Ship Handling and Seamanship
Core concepts
Understand how a vessel behaves under power and sail: pivot point, prop walk, transverse thrust, and the effect of wind and current on a hull. Learn the standard manoeuvres: berthing and unberthing, springing on and off a berth, anchoring (scope, veering, weighing), and man-overboard recovery under power and sail. Know ropework: bowline, clove hitch, round turn and two half hitches, reef knot, and the use of warps and springs. Understand the effects of squat, shallow water, and bank suction, and the importance of weight distribution and stability (metacentric height, free surface effect).
Traps
Questions often test the direction of prop walk and the effect of the pivot point moving aft as speed increases. Another trap is anchoring scope: too little scope in strong wind leads to dragging; the rule of thumb is 5:1 for chain and 7:1 for rope in normal conditions. Watch for confusion between a spring line and a breast line.
Worked example
You need to leave a berth with an onshore wind. Run a stern spring aft and a bow spring forward, then use engine ahead against the stern spring to swing the bow out, and astern against the bow spring to swing the stern out. Release the spring when the vessel has turned sufficiently.
Rule of thumb
Anchor scope: chain 5:1, rope 7:1 in normal weather; more in strong wind. Pivot point: about 1/3 from the bow when going ahead, about 1/4 from the stern when going astern.