Why Procedure Matters Before Movement
An examiner will expect you to demonstrate not just what you do, but why each action happens in a deliberate sequence. The thread running through getting underway, berthing, and securing to a buoy is risk management: you remove hazards before you create movement, and you create movement only when you have control.
Getting Underway
Begin with a thorough pre-departure check before singling up or casting off. Check the engine-room log, confirm propulsion and steering are tested and ready, and verify that navigation lights, communication equipment, and safety systems are functional. This is done at the berth because you still have the option to stop — once you are in the fairway, you do not.
Notify the engine room and establish clear communication — commands must be unambiguous between the bridge and engine control. Confirm weather and tidal state; both govern your fendering plan and your choice of which lines to let go first. Single up to the lines that allow the vessel to spring or pivot cleanly off the berth, retaining those lines longest that give you the most control. Brief the deck team: each person must know their line, the letting-go sequence, and what to do with the line once it is off. A line left uncollected on deck during a manoeuvre is a man-overboard risk.
Let go in sequence to use the vessel's sheer, wind, or tidal set in your favour. The final line should release the bow or stern in whichever direction puts you onto the correct heading into the fairway with minimum exposure broadside to the tide.
Berthing
Approach with the tide or wind on the bow wherever the harbour permits — this gives you steerage and the ability to check or stop the vessel's way without fighting an opposing force. Brief the deck team on the intended lay of lines before arrival: headlines, sternlines, and springs should be laid out and the heaving lines ready before you are within throwing distance.
Arrive with minimal residual way. Use springs first to position the vessel longitudinally, then adjust breast lines to hold her off the quay at the correct distance. Fenders should already be positioned at the right height for the berth — adjust them before final approach, not after.
Securing to a Buoy
Approach the buoy from downwind or down-tide (whichever is stronger) so you can stop your way before reaching it and allow the vessel to drift back gently if needed. Designate one person as buoy-jumper and brief them clearly — no one goes onto a buoy until the vessel is almost stopped and the deck officer has given the order.
Pass a pick-up rope through the buoy ring first, then pass a permanent mooring line and take the eye up and back to a cleat or bitts aboard. The pick-up rope remains as a lazy line. Confirm the scope of the riser is sufficient for the tidal range expected, and check that the vessel swings clear of all hazards through a full tidal cycle.