A pre-arrival test is being performed with the engine on bridge control. The vessel has a slow speed engine with mechanical starting air system (not electronic). After a stop order, the engine fails to restart in the next ahead direction order. What would be your immediate actions to restart the engine, if the order was still ahead?

Correct Answer: Option C — Inform the bridge. Take engine room control of the engine, change the engine's direction to astern position and try to restart in that position. When the engine tries to restart, switch back to ahead and restart.

When a slow-speed direct-reversing marine diesel fails to start in the ahead direction due to a stalled starting air distributor or check valve, shifting the control to astern admits air into opposing cylinders, unsticking components, allowing a subsequent successful switch back to ahead.