern yacht this is normal sea-going practice. The Master must understand not just how it works but when it fails, what replaces it, and what the command obligations are.
Key Distinctions the Examiner Tests
Bridge control vs. ECR control vs. local control These are three distinct stations, not interchangeable terms. Bridge control is the primary sea-going station; the engineer of the watch monitors but does not drive. Engine Control Room (ECR) control passes authority to the engineer — bridge telegraph confirms commands but the engineer executes them. Local control is direct, manual operation from the machinery itself; it is the last resort and requires physical presence, clear communication with the bridge, and is almost always slower to respond.
The examiner wants to hear you distinguish where authority sits at each station and why the Master would order a transfer.
Limitations of remote control the candidate must articulate:
- Remote systems depend on electrical/electronic signal paths — a single cable fault or control-system failure can render bridge control inoperative without warning.
- Feedback to the bridge (rpm indicators, pitch indicators, alarms) is itself remote and may be misleading or absent during a fault; the bridge may believe the order has been executed when it has not.
- Response time between ordered and achieved engine condition is not necessarily faster from the bridge; in confined waters this is a handling critical — the Master must know the actual time from 'stop' to 'full astern' for the ship under bridge control.
- Remote systems typically have limits — maximum rates of change of pitch or rpm may be programmed in to protect machinery; these slow the manoeuvre below what local control could achieve in an emergency.
- Bow thrusters and stabilisers on remote may cut out automatically on certain fault conditions (overtemperature, overload) with no manual override available from the bridge.
- Reduced engine room complement or unmanned machinery spaces (UMS) means no immediate human intervention when remote control degrades.
The Master's Command Responsibility
As Master you must ensure:
- The ship's manoeuvring characteristics under each control mode are known and recorded in the wheelhouse poster / manoeuvring booklet.
- Criteria for transferring to ECR or local control are established in the SMS — do not leave this to the engineer's discretion alone.
- In pilotage waters or in any situation requiring precise manoeuvring, the limitations of the fitted remote system are communicated to the pilot and factored into the passage plan.
- Any remote-control deficiency is logged, reported to the company, and assessed under the SMS defect-reporting procedure before departure where practicable.