Establishes the MEG4 principle that mooring lines, tails, and winch brakes must be strength-matched so any failure occurs in a predictable, controlled component
Confirms the plan specifies the exact line type, size, and MBL for each mooring station
Checks winch brake holding capacity is verified against the line's MBL so the brake, not the line or winch structure, is the intended point of controlled render
Verifies deck crew use only the designated line at each station rather than substituting a different-rated line from stores without review
MasterChief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes the MEG4 recommendation to log hours in service per line, since fatigue and abrasion damage accumulate with use rather than calendar time alone
Confirms individual line identification (marking/tagging) so usage is tracked per line, not as a batch average
Checks the log is updated after mooring operations in real time rather than reconstructed later
Verifies usage data is actually referenced alongside inspection findings when deciding on replacement timing
Chief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes understanding that the LDBF is the reference as-new strength (typically the certified MBL at manufacture) against which the line's condition is judged over its service life
Confirms crew do not confuse LDBF with the operational SWL used for day-to-day mooring loads
Checks inspection findings and known loading history are related back to the LDBF to judge whether residual strength has degraded enough to require retirement
Verifies LDBF/MBL certificates are retained for the operational life of the line, not discarded after initial acceptance
Chief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes MEG4 guidance that a synthetic tail's MBL must be appropriately matched to the wire rope it serves so the tail remains the intended serviceable/sacrificial component
Confirms joining shackles are correctly rated and compatible with both the tail and the wire
Checks the vessel applies a fixed maximum age/service-life policy for tails, since synthetic fibre degrades internally even without visible surface damage
Verifies tail replacement records show tails are actually retired at or before the stated maximum age
Chief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Confirms a defined, documented inspection interval exists per MEG4 and the vessel's SMS, typically around significant mooring operations and at a fixed calendar interval
Establishes a responsible, competent person conducts and records inspections, with officer oversight
Checks additional inspection is triggered after heavy-weather mooring, an extended alongside period, or a known overload event
Verifies findings are actually recorded rather than only passed on verbally
Chief OfficerBosunAble Seaman
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes the company applies a defined percentage-loss threshold against original MBL rather than a purely subjective 'still looks okay' judgment
Confirms crew understand visible damage does not translate linearly to strength loss, and that assessment needs trained judgment or a structured condition-based guide
Checks the threshold is documented in company procedure, not just remembered informally
Verifies the assessment method used actually estimates a percentage figure rather than a pass/fail guess
Chief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes practical, hands-on competence identifying core-yarn exposure, localized abrasion at fairleads/bitts, heat-glazed or melted fibres, UV discoloration/stiffness, and broken or parted strands
Confirms the line is checked full-length, not only at the eye splice or the point of last contact
Checks the crew member's assessment is consistent with the company's documented visual criteria rather than pure guesswork
BosunAble SeamanChief Officer
What the Inspector Expects
Confirms individual line marking/tagging so inspection results attach to a specific line rather than a general fleet-wide record
Establishes a documented decision trail when a line is flagged as suspect — quarantine, re-inspection, or retirement — rather than a verbal handover between watches
Checks history survives crew changeover so an incoming Bosun or Chief Officer inherits the record, not just the physical lines
Chief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes mooring/berthing equipment is a defined PMS component group with maintenance intervals for greasing, brake adjustment, bearing checks, and corrosion survey
Confirms completed job cards exist with real dates, not just open jobs sitting unresolved in the system
Checks PMS findings such as a winch defect are cross-referenced to the defect/deficiency list and tracked to closure, consistent with ISM Code Section 10 planned maintenance requirements
Chief OfficerBosunChief Engineer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes crew understand the brake is designed to render at a set proportion of the line's MBL, commonly referenced around 60%, so an overload is absorbed in a controlled way rather than the line parting or the winch structure failing
Confirms this is understood as a deliberate MEG4 safety hierarchy, not an incidental setting
