Law oral questions
Example questions on the legislation, codes and conventions the yacht deck orals examine, set against the syllabus items they come from. They are our wording, not the MCA's — answer them out loud, and with your own vessel's documents in mind.
No — they are our examples. The MCA publishes the syllabus each oral is examined against, and every set below is our own wording of how one of its legislation or business-and-law items can be asked. The syllabuses on GOV.UK are the authority; check yours for the full list.
OOW (Yachts <3000 GT): pollution prevention (3.1), legislative requirements (3.3) and business and law (3.4), which names the Small Vessels Code (MGN 280) and the Large Commercial Yacht Code (LY3, MSN 1851), each 'or any subsequent amendment'.
Master (Code vessels <200 GT) / OOW (Yachts <500 GT): pollution prevention (2.4) and business and law (2.6), naming the 'Small Vessels Commercial Code' and LY3. The syllabuses give each code 'or any subsequent amendment'. MSN 1858 Amendment 2 now describes commercial yachts of 24 metres and over as 'covered by the Red Ensign Group’s Yacht Code', so know the code your own vessel actually operates under.
Master (Yachts <500 GT): pollution prevention (3.1) and legislative requirements (4.1). Master (Yachts <3000 GT): pollution (3.1), crew management (3.3), safety of crew and passengers (3.4) and legislative requirements (3.5).
Chief Mate and Master (Yachts Unlimited): the competence 'Monitor and control compliance with legislative requirements and measures to ensure safety of life at sea, security and the protection of the marine environment', which includes the purpose and application of MLC 2006, with hours of work and rest under 'Use of leadership and managerial skill'.
Out loud, and practically: the examiner can ask what a rule means for you on board, not only what it says. Know where each document is kept on your own vessel and who is responsible for it.
“What is the difference between an MSN, an MGN and a MIN? Where do you find the current ones?”
“What is in the Annual Summary of Admiralty Notices to Mariners that matters to a yacht?”
“Name the main IMO conventions on safety of life at sea and protection of the marine environment.”
“What is the difference between flag state control and port state control?”
“Which certificates and documents must your vessel carry, and how long are they valid?”
“What is the ISM Code for? How does it work on your yacht, day to day?”
“What is the ISPS Code for, and what does it mean for you on watch in port?”
“A port state control officer comes aboard. What will they look at, and what could happen?”
“What precautions would you take against piracy and armed robbery?”
“As master, what are your responsibilities over stowaways and smuggling?”
“Which MARPOL rules affect a yacht most, and what changes inside a Special Area?”
“What is in the SOPEP manual, and when would you use it?”
“Talk me through your precautions before bunkering.”
“You find oil on the water alongside in port. What do you do?”
“How does your Garbage Management Plan work on board?”
“Which pollution records must be kept, and what goes in the Oil Record Book?”
“What does the Ballast Water Management Convention ask of you?”
“Which code does your vessel operate under, if any, and what decides it?”
“What does that code require of you as an officer on board?”
“You've worked on deck all day for a guest arrival and you're due on watch at midnight. What do the hours of work and rest rules say, and what do you do?”
“What does safe manning mean, and where is your vessel's set out?”
“When does a vessel need a crew agreement?”
“What is a Seafarer Employment Agreement, and what is MLC 2006 for?”
“What is the official log book for, and what does the law say about entries?”
“A crew member makes a complaint. What procedure do you follow?”
“Which drills must you hold, and how do you record them?”
“How would you inspect the crew's living quarters and storerooms, and what are you looking for?”
“A new crew member joins tomorrow. What must be in place before they sail with you?”
“What is the Code of Safe Working Practices, and how do you use it on board?”
“Talk me through a risk assessment you've done. What are its main elements?”
“What is the difference between an improvement notice and a prohibition notice?”
“What is the legal obligation to ensure a seaworthy vessel, and who carries it?”
“What is salvage, in law? How does a salvage agreement differ from a towage agreement?”
“Which accidents must you report to the MAIB?”
“You find a danger to navigation that isn't on the chart. What does the law require you to do?”
“What are the master's obligations with respect to pilotage?”
“What are statutory and classification surveys, and who carries them out?”
“What do the load line marks show, and what entries and reports go with freeboard and draft?”
The notices change. Always check the current version on GOV.UK before you apply or book.
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