船长面试问题及参考答案
船长是船上最重要的职位，也是各方面要求最高的职位。船东在面试船员时对船长的考核最认真，最浪费时间，也是最复杂的。作为一名合格的船长，不但要求有丰富的海上工作经历、娴熟的船舶驾驶经验技术，更要有很好的商务操作能力、领导管理能力、极佳的个人人品、强大的人格魅力和感召力。还要勤于动脑、身体力行，在所有船员面前树立典范。船东在进行面试时，往往提问船长的问题最多，也最复杂，考察的时间也最长。提问船长的问题涉及到国际安全管理规则、安全管理体系、船长资历、船舶管理、各种具体商务和技术问题等等。
下面收集了一部分面试试题，供广大面试船长参考。其中的部分问题，不但船长必备，其他干部船员，尤其是大副也必须看，轮机长也应该参考一下。
1. Can you tell me about your education background?
Please refer to an Master’s self-introduction in Part One of this book.
实事求是，最好告诉人家在某个学校学了多长时间，最好也要告诉人家你接受某些社会培训的情况，谦虚好学毕竟是一个美德嘛。
2. What is a classification society? What is the purpose of classification survey? Please list some famous classification societies in the world.
A classification society is usually an independent organization that carries out classification surveys, statutory surveys, surveys related to notarial matters for ships, offshore installations, marine freight containers, materials and marine equipment. It also provides safety management certification services to shipping companies and their ships. The purpose of classification survey is to evaluate the situation of a ship and the management of a company and its ship.
Some of the famous classification societies are: NK(Japanese 日本海事协会), CCS(Chinese classification society), ABS(American), DNV(Norwegian), SL(British Lloyd 英国劳氏), GL(German Lloyd 德国劳氏), KR(Korean), RINA(意大利船级社)。
3. Can you talk about the previous vessels worked on board?
Please refer to an master’s self-introduction in Part One of this book.
实事求是，若没有做过，千万不要伪造。并且服务簿、书面简历以及你口头介绍的资历的内容一定要一致，特别是时间、船型、航区、吨位、船员情况、外派公司、船东及租船公司情况，因为你是船长，应该对自己管理的船有非常深的印象。
4. What type of cargo was carried on board your last vessel?
曾经在什么船上工作过，运过什么货物也是船东非常关心的问题，因为船东在考虑把他的一条船交给你时，对你是运过某种他们的船舶载的货物非常关键。因为你只有运过某种货物，才对这种货物的特性、装卸时需要注意的事项、运输中需要注意的事项有所了解和经验。其实，你如果运过某些货物，你也应该说出来。
下面提供几种货物的名称，供参考：
Bulk cargo: cement, cement clicker, nickel, ore, iron, sand, phosphorus rock, potash in bulk, salt, grain, pet coke, coal etc.
General cargo: vehicle, loader, wagon, heavy lifts, over-length cargo, mine equipment, steel construction material.
Other: log, plywood, container, and so on.
5. Where was your last vessel’s trading area? Which ports have you called?
I have rich experience in calling the ports in the US, some developing countries and in the passage through the Suez Canal, Panama Canal, and Denver Strait, and Denmark Strait.
Some useful expressions for trading areas: 全球航线ocean-going, world widely, globally, worldwide; 固定航线 fixed route.
6. Can you tell me the differences between the Chinese stateowned shipping companies and foreign shipping companies?
Basically, in my opinion, there are not big differences at all. It seems to me that foreign owners are more concerned about the master’s overriding authority on board while the Chinese shipping companies tend to ask their local agents to do more for the vessel. Another major difference between them is that the Safety Management System of the Chinese companies is in Chinese and the working language on board is Chinese. What’s more, most of the Chinese owners use the CCS for classification while foreign owners may use different classification societies.
各个国家的船公司都有自己的特点和特色。至于您如何回答这个问题并不重要，关键是不要妄自菲薄；试想一下，如果中国的船东一无是处的话，我们中国船员的素质又会如何。
7. In case of cargo damage, for example, before the vessel arrives at the discharging port, you find the quality of the surface cargo has changed, how would you handle it?
I have to look into the reason and volume of the damage first, and then I’ll contact the owner of instruction. In the event of small quantity of grain, I shall just throw it into the sea to avoid disputes. Or I will follow the owner’s instruction to contact it’s the P & I correspondent or local agent for their advice.
If necessary, I’ll prepare a Sea Protest to claim that the ship owner and the crew have exercised their due diligence.
关于货损方面的处理程序，各个公司都有相关的操作和程序文件，上面只是一般的处理原则。
8. How do you understand the Master’s overriding authority under emergency situations?
If the situation and time permit, the Master should always report to the company first before taken actions. However, when the ship is in immediate danger, the Master shall exercise his overriding authority and take whatever actions necessary in dealing with an emergency situation in order to protect the safety of the seafarers, the cargo, the vessel, the port and the environment without considering too much the demands of the ship owner and the charterer. Nevertheless, the Master should report to the company in detail what has happened after the event.
9. Can you tell me about your experience as a Captain?
Hints: Your experience may include such things as the duration you have worked as a Captain, the places or ports you have ever been to, the types of vessels you have ever served, the types of cargo you have ever experienced, the types of cargo you have ever experienced, the management styles on the vessels, and so on.
Please also refer to chapter one for more detailed answers.
10. What is the Master’s Standing Order?
It is basically the Master’s own set of instructions and orders for the vessel’s operation. The contents may include the watch-keeping duties for the officers, when to ask for order from the master, the port entry procedure, and how to deal with emergency situations like oil pollution, fire disaster, collision, grounding, as well as when to call the master to the bridge, and so on. For special vessels (tanker, LPG or car carriers, etc.) the standing orders may have some more contents.
The Standing Order is normally found on the first pages of Deck Log Book and in the Bridge Order Book. Besides, some warnings shall be prominently posted on the bridge and read and signed by all duty officers.
11. How do you understand the importance of keeping good and harmonious relationship with the Chief Engineer and other Officers and Engineers?
Without harmonious relationship with the Chief Engineer and the other officers and engineers, the Master cannot manage the ship well. But how can the Master achieve it? First of all, the Master must have close contact with the department heads because the daily management is delegated to them although the Master himself is responsible for the overall safety and personnel management. Secondly, the Master himself must know his job well and know when to do what and how. Thirdly, the Master should be very strict in himself in discipline and behavior. Fourthly, he should be fair in job assignment, pay distribution an
