Officer of The Watch (Unlimited)

Course

In Fleetwood

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Course

  • Location

    Fleetwood

HND and HNC qualifications lead to a UK Certificate of Competency (CoC). Those issued by Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) and Edexel must be completed in an MCA approved training centre if they are being used towards gaining a CoC Fleetwood Nautical Campus currently offers the Higher National Certificate in Nautical Science by Blended Learning to students who are overseas, work full time or prefer to study in a flexible mode. Blended Learning combines online learning with college based assessment.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Fleetwood (Lancashire)
See map
Broadwater., FY7 8JZ

Start date

On request

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Subjects

  • IT

Course programme

This course is designed for experienced seafarers from the Merchant Navy and Yachting Industry to study towards their Officer of The Watch (Unlimited) Certificate of Competency (CoC).

Course Content and Syllabus Delivery

The HNC in Nautical Science is arranged into ten modules which are then divided into 4 sets and a Graded Unit.

Each module has Tutor Marked Tests (TMTs), Pre-College Tests and Formal Assessments. When students have reached the required standard for each module they must attempt a Pre-College Tests, to ensure their knowledge is satisfactory, before attending college to take the assessment/exam for each subject.

The breakdown of modules for each set is as follows:

Set One Unit title: Naval Architecture: Ship Construction Unit code: F0LF 34

Unit purpose: This Unit will introduce the candidate to the significant features of a ship’s structure and the salient features of a range of ship types. It also covers the location, cause, effect and means to counteract internal and external forces exerted on a ship and introduces the student to the use of ship’s stress-calculating equipment for monitoring structural loads.

Unit title: Marine Meteorology: An Introduction Unit code: F0LH 34

Unit purpose: This Unit introduces the candidate to marine meteorological observing methods, codes and the weather services available to shipping. It develops knowledge of meteorological processes and the identification of and weather associated with, the main synoptic systems as well as knowledge of the circulation of the atmosphere and oceans.

Unit title: Navigational Mathematics and Science Unit code: F0M0 34

Unit purpose: This Unit introduces the mathematical theory required for candidates to determine the course and distance between two points on the earth’s surface. The Unit will examine the concepts of plane and spherical trigonometry and their application in complex navigational calculations. The scientific theory of magnetism will be examined in the context of the earth’s magnetic field and its interaction with the ship’s magnetic compass and the theory of the marine gyro compass. It will develop knowledge of simple algebra and basic numeracy as well as develop the candidate’s ability to use a calculator for complex calculations.

Set Two Unit title: Marine Emergency Response and Communication Unit code: F0LK 34

Unit purpose: This Unit introduces candidates to the internationally recognised procedures to be followed in response to emergencies and distress signals at sea. It also considers the action to be taken when language difficulties are encountered at sea and the correct procedures to be followed when transmitting or receiving information by visual signalling using Morse code or flag signals as per the International Code of Signals. The Unit will also enable the candidate to transmit and receive Morse code and flag signals using equipment found on board all merchant vessels.

Unit title: Marine Cargo Operations Unit code: F0LM 34

Unit purpose: This Unit is designed to provide candidates with underpinning knowledge of a range of topics which will allow them to safely and efficiently carry out their duties as a Deck Officer of the Watch onboard a merchant vessel during cargo operations.

Unit title: Marine Law and Management: An Introduction Unit code: F0LJ 34

Unit purpose: This Unit will introduce the candidate to the relationship between law, codes and other forms of guidance. It develops an awareness of the law, codes and guidance relating to ship and crew safety and operations. It also covers the principles of personnel management at operational level.

Set Three Unit title: Celestial Navigation Unit code: F0LS 35

Unit purpose: This Unit will introduce the candidate to the marine sextant and chronometer and will explain the correct procedures to obtain the time of observation and the observed altitude of celestial bodies. It will also introduce the concept of celestial navigation and enable the candidate to calculate the true bearing of any celestial object plus obtain a position line from a single observation of a celestial object. Finally it will introduce the procedure for determining the vessel’s position at sea from two or more observations of celestial objects. The contents and use of the Nautical Almanac will also be examined.

Unit title: Bridge Watchkeeping Unit code: F0LR 34

Unit purpose: This Unit is about applying regulations and systems for the safe movement of vessels and develops a thorough knowledge of the content of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS) and the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) buoyage systems. It also covers Bridge Watchkeeping Procedures, vessel manoeuvres and steering systems.

Set Four Unit title: Chartwork and Tides Unit code: F0LV 34

Unit purpose: This Unit will introduce candidates to using, caring for and the correction of charts and publications carried aboard ship. It is also about position fixing using charted objects, determining the compass course to steer and counteracting tidal stream and leeway to make passage plan way points by measurement from the chart. It also covers the general theory on the cause of tides, which includes calculations involving times and heights of tides worldwide.

Unit title: Ship Stability: An Introduction Unit code: F0LD 34

Unit purpose: This Unit is about applying the principles of ship stability for box and ship shape vessels to routine situations. It will develop knowledge of the principles of hydrostatics, loadline calculations, statical stability and transverse stability. It also gives an introduction to longitudinal stability.

Graded Unit Title: Nautical Science: Graded Unit 1 Graded Unit Code: F13B 34

Type of Graded Unit: Examination

Officer of The Watch (Unlimited)

Price on request