Checks crew can relate the concept to why a stronger-than-specified line must never be substituted onto a winch without re-verifying the brake relationship
Chief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Confirms brake holding capacity testing is performed at least annually per MEG4 recommended practice, using a calibrated test kit rather than an informal check
Establishes every mooring winch is tested, not just a sample
Checks records show the actual render load for each brake compared against the target, and that any winch failing to meet criteria was flagged for adjustment or repair before further use
Chief OfficerBosunChief Engineer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes brake lining is a distinct maintenance item from the general winch mechanism, with wear thickness, glazing, and oil/grease contamination directly affecting holding capacity
Confirms a documented inspection interval and criteria for lining replacement exist, separate from the annual load test
Checks crew understand a contaminated or glazed lining can still pass a single load test yet degrade unpredictably in service
BosunChief OfficerChief Engineer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes that on split-drum (tension) winches, an unevenly or loosely spooled first layer creates gaps and inconsistent line-to-drum contact that degrade brake holding performance
Confirms crew apply a deliberate tensioning method when initially spooling a new line rather than paying it on slack
Checks this is a known, briefed practice rather than left to whoever happens to be running the winch that day
BosunAble SeamanChief Officer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes the recognized principle that auto-tension mode must not be used for lines holding the ship alongside, since automatic surging/hauling in response to tension changes can create uncontrolled line movement and snap-back hazard
Confirms winches are physically set to brake/hand mode once mooring is complete, and this is actually checked rather than assumed
Checks the SMS explicitly prohibits the practice and that a check of winch mode is part of routine mooring-line tending rounds
Chief OfficerBosunAble Seaman
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes the vessel actively assesses mooring arrangement adequacy per berth, consistent with MEG4 guidance on arrangement symmetry and lead angle limits, rather than defaulting to a standard pattern
Confirms consideration of tide range, current, wind exposure, and passing-ship/traffic-induced surge for that specific berth
Checks the arrangement is recorded in a berth-specific plan or diagram, not left purely to the discretion of whoever is on deck
MasterChief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes the recognized prohibition on mixed moorings, where a wire and a rope share load in the same service, because the two materials have very different elasticity and won't share load evenly
Confirms crew understand this risks sudden overload transfer and failure of the less elastic component
Checks crew can distinguish a prohibited mixed-mooring setup from an approved wire-plus-synthetic-tail arrangement, which is the correct engineered exception
Chief OfficerBosunAble Seaman
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes deck mooring fittings carry visible, legible SWL markings consistent with their design and the mooring arrangement's line loads
Confirms a routine visual condition check for grooving/wear at line-contact surfaces, cracking, and corrosion is part of deck maintenance
Checks any fitting found deficient is taken out of service or repaired rather than remaining in use
BosunChief Officer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes crew understand painted snap-back zone markings indicate the highest-probability danger areas but a parting line under tension can whip back along an unpredictable path well beyond any painted zone
Confirms this whole-deck awareness is actively briefed through toolbox talks and mooring station briefings rather than assumed to be common knowledge
Checks new joiners receive this awareness specifically during familiarization, not just a generic safety induction
all deck officersBosunAble Seaman
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes real-time positioning discipline is actively supervised during mooring stations, not just covered in a pre-operation briefing and then left unmonitored
Confirms a nominated station-in-charge has explicit authority and responsibility to stop the operation or reposition a crew member who moves into a hazardous line of a mooring line under tension
Checks this is consistent with the vessel's mooring operation risk assessment
Chief OfficerBosunAble Seaman
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes mooring station manning is planned per operation, considering line count, weather, and complexity, with a competent officer or experienced Bosun supervising each station
Confirms clear stop-work authority exists for any crew member, not only the officer in charge, consistent with the safety culture required under ISM Code Section 7
Checks manning plans account for fatigue and rest-hour impact when mooring operations fall outside normal watch hours
