Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.

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Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Language Competence Test for Mariners

Level B1 Voc

Reading 1
Read the navigation warnings and choose the correct word from a, b and c to fill the gaps.

NAVAREA I
211240 UTC
SOUTHERN NORTH SEA

Up to 35 ships at anchor or manoeuvring (1) _______________ in this area.

(2) _______________ advised when transiting.

1.
a. slow
b. wide
c. slowly

2.
a. Caution
b. Danger
c. Warning

NAVAREA I
141715 UTC
NORTHERN NORTH SEA

Seismic survey in (3) ______________ by M/V Ocean Explorer laying very

(4)______________ cables within this area. Wide berth (5) ______________ .

3. 4. 5.
a. way a. wide a. requested
b. motion b. long b. warned
c. progress c. high c. asked

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Reading 2
Study these regulations. There are gaps (1–5) where sentences are missing.

Regulations for all vessels (COLREGS: 6/7/14/33/34)

When two power driven vessels meet head on each shall alter her course to starboard.
(1)___

All vessels must proceed at a safe speed. When in sight of another vessel, a signal
must be given to show that a manoeuvre is intended. (2)____ One short blast on it
means ‘I am altering my course to starboard’. (3)_____

A vessel may supplement the horn signals with light signals. (4)____. It must be visible
at a minimum range of 5 NM (8 km).

The light signal must be repeated whilst a manoeuvre is taking place. (5)____ Two
flashes mean that the turn is to port.

Here are the missing sentences. Choose which sentence goes in each gap. Put the letters of the
sentences into the gaps.

a. One flash indicates that the vessel intends to turn to starboard.

b. The signal must be given by a horn.

c. Two blasts mean ‘I am altering my course to port’.

d. It must be an all round white light.

e. Therefore each vessel will pass on the port side of the other.

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Reading 3
Study this cargo manifest and answer the questions. The first is done as an example.

Name of Ship Nationality of Ship

Cargo Manifest Eloisa Spanish

Santiago Shipping SA, Port of loading Name of Master

Bilbao, Spain Bilbao Spain G. Gonzalez

Port of Discharge
Date of sailing September 19th
Southampton United Kingdom

Marks & Number & description of

Shipper & Consignee Weight Size
numbers goods
Carlito’s Luxury Cars 5413 1 Red Ford Adventurer 1,500 kg 40 m³
Plaza de la Cruz, San Sebastian,
Spain 5414 1 Blue Toyota Land Cruiser 2,000 kg 50 m³

Consigned to the order of 5596 1 Silver Chrysler Voyager 1,500 kg 40 m³

Estuary Motors,
Whiteladies Road,
Bristol, UK

Notify
Mrs A. Knight,
01435 850228

Santander Meat Products SA Containerized Pork

Santander, Spain 0185 1 × 20´ 25,000 kg 250 m³
Smoked Hams

0176 1 × 25´ 15,000 kg 250 m³

Consigned to the order of: Frozen Chicken
Bailey’s Foods PLC.
London
England

Notify
Mr B. Ocean
0879 56341

Example:
What two types of goods are listed? Cars, Meat

1. Which goods are stored in containers? __________________________________

2. Where is the Eloisa registered? __________________________________

3. What is the Eloisa’s point of departure? __________________________________

4. What is the Eloisa’s destination? __________________________________

5. Who will collect the containerized cargo? __________________________________

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Reading 4
Read this report of a maritime accident and say if the statements that follow are true or false.

At 2050 on 3rd June 2009, the fishing boat Transcend was out at sea and preparing her
trawl gear when a member of the crew reported water entering the engine room through
the hull planking. The vessel’s two bilge pumps and a portable submersible pump were
put into action but the flooding continued. At 2145, the skipper issued a “Mayday”.

An emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) and a second fishing boat
responded to the Mayday. The Transcend’s three deckhands evacuated into a life raft
and the ERRV picked them up. A portable pump from the other fishing boat was
transferred to the Transcend. However, it would not start, and the flooding continued.

When the generator failed, the skipper abandoned the vessel and he was followed
shortly by the engineer. The vessel listed to starboard and sank by the stern 10 minutes
later. The initial cause of the flooding has not been established.

1. The engine room flooded first. □ true □ false

2. Three vessels responded to the Mayday □ true □ false
3. The vessel had a skipper and a crew of five. □ true □ false
4. The captain was the last person to leave to vessel.□ true □ false
5. No-one knows why the vessel flooded. □ true □ false

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Listening 1
Listen to the sentences and underline the correct response.

Example:

You hear: ‘What’s her course?’

