SAMSA Skipper Category B (Coastal, up to 40 nm) Exam (South Africa) case studies
SAMSA Skipper Category B (Coastal, up to 40 nm) Exam (South Africa) · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The SAMSA Skipper Category B Certificate of Competence is a South African coastal qualification for skippers of small commercial and recreational vessels operating up to 40 nautical miles from shore. It sits above the inshore categories and below the unlimited and offshore tickets, so it suits people running coastal deliveries, charter and dive boats, fishing vessels and larger private craft along the coastline. Candidates are expected to handle a vessel competently and to make sound decisions on navigation, weather, safety and the law without close supervision. The examination is a written theory paper, typically multiple choice, covering navigation and position fixing, charts and passage planning, tides and meteorology, the collision regulations and buoyage, ship handling and seamanship, safety of life at sea and emergency procedures, maritime law and local regulations, and communications and electronic aids. The SAMSA Skipper Category B (Coastal, up to 40 nm) Exam (South Africa) case studies are 5 cases and about 2,764 words.
1Night Collision Avoidance with a Crossing Vessel
You are the skipper of a 12 m motor yacht on a coastal passage off the KwaZulu-Natal coast at night. The yacht is steering 045° true at 8 knots.
446 words, about 2 min2Tidal Height Calculation for a Bar Crossing
You plan to cross the Breede River mouth (South Africa) at 10:00 SAST on 15 March. The charted depth at the bar is 2.5 m below Chart Datum (CD).
443 words, about 2 min3Passage Planning with Cold Front and Limited Visibility
You are planning a 40 nm coastal passage from Port Elizabeth to Knysna along the South African coast. Your vessel is a 10 m sailing yacht with an auxiliary engine, cruising speed 6 knots under power, 5 knots under sail.
563 words, about 3 min4Emergency Position Fixing After GPS Failure
You are sailing a 12 m yacht 10 nm off the Wild Coast, South Africa, in clear weather but with a moderate swell. Your GPS fails suddenly.
729 words, about 4 min5VHF Radio Distress and Local Regulations
You are the skipper of a 15 m commercial charter vessel operating 5 nm off Cape Town. You have 10 passengers and 3 crew on board.
583 words, about 3 min