MasterChief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes reliable two-way communication between the bridge/conning position and each mooring station, with an agreed common channel and standard terminology
Confirms a tested backup communication method exists, such as hand or whistle signals or a second radio set, for radio failure
Checks communication discipline is actually observed during operations, with closed-loop acknowledgment of instructions, not just equipment presence
MasterChief Officer2nd Officer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes crew understand a bight, the loop formed by slack or the lead of a line, can close suddenly under tension and must never be straddled or stood within
Confirms safe heaving practice includes keeping hands and feet clear of rollers/fairleads and using proper technique to feed line onto the drum without riding turns
Checks crew are trained to stop the winch rather than attempt to clear a fouled line by hand while under power
Verifies the practice is demonstrable during actual operations, not just stated as policy
BosunAble SeamanRatings
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes a routine tending regime with regular rounds, not just reactive response to a visibly slack or tight line, that accounts for tidal range, draft change from cargo operations, and current/wind shifts
Confirms defined criteria, such as wind speed or forecast deterioration, for calling out a mooring party to stand by or add lines, consistent with the vessel's SMS and port requirements
Checks tending records/log entries actually exist rather than tending being purely informal
Chief Officer2nd Officer3rd Officer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes the windlass brake is maintained and periodically tested to hold the anchor and cable under load without slipping
Confirms cable markings are clear, correctly positioned, and understood by whoever is veering cable, so scope can be confirmed without guesswork
Checks the bitter end is secured by an arrangement that can be released from outside the chain locker in an emergency
Verifies the chain locker itself, including drainage and cable stowage, is in serviceable condition
Chief OfficerBosunChief Engineer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes anchoring is planned in advance using chart data, sailing directions, and local notices for holding ground quality and swinging room, not decided on arrival
Confirms a scope calculation, informed by depth, weather, and expected duration, is made and briefed to the bridge team before letting go
Checks contingency for deteriorating holding ground or weather is built into the plan, consistent with passage-planning principles applied to anchoring
MasterChief Officer2nd Officer
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes crew understand walking back under windlass power is preferred in confined anchorages, shallow water, congested traffic, or where free-fall risks excessive cable runout or seabed hazards, versus letting go being acceptable in open, deep-water anchorages with adequate room
Confirms an active anchor watch is maintained with position-fixing at a defined interval and dragging alarms set appropriately
Checks clear criteria exist for informing the Master if the vessel is dragging
Verifies watch handover captures anchor position/bearings, not just that the anchor is down
MasterChief Officer2nd Officer
What the Inspector Expects
Confirms compliance with SOLAS II-1 Reg 3-4 requiring tankers of 20,000 DWT and above to be fitted with emergency towing arrangements at both bow and stern, deployable quickly even with the ship blacked out (no main power available)
Establishes the vessel carries a ship-specific emergency towing booklet detailing the arrangement, strongpoint, and deployment procedure, not a generic template
Checks crew familiarity is demonstrated through drills, not just knowledge that the booklet exists
MasterChief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
Establishes correct, recognized methods for securing tug lines with appropriate turns and fittings, avoiding sharp bends over unsuitable equipment, and clear roles for who directs the line handling
Confirms the SWL of the specific bollards/fairleads used for tug work is known and adequate for anticipated loads, including higher dynamic loads possible during escort towage
Checks communication with the tug is established before line transfer, and crew are briefed on the tug-line-specific snap-back risk given typically higher tensions
MasterChief OfficerBosun
What the Inspector Expects
For STS, confirms a mooring plan specific to the actual operation, covering fender arrangement, mooring line pattern between the two vessels, and agreed communications, is prepared in line with the vessel's STS Plan of Operations rather than reusing the normal berth arrangement
For SPM, establishes the hawser and chafe chain are inspected for wear consistent with OCIMF SPM mooring equipment guidance
Checks the bow stopper/chain stopper arrangement is rated and maintained to hold the mooring load
Verifies pick-up gear such as messenger line and marker buoy line is ready and serviceable for connection