Bob Joughin served at sea as a deck officer aboard a variety of vessel types, including passenger ships, cargo liners and container vessels. He gained his Master (Foreign Going) Certificate in 1972 and then spent three years studying at Plymouth Polytechnic (now Plymouth University) in order to qualify for a BSc (Hons) Nautical Studies.
After returning to sea for a short period as a Chief Officer, he joined the staff of the Warsash Maritime Academy (then the Southampton School of Navigation) in 1976 as a lecturer. In 1987 he took charge of the newly formed Maritime & Offshore Safety Section, which operated courses in sea survival, fire fighting, radio communications, occupational safety and medical care. Following a period of study, he was awarded an MBA in 1997 and in 2000 was appointed Manager of the Maritime Training Group, with responsibility for the Academy’s short course training – including maritime safety, ship simulation and ship handling courses. In 2001 his job title was changed to Head of Maritime Training and he also became the Deputy Director of the Academy.
He has been a member of several national committees dealing with maritime safety issues and has published a number of articles and conference papers on various aspects of safety at sea. He is a Fellow of the Nautical Institute (FNI) and a former chairman of the International Association for Safety and Survival at Sea (IASST).