As Chief Engineer, what do you plan and check for a 35-day voyage?
Short answer
| Area | Check |
|---|---|
| Fuel and lube | 35 days and a reserve, ECA grades and changeover, BDN and sample, lube, fresh water |
| Spares and stores | critical spares (ISM §10), consumables for 35 days with a margin |
| Machinery | PMS due-list, defects cleared, standby and emergency machinery tested |
| Maintenance at sea | only what onboard spares and redundancy allow |
| Certificates | valid through the voyage, surveys arranged |
| Crew and contingency | manning, rest hours, shore support, emergency procedures exercised |
- Fuel and lube: fuel for 35 days and a reserve from the passage plan; ECA grades and changeover (Annex VI/14: 0.50% global, 0.10% in ECAs); quality per VI/18 (BDN, sample); lube, fresh water, SEEMP and CII (VI/26).
- Critical spares and stores: ISM §10 critical-equipment spares confirmed and replenished before sailing; consumables for 35 days with a margin.
- Machinery readiness: the PMS due-list against the window: jobs needing shore support done in port, outstanding defects cleared, standby and emergency machinery tested.
- Maintenance at sea: only what can be done safely with onboard spares, planned around redundancy; the rest deferred to the next port.
- Certificates and surveys: valid through the voyage, no survey falling due mid-ocean without a window agreed with class; records in order.
- Crew and contingency: manning and rest hours (STCW) sustainable; shore and maker contacts, spares to a port of call, emergency procedures exercised; coordinated with the master’s passage plan.
Full answer
The full answer explains each point step by step, with the regulations and figures behind it and the discussion from other candidates. It is in the MEO Class I section of the Marine One forum, open to members enrolled for the MEO Class I exam.