IALACOLREG
14

Module 14 — Integrated final drills

End-to-end scenarios where the student combines equipment, procedures, English and log keeping as a real operator.

This module introduces no new content. It requires applying everything learned so far in full scenarios: the student no longer studies isolated equipment but acts as a radio operator. The drills reproduce real situations where one must choose the right medium, follow the procedure, communicate in maritime English and close the case with a log entry.

Typical drills

a
Fire in sea area A1 — VHF-DSC distress alert, Mayday voice on channel 16, coordination with coast station, log.
b
Flooding in A2 — MF-DSC alert on 2187.5 kHz, Mayday voice on 2182 kHz, HF fallback if MF propagation fails.
c
A3 vessel with VHF/MF inoperative — distress alert via Inmarsat C with distress priority, HF-DSC fallback, EGC for MSI reception.
d
Critical NAVTEX warning — reception of weather or SAR warning, operational decision (inform bridge, alter route, cooperate), log.
e
Abandon ship — EPIRB and SART / AIS-SART activation, portable VHF use in the raft, on-scene voice with SAR vessel or helicopter.
f
False alert — immediate cancellation by DSC and voice on the right medium, ship identification, UTC time of the original alert, notification to the RCC, log.
g
RCC communication in English — coordination of assistance, confirmation of position, persons on board, nature of distress and assistance required, all in SMCP.

How it is graded

In each drill the examiner scores:

a
Equipment handling — correct selection, real use of buttons and menus, no improvisation.
b
Procedure — DSC → voice → listening → acknowledgement → traffic → closure.
c
Choice of medium — coherent with the sea area and urgency.
d
Maritime English — phonetic alphabet, digit-by-digit numbers, SMCP phrases.
e
MSI and documentation — NAVTEX / Inmarsat read and handled.
f
Log — full entry at case closure.

Final weighting

AreaWeight
Equipment handling30%
Distress, urgency and safety procedures25%
Choice of medium15%
Maritime English10%
NAVTEX / Inmarsat / MSI10%
Log, documentation and maintenance10%

Pass criterion

The student must show that, facing a real scenario, they can alert, communicate and log without external help in a reasonable time and with the right equipment. A drill with perfect procedure but the wrong medium is considered a fail.

A mature drill integrates three layers

A realistic exercise combines

  1. 1on-board decision-making (the Figure 23 sequence)
  2. 2shore-side and SAR response (RCC, nearest coast station, possible relay by other ships), and
  3. 3subsequent documentation (radio log, false-alert cancellation if relevant, equipment recovery). If the drill stops at layer 1, the student never grasps how help actually arrives.

RCC logic (Part 7)

The coast station nearest the distress position should acknowledge when possible; the first RCC associated with that acknowledgement coordinates until responsibility is transferred to another RCC by SAR zone. That means the ship does not coordinate the rescue: it supplies useful information and follows instructions. Understanding that division prevents the operator from 'arguing' with the RCC instead of cooperating.

Base scenarios

  1. 1Imminent sinking in A1 with abandonment.
  2. 2Fire in A2 without immediate abandonment.
  3. 3Man overboard in A3.
  4. 4False DSC alert that must be cancelled in real time.
  5. 5Piracy MSI warning received along a transit zone.
  6. 6Shore-to-ship relay reception and on-scene coordination with other ships. Each scenario exercises a different subset of GMDSS functions.
Diagram
Schematic drill map across sea areas A1-A4: fire, collision, MEDEVAC, abandonment, false alert, MSI

What is not GMDSS distress

The manual warns that certain AIS safety-related text features should not be used as substitutes for GMDSS distress and safety, because there is no equivalent international reception and SAR response infrastructure behind them. A serious drill teaches both what to use and what not to misuse when the situation deteriorates (for example, not relying solely on a satellite-smartphone SMS).

Debrief with lessons learned

Every drill ends with analysis: time to first alert, time to acknowledgement, quality of transmitted information, SMCP discipline, coherence between bridge and radio, state of the radio log after the exercise. Without a debrief there is activity, not learning.

GOC exam structure (theory + practical)

The GOC exam combines a written theory paper with a simulator-based practical. Theory covers sea areas and frequencies, equipment, distress/urgency/safety procedures, documentation and SMCP. The practical, on an accredited simulator, requires at least

  1. 1a DSC distress alert on VHF and on MF/HF with the subsequent MAYDAY voice traffic
  2. 2a false-alert cancellation following resolution MSC.514(105)
  3. 3receiving and processing a NAVTEX message and briefing the bridge
  4. 4an Inmarsat C or equivalent RMSS distress alert with correct LES and priority selection
  5. 5manual activation and recovery of SART / AIS-SART
  6. 6simulated manual activation of an EPIRB with the corresponding follow-up with the RCC.