You read:
a. starboard
b. 23 degrees
c. 5 knots
(The correct answer is b)

1.
a. Yes, you can enter the fairway.
b. You have permission to enter the fairway.
c. Yes, you do.

2.
a. What do you want? Over.
b. Where are you, Mayday?
c. Mayday, please state your name. Over.

3.
a. Steady on two–six-two.
b. Going steady, sir.
c. She is going steady, sir.

4.
a. Your ETA is 00.80.
b. OK, You will arrive at eight o’clock.
c. Understood: your ETA is 18.00.

5.
a. I read you good.
b. Very clearly, thank you.
c. I understand your writing.

Audio script

Example: What’s her course?

1. QUESTION: Do I have permission to enter the fairway?
2. Calling all ships; Mayday – Mayday - Mayday.
3. Steady as she goes.
4. My ETA is eighteen hundred.
5. How do you read me?

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Listening 2
Listen to the severe weather warning and complete the record of the broadcast.

Weather report
Date and time of warning: 0040 UTC 26th January
METAREA 1.
Wind direction 2.
Wind speed 3.
Sea state 4.
Destination fax number for weather reports 5.

Audio script

This is a weather warning for METAREA ten at zero zero four zero UTC, the twenty sixth of
January

Winds will be south westerly backing south.

Thirty knots increasing to fifty knots by zero hundred UTC twenty seventh of January, with rough
to very rough seas.

All ships in the area please send weather reports every three hours. Regular weather observing ships
use normal channels. Other ships please fax to zero-zero-six-two-three-six-one-eight-double-three.

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Listening 3
Listen to a Second Officer describe a passage plan and answer the questions.

Example: Where is the vessel now? Tunis

1. What time will the vessel depart?

2. What date will the vessel arrive in Marseille?

3. What is the ship carrying?

4. What will be the heading out of Marseilles?

5. Where will the vessel pick up the pilot?

Audio script
[Monologue – male or female in authority]

Good morning everybody; this is our passage plan.

We’re going to be leaving Tunis at oh-six-five-oh UTC. We’ll be heading North West after we leave
harbour. Marseille is our first port of call. The trip across will take a day and a half.

Our ETA at Marseille is fifteen-twenty. That’s on the fifth of September. High water is at twenty one
hundred and we expect to unload the cargo, steel girders, on the same day.

We leave Marseille the next day. ETD from Marseille is eighteen-thirty on the sixth of September.
We will then head two three six degrees and make Barcelona on the following day. We pick up a
pilot south west of Barcelona. Barcelona’s where we load our next cargo. Has anyone got any
questions so far?

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Listening 4
Listen to the radio call and complete the record.

Urgency Call
Name of vessel MV Casandra
Call sign 1.
Position 2.
Number of persons on board 3.
Problem 4.
Cargo 5.

Audio script

Officer on MV Cassandra: PAN PAN, PAN PAN, PAN PAN. Calling Saint John’s Coast Guard,
Saint John’s Coast Guard.
This is MV Casandra, Casandra, Casandra. Call sign: Charley – Delta – India – zero- four. Mistake.
Correction. My call sign is Charley – Bravo – India – zero – four.
I am five nautical miles east of Cape Vista. There are five persons on board. We are taking on water.
I repeat; we are taking on water. Over.
Coastguard: This is St. John’s Coastguard Radio. Question: Are you carrying hazardous cargo?
Over.
Officer on MV Cassandra: This is MV Cassandra. Answer: I am not repeat – not carrying
dangerous cargo. My cargo is timber. Over.

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Writing 1

The chart shows a course from Port Eden to Pine Tree harbour. There are 6 Waypoints (1–6).
Use the information on the chart and describe your position at each Waypoint. Waypoints 1
and 2 are given as an example.

[a/w: chart as shown

by this rough: route,
waypoints, features
(buoys and lights),
some co-ordinates, a
compass rose, place
names]

Waypoint 1: Vessel departs Port Eden at 08.00 UTC. Vessel sails south east for four nautical miles
on a bearing of 110°.

Waypoint 2: 1.5 miles due East of Drake Island. Vessel changes course to a bearing of 210°

Waypoint 3:
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Waypoint 4:
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Waypoint 5:
________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Writing 2
The first part of a report is under picture 1.

Continue the report by describing the events in pictures 2–4.

[Photograph series is based on the sinking of the Prestige in November 2002]

Picture 1
[a/w: A tanker at sea, breaking up and sinking in deteriorating weather conditions]

The weather was bad in the North Atlantic. There were high seas and gale force winds. The
Prestige, an oil tanker, was 210 kilometres off the Spanish coast. The Prestige had a crack in its
hull. The vessel broke in two.

