 The IMO Model Course 1.23 devoted to the proficiency of personnel in rescue boats and survival craft excluding FRB. Traditionally, the course starts with the chapters where some introduction, safety and general information is given, including drills and emergency situation. The actions that shall be taken by the crew members during the ship abandon are discussed in the next chapter.
The types and construction of the shipboard lifeboats, rescue boats and liferafts are covered together with the relevant launching arrangements, and this also includes the free-fall lifeboats and MES, standing for the marine evacuation systems. Due attention has been paid to the engines installed on the lifeboats and rescue boats, and the systems, such as the starting system, cooling system, fire extinguishing and water spray systems, battery system etc.
The radio equipment has been discussed separately, and same applies to the helicopter rescue and first aid techniques and arrangements. Then the students will proceed to the drills in launching/recovering of all above stated survival craft. Finally, several practical exercises are provided for the progress tracking and evaluation.
 Here is another IMO model course, this one dealing with the shipboard rescue boats. The trainees will start with the construction and outfitting of the FRC (fast rescue boats) installed on board seagoing vessels, including their equipment, and then proceed to particular characteristics of the boats and their facilities.
The next section of the course is dealing with the equipment including the safety and navigation items, as well as the emergency equipment, since it is mandatory to have a thorough knowledge of what shall be carried on board and how it shall be used. The necessary safety precautions have been addressed in a separate section and shall be taken into account during the launching and recovery of the boats; you will also have the information on the drills there.
The remaining sections of this first half cover the handling of the FRC including procedure for its righting in case of capsizing, readiness of the boat and equipment, search and rescue etc. The second part is devoted to the operation of the engine, covering all types of engines, such as the inboard and outboard ones, water-jet propulsion, together with the associated drills.
The trainees who have successfully completed the course, will have adequate knowledge of the above stated items and therefore considered prepared for the handling of the shipboard rescue boats.
 The main aim of the present IMO Model Course is to provide all participants with the information and professional guidance necessary to gain the due KUP, standing for the knowledge, understanding and proficiency so that they can achieve the appropriate outcomes, demonstrating the competence standards for the seamen who are assigned shipboard duties.
The content of the training course has been designed with the specific objective of enabling them to get better in the management and leadership. The trainees, who have successfully completed the course, will be able to demonstrate their ability to properly and efficiently manage the shipboard personnel and perform training on board, and apply the relevant maritime regulations including the national and international conventions, recommendations and codes.
They will also know how to apply the techniques of the recourse management and decision making. Apart from that, the document will provide them with the information on the development and implementation of the operation procedures commonly used on board ships as a standard. The course is aimed at the seamen at officers in charge level and is highly recommended to them.
 The core objection of the present IMO Model Course 7.15 is to meet the competency standards for the electro-technical ratings for such functions as maintenance and repair of the shipboard electric equipment, control engineering, electronical engineering etc. as per the STCW Code, table A-III/7. The trainees will be given all the guidance they would need to obtain the understanding of the material included in the course, and reach the training goals.
By the end of the training, they will be able to demonstrate their competence. The first function implies using the electrical equipment safely, and contributing to the monitoring of the ship’s machinery and systems, as well as using the measurement equipment and tools for fault finding.
The maintenance and repair function is self-explanatory, and the last one is control over the ship operation and also caring for the people on board by applying all necessary health and safety precautions; the protection of the marine environment is also covered by this third function. Apart from the official training, the publication can be used by the students and even for the self-studying, as the material is presented in a very reader-friendly manner.
 The IMO Model Course 3.04 deals with the surveys of the shipboard electrical installations. It opens with the section covering the general requirements for survey and certification, explaining how exactly the subject requirements are connected with the provisions of the relevant IMO conventions, while the second section deals with the survey preparation, including all measures that shall be taken prior to commencements of the surveys, use of the associated equipment and tools, hazards involved etc.
The electrical installations are covered in the third section, where the main technical principles that govern the layout of the shipboard electrical systems, are explained in detail, since the sound understating is a prerequisite to any inspection. There are also special requirements to be considered as necessary when dealing with the specific ship categories.
Numerous additional requirements are applicable to the ships with the unattended machinery spaces, since such vessels would normally have the appropriate automation systems installed. Then, the course also provides information on the relevant electrical survey procedures, focusing on their practical aspects, including both traditional and the newly implemented alternative methods.
 The course starts with the general introduction outlining the scope. The first section covers the basic safety awareness including the working environment and safety on deck, and social factors. Then next section deals with the fishing methods in use today, such as the dragging and encircling methods, as well as the static gears, and the sequential events.
The fishing systems are covered in the third section, providing the information on the demersal side trawlers, gill net vessels, together with the basic machinery, structures and arrangements. After that, the trainees proceed to the releasing of the fishing gear, catching the fish and recovering the gear. The possible damages to the fishing gear and maintenance are also covered, including the ground rigging shackles, mainlines, branchlines, otterboards, herding bridles and many others.
The safety of the fishing operations is dealt with in a separate big section, where the associated dangers and precautionary measures are discussed. The authors of the course also included the information about the purse seine practices. The course concludes with the practices for the fish processing, considering all hazards involved.
 The vessels that operate in both Antarctic and Arctic areas, are normally subjected to the additional risks, unique to those environments. These risks posing the additional challenges to the navigators include, but are not limited, to the harsh weather, poor communication, lack of the good nautical charts, and other means of navigation. In addition to that, the rescue operations in these areas are very costly and difficult.
It shall also be noted that the cold temperatures prevailing in the regions directly affect the effectiveness of the deck machinery as well as the emergency equipment. The ship hull and propulsion arrangements experience additional loads caused by the accumulating ice. The content of this model course will provide necessary training to the navigating officers working in the Polar waters.
Those who have successfully completed the course, will know and understand the essential requirements to all components of the ship from its stability and hull construction to the firefighting and lifesaving features, and will be able to effectively contribute to the safety of the ship operation, considering all additional difficulties and challenges in the Polar waters and how to cope with them when handling their vessels.
 The present IMO Model Course is covering the training scope as stated within the IMO Res. A.703(17). The trainees, who have successfully completed all parts of the course and passed the exam, will be considered proficient in operating the shipboard GMDSS equipment. They will be assigned primary responsibility to all communications during the incidents.
Taking into account the huge number of the problems commonly experienced in the subject systems resulting from the false alerts, due attention will be paid to the training covering the avoidance of the unintentional alert transmission as well as on the established procedures to be followed for mitigation of the effects caused by such transmission. The trainees are expected to have some basic knowledge of the shipboard radiocommunication equipment and also have some elementary PC skills.
The course is aimed at the people assigned with the radio duties on board their vessels and participating in the GMDSS communications – they are required to be in possession of the GMDSS certificate satisfying all relevant requirements of the ITU Radio Regulations. All necessary areas of the GMDSS training have been covered within this course.
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