Careers:
No matter what kind of vessel you join, you
are about to experience life in a completely different way. You
will operate all over the world and the opportunities for global
travel are very real. Ships operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
On board you will work a system of watches normally in a pattern
of 4 hours on and 8 hours off.
Our lifestyle at sea will depend on the type and
trading pattern of your ship. You will find the food and accommodation
on board is excellent, with single cabins and en-suite facilities
on many vessels.
Whether on a super tanker, a container ship, a cross
channel ferry, a cruise liner, a specialised vessel servicing the
offshore oil industry or a small cargo ship you will have the opportunity
to study, pursue leisure interests and socialise with your colleagues
on board.
Holiday, pay, welfare and benefits vary from company
to company but are generally very good. For example a qualified
officer after a voyage lasting four months could get two months
holiday or more.
To summarise
Within months of joining you will be working at sea. There are some
200 British companies that own or operate a large and diverse fleet
of merchant ships. Once qualified the whole fleet is open to you.
You could work aboard small coastal vessels, large passenger ships,
roll-on/roll-off ferries, cargo vessels, off-shore support vessels,
Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, supporting the Royal Navy at sea,
and super tankers.
After you have gained some experience at sea there
are lots of opportunities to advance your career ashore if you choose
to do so. These may be within a shipping company or in one of many
other marine related activities where your skills as a seafarer
are in great demand. Typical shore based posts include:
- Ship management and fleet operations
- Surveying ships to check seaworthiness
- Ports and harbour management and pilotage
- Lecturer in college, training the seafarers of
the future
- Maritime regulatory authorities
- Ship repair and marine equipment production
- Marine insurance
- Ship broking and finance
- Ship classification
- Maritime law and arbitration
- Offshore exploration
If you would like more information regarding a career
as a ship's officer or cadet training at Warsash Maritime Academy
please contact:
Sandra Petcher, Cadet Administrator,
Tel: +44 (0) 1489 556286 or email sandra.petcher@solent.ac.uk
Why I decided to join the Merchant Navy
Many people have asked me over the 9 years of my career why I decided to join the Merchant Navy. It is a question I find very hard to answer as I really don’t have any idea. I’m the first in my family to take a job remotely similar to this. However, it was a good decision.
Clyde Marine Training offered me sponsorship by Northern Marine Management. So at the tender age of 16 years I left home (hooray) and started my cadetship. That was in 1997 and I have stayed with Northern Marine Management ever since.
I joined by first ship in Pembroke Dock and sailed straight into Swansea dock for repairs. Apart from a P&O trip organised by our college lecturer, I had never been in a ship’s engine room and now I found myself straight in the deep end, pulling my first Main Engine Unit for a cylinder liner change. My next vessel was the SS Stena Queen a 458000dwt steam turbine driven oil tanker. At the time, she was the 8th biggest vessel afloat.
After doing my 3 year cadetship I left Warsash Maritime Academy (WMA) in 2000 with an NVQ in Merchant Vessel Engineering, a BTEC HND in Marine Engineering and a combined steam and motor OOW Certificate of Competency. Since then I have been sailing on Oil and Chemical Tankers including a DP Shuttle Tanker, with the occasional spell back at Warsash for some continuing professional development, such as Steam and Motor Seconds, Motor Chiefs and other short courses. I now find myself nine years and two months after turning up for my first day at WMA writing a piece for the Academy website.
I have just accepted my first position as Chief Engineer on a new build Chemical/Oil product tanker with Northern Marine Management at 26 years old. I am looking forward to the new challenges this will bring.
Not only did I start and develop my career at WMA but I also met some of my closest friends there and I am still in contact with many of them, even though we live all over the country and even all over the world including Germany and Australia.
So what is the answer to my question? Why I decided to join the Merchant Navy? Because I love engineering and I am ambitious. With that combination, a bit of hard work and determination you can do anything.
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