The Merchant Shipping (Certificates of Competency as A.B.) Regulations 1970

SCHEDULE 1 SYLLABUS FOR EXAMINATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY AS A.B

Nautical knowledge

1.  The meaning of common nautical terms.

2.  The names and functions of various parts of a ship, for example decks, compartments, ballast tanks, bilges, air pipes, strum boxes.

3.  Knowledge of the compass card 0° to 360°. Ability to report the approximate bearing of an object in degrees or points on the bow.

4.  Reading, streaming and handing a patent log.

5.  Markings on a hand lead line, taking a case of the hand lead and correctly reporting the sounding obtained.

6.  Marking of the anchor cable.

7.  Understanding helm orders.

8.  The use of lifesaving and fire fighting appliances.

Practical work

Tested as far as possible by practical demonstration.

9.  Knots, hitches and bends in common use:—

Reef knot	Bowline and bowline on the bight
Timber hitch	Sheet bend, double and single
Clovehitch	Sheepshank
Rolling hitch	Round turn and two half hitches
Figure of eight	Marlinspike hitch
Wall and crown

To whip a rope's end using plain or palm and needle whipping. To put a seizing on rope and wire. To put a stopper on a rope or wire hawser, and derrick lift.

10.  Splicing plaited and multi-strand manila and synthetic fibre rope, eye splice, short splice and back splice. Splicing wire rope, eye splice using a locking tuck. Care in use of rope and wire.

11.  Slinging a stage, rigging a bosun's chair and pilot ladder.

12.  Rigging a derrick. Driving a winch, general precautions to be taken before and during the operation of a winch whether used for working cargo or for warping.

13.  The use and operation of a windlass in anchor work and in warping. Safe handling of moorings with particular reference to synthetic-fibre ropes and self tensioning winches. Precautions to be taken in the stowage of chain cable and securing the anchors for sea.

14.  A knowledge of the gear used in cargo work and an understanding of its uses. General maintenance with particular reference to wires, blocks and shackles.

15.  The safe handling of hatch covers including mechanical hatch covers; battening down and securing hatches and tank lids.

16.  If no lifeboatman's certificate is held, a candidate will be required to satisfy the examiner that:—

(a) he understands the general principles of boat management and can carry out orders relating to lifeboat launching and operation and the handling of a boat under sail;

(b) he is familiar with a lifeboat and its equipment and the starting and running of the engines of a power boat;

(c) he is familiar with the various methods of launching liferafts, the precautions to be taken before and during launching, methods of boarding and survival procedure.

SCHEDULE 2 TRAINING SCHOOLS AND ESTABLISHMENTS

PART I NAUTICAL TRAINING SCHOOLS

Place	Name of School	Maximum period of reduction of qualifying service
Aberdeen	Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology	6 months
Anglesey	H.M.S. “Conway” Merchant Navy Cadet School	6 months
Belfast	City of Belfast College of Technology	6 months
Blyth	Wellesley Nautical School	6 months
Bristol (Portishead)	Incorporated National Nautical School	6 months
Buckie	Buckie High School	3 months
Cardiff	National Sea Training School	3 months
Cardiff	Reardon Smith Nautical College	6 months
Dover	Prince of Wales Sea Training School	6 months
Elgin	Gordonstoun School (Nautical Department)	6 months
Fleetwood	Nautical College (Cadet Course) (Junior Course)	6 months 3 months
* Gravesend	National Sea Training School	3 months
Greenock	Watt Memorial College	6 months
Hull	Kingston-upon-Hull High School for Nautical Training	6 months
Hull	Kingston-upon-Hull Nautical College	6 months
Hull	Trinity House Navigation Schools	6 months
Leith	Leith Nautical College	6 months
Leith	Leith Nautical College (T.S. Dolphin)	3 months
Liverpool	Riversdale Technical College	6 months
Liverpool	The Indefatigable and National Sea Training School for Boys	6 months
London	Merchant Navy College	6 months
London	London Nautical School	6 months
Pangbourne	The Nautical College	6 months
Plymouth	Plymouth College of Technology	6 months
Southampton	School of Navigation, University of Southampton, Warsash	6 months
South Shields	South Shields Marine & Technical College	6 months
South Shields	National Sea Training School	3 months
Stornoway	Lews Castle College (Cadet Course) (Junior Course)	6 months 3 months
Yarmouth (I.O.W.)	St. Swithins Nautical School	6 months

PART 2 TRAINING SCHOOLS

Barrow-in-Furness	Holker County Secondary School	6 months
Dovercourt	Sir Anthony Dean, County Secondary School	6 months
Falmouth	Falmouth Technical College	6 months
Grimsby	Grimsby College of Further Education	6 months
Lowestoft	Technical College	6 months
Morpeth	Amble County Secondary School	6 months
Newcastle-upon-Tyne	Blakelaw School	6 months
Sunderland	Hylton Red House Comprehensive School	6 months
Whitehaven	Kells Secondary School	6 months

SCHEDULE 3 FEES

	£ s. d.
1. For sitting the examination specified in Regulation 4(1)(c), except in cases to which paragraph 3 of this Schedule applies	9 0
2. For the grant of a certificate of competency, except in cases to which paragraph 3 of this Schedule applies	9 0
3. For sitting the said examination and for the grant of a certificate of competency in the case of a person making application therefor under Regulation 5(6) and passing the examination	9 0
4. For a copy of a certificate of competency issued pursuant to Regulation 10, except where the loss or destruction of the original certificate was occasioned by the wreck or loss of a ship or by a fire on board ship, in which case no fee shall be payable	5 6