Picture 2
[a/w: Crew being rescued from the tanker by helicopter with lifeboat and tugs standing off]

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Picture 3
[a/w: Oil leaking from hull of tanker – weather remains bad – inset is map of the Bay of Biscay and
Atlantic showing location of stricken tanker + ocean currents]

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Picture 4
[a/w: Oil covered beach / sea birds coated in oil / people cleaning the beach]

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Speaking 1
Interlocutor has a bank of questions. Candidate spells name in UN Phonetic Alphabet and responds
to questions about him/herself.

For the interlocutor:

Why did you want to be a seafarer?

What are the worst and the best things about working at sea?

What makes a ‘good’ captain?

Tell me something about your duties/ responsibilities on board.

Tell me about your first voyage.

Describe an exciting or dangerous event that happened to you at sea.

What is your favourite port? Why do you like it?

How is modern technology changing the way you work?

Are you superstitious? What superstitions and strange beliefs do seafarers have?

What makes a happy / unhappy crew?

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Speaking 2 (Candidate’s copy)

You are at sea and you receive a VHF call from a coast guard. Use SMCPs to reply to the
coastguard.

Use the information in the box for your replies.

Name of your vessel: MV SANTA MONICA

Call sign: MDK 08
Position: 5NM SW of Wolf Rock
Bearing: 080´

Speaking 2 (Examiner’s copy)

Instructions
Ask the candidate the questions below (in bold).
Candidate’s responses should deviate very little from the model answers.

Interlocutor: This is Port Eden Coastguard to unidentified vessel. Question: what is your call
sign? Over.
Model answer: This is MV Santa Monica to Port Eden Coastguard. Answer: my call sign is
MIKE DELTA KILO zero eight. Over.

Interlocutor: Please confirm your position is five nautical miles from Wolf Rock. Port Eden
Coastguard. Over.
Model answer: Yes, that is correct. (My position is five miles from Wolf Rock) MIKE DELTA
KILO zero eight. Over

Interlocutor: Question: What is your bearing? Port Eden Coastguard. Over.

Model answer: Answer: My bearing is zero-eight-zero. MIKE DELTA KILO zero eight. Over.
or:
This is MIKE DELTA KILO zero eight. My bearing is zero-eight-zero. Over

Interlocutor: Message not understood. Say again. Over.

Model answer: I say again. My bearing is zero-eight-zero. Over.

Interlocutor: MIKE DELTA KILO zero eight, your bearing is zero-one-eight. Over
Model answer: No my bearing is zero-eight-zero. MIKE DELTA KILO zero eight. Over.

Interlocutor: Advice: change course to zero-two-zero. Repeat: change course to zero-two-zero.

This is Port Eden Coastguard. Over.
Model answer: Intention: changing course to zero-two-zero. MIKE DELTA KILO zero eight.
Over.

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Answer key
Reading 1 Listening 1
1. c 1. b
2. a 2. c
3. c 3. a
4. b 4. c
5. a 5. a

Reading 2 Listening 2
1. e 1. 10
2. b 2. SW – S, or: SW backing S
3. c 3. 30 knots
4. d 4. rough – very rough
5. a 5. 0062361833

Reading 3 Listening 3
2. pork 1. 06.50 UTC
3. Spain 2. 5th September
4. Bilbao 3. steel girders
5. Southampton 4. 236°
6. Mr. B. Ocean 5. SW of Barcelona

Reading 4 Listening 4
1. true 1. C-D-I-0-4
2. false 2. 5 nm E of Cape Vista
3. false 3. 5
4. false 4. taking on water
5. true 5. timber

Writing 1
Model answers:

Waypoint 3: Staying on bearing of 210° and passing between Drake Island and Duck Island /
keeping Duck Island 3 NM to port

Waypoint 4: Off Wolf Rock, 4NM due west of the southern point of Duck Island we alter course to
South West

Waypoint 5: Keeping buoy light AR432 to port we alter course due south.

Waypoint 6: Keeping conical red and white buoy to port we alter course due west for 3.5 nautical
miles and enter Pine Tree harbour.

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Test B1 LCCTV Sample Test Level B1 Voc Version 1.0
Mariners English Language for Mariners Oct 2009

Writing 2
Descriptions should be in the simple past, full sentences.
Model answers:

Picture 2
The crew were winched from the deck of the tanker by an air sea rescue helicopter. A lifeboat and
tugs stood by

Picture 3
The weather continued to be bad – heavy / high seas. The Prestige was in the Bay of Biscay and oil
started to leak from the vessel. Sea currents carried the oil to the shores of Spain.

Picture 4
The oil covered the beaches. It killed wild life and many people were involved in beach cleaning
operations.

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