Typical evaluator rubric

The evaluator times and audits: elapsed time from the alert order to actual transmission; correctness of identity, position and nature in the DSC message and in voice; full cancellation of any false alert generated during the test; quality of the radio-log entry at closeout; use of a backup medium when the primary is simulated-faulty (for example VHF-DSC replaced by Inmarsat C or MF-DSC); SMCP discipline in voice (digit by digit, prowords, identification). Missing the cancellation of a false alert or leaving the log empty is a common eliminatory error, beyond the technical details.

Detailed practical rubric

Each of the 6 minimum exercises is marked on

  1. 1correct medium for sea area and priority (VHF-DSC in A1, MF/HF-DSC or RMSS in A2-A4)
  2. 2button sequence within the time limit (DSC alert usually <2 min from the order; manual EPIRB <30 s; Inmarsat C <3 min)
  3. 3voice follow-up to DSC with a full MAYDAY (triple identity, position, nature, assistance, POB, intentions)
  4. 4full cancellation of any false alert generated (DSC + voice + log + RCC)
  5. 5radio-log entry with UTC, equipment, procedure and signature
  6. 6switch to backup medium when the examiner simulates a fault. Typical eliminatory errors: wrong medium for area (VHF in a transoceanic A3), missing false-alert cancellation, grossly incorrect MAYDAY voice (no identity or no position), failing to identify the vessel on every transmission, speaking on ch 70.

Typical examiner scenarios

Engine-room fire (ch 16 MAYDAY, firefighting, abandonment intentions), collision (MAYDAY RELAY if the other vessel does not transmit, distress-traffic silence request), grounding (PAN-PAN if no immediate threat to life, MAYDAY if flooding), medical emergency (PAN-PAN MEDICO/MEDEVAC to CIME/CIRM), abandonment with liferafts (activate EPIRB and SART, take portable VHF), man overboard (bridge order 'MOB', VHF ch 16 PAN-PAN MEDICO or MAYDAY as appropriate, return to MOB position), pirate encounter (alert by available means without drawing attention, SSAS conceptually if fitted, contact UKMTO or MSCHOA in HoA), met warning requiring diversion (NAVTEX/EGC reception, brief the bridge, route decision).

STCW Bridge Watch Lens

1

Decide applicability before manoeuvring: Rules 4-10 apply in any visibility, Rules 11-18 only when vessels are in sight, and Rule 19 governs radar-only encounters in restricted visibility.

2

Build the traffic picture with sight, hearing, radar/ARPA and chart context. Do not let AIS or one isolated bearing replace systematic observation.

3

After manoeuvring, keep monitoring bearing, range, CPA/TCPA and passing distance until the other vessel is finally past and clear.

Exam Focus

1

Identify the vessel types first, then the relative bearing, then whether one vessel is overtaking. Misclassifying the encounter is the usual exam failure.

2

If two rules seem to conflict, check the order carefully: overtaking duties still apply, and Rule 2 still requires ordinary seamanship.

Key Takeaways

1

Drills mirror reality: equipment + procedure + language + log.

2

Choosing the wrong medium invalidates the alert, even if procedure is perfect.

3

Every drill closes with a log entry — just like real operation.

4

Maritime English is graded in every drill, not only in Module 12.

5

A drill integrates the ship, RCC/coast station and subsequent documentation.

6

The first RCC associated with the first acknowledgement coordinates until transfer (Part 7).

7

AIS and generic satellite messaging do not replace recognized GMDSS distress alerting.

8

Without a post-exercise debrief there is no learning: time it, audit it, log it.

9

The GOC exam combines a written theory paper with a simulator-based practical covering at least six exercises.

10

Every practical includes at least one false-alert cancellation following MSC.514(105).

11

The rubric measures time, correctness, use of backup, SMCP discipline and log quality.

12

Missing false-alert cancellation or an empty log are typical eliminatory errors.

13

6 minimum exercises: DSC VHF+MF/HF, false-alert cancellation, NAVTEX, RMSS, SART/AIS-SART, manual EPIRB.

14

Eliminatories: wrong medium for area, uncancelled false alert, MAYDAY without identity/position, voice on ch 70.

15

Frequent scenarios: fire, collision, grounding, MEDEVAC, abandonment, MOB, pirate, met warning diversion.

Common Mistakes

Treating the drill as a theory test rather than real operation.

Failing to close the case with a log entry.

Improvising the DSC/voice order instead of following the procedure.

Using Spanish with the RCC instead of SMCP.

Training only the button press without the rest of the chain (voice, relay, cancellation, log).

Using AIS text features as if they were a GMDSS alert backed by SAR infrastructure.

Assuming the ship runs the rescue coordination instead of the RCC.

Closing the drill without reviewing the log and actual response times.

Preparing only the theory and leaving simulator practice to the exam day.

Not rehearsing the switch to a backup medium and freezing when the evaluator simulates a fault.

Closing the exercise without logging the incident in the radio log.

Using MAYDAY when PAN-PAN applies (stable medical emergency) or vice versa: priority error.

Activating the EPIRB as part of the 'demonstration' without noting that in reality it would be float-free or manual from the raft.

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