Chris Doyle
I left school in 2005 and tried a number of jobs, including technical support for a large computer company based in Ireland, travel insurance claim handling and, believe it or not, nearly four years as cabin crew for a major British airline. None of these offered any real or exciting long-term career prospects, and I found myself looking for a career that I could commit to. I was keen to gain higher qualifications, but this is made difficult for many “mature” students by the sheer expense of university study, particularly when you have financial commitments.
While working as cabin crew, a few of my colleagues left to work on cruise ships, primarily in entertainment and purser roles. Their reports were favourable, and I began to consider a move to working at sea. Initially, I considered many of the passenger-facing roles within the hotel department, and during this time I found my sponsor’s cadet recruitment website. I read every page and had an inkling that this might be something I could be interested in. I did as much research as I could, both online and by speaking to family and friends who had Merchant Navy backgrounds, and decided that I would go for it.
I considered many sponsors and ship types, all of which have their advantages, and decided to apply to Carnival UK as ultimately, I believed that I would be best suited on cruise ships. I was invited to an assessment day where the cadet training officers put us through our paces and told us more about the company and the scheme, which helped me to decide that this was definitely for me.
I received a call a few weeks later to inform me that I had been successful, and that I would start a few months later at Warsash Maritime Academy, studying for an HND in Nautical Science.
Phase 1 at Warsash Maritime Academy
In September 2010, along with the rest of our fresh-faced and enthusiastic intake, I took up residence at Warsash Maritime Academy for what promised to be an interesting and perhaps life-changing few months. The first week was filed with talks and presentations about what we’d let ourselves in for and what to expect in the coming years. The lecturers and support staff at the Academy were helpful, welcoming and put us all at ease in a new and unfamiliar environment. On Friday in the first week, we got to know each other better (and some of the staff!) in a paintballing session.
From week two the proper work began, and we started our Nautical Science Entry Course. Phase one serves as an introduction to the industry, to the world of academia and to the role of the modern deck officer. We studied units such as Ship and Port Operations, General Ship Knowledge, Navigation, Academic Study Skills and Maths. With 27 contact hours per week, it was a very intensive course that would very quickly bring us to the standard required to begin the HND units in phase three.
Living on campus was a great way to get to know people and to concentrate on getting used to a lifestyle where you will sometimes need to live in close quarters with others. The campus bar was always there for socialising, and you could always venture further into Southampton should you wish. The Academy benefits from its connection to Southampton Solent University, and all the facilities available to SSU students are available to WMA students.
The lecturers are all very approachable, and the campus facilities such as the library, classrooms and practical areas are all as you’d expect from a modern and hi-tech university.
Following our exams in December, we undertook short courses in Firefighting, Survival, Safety and Social Responsibilities and first aid, as well as taking an introduction to the efficient deck hand course and the survival craft and rescue boat course. By Christmas, we were ready to go to sea.
Phase 2 at sea
I joined my first ship in early January and was quickly put to work with the deck seamen. I got involved with their daily maintenance tasks such as painting, varnishing, cleaning and generally looking after the ship’s appearance and structure. I also started to assist at mooring stations when the ship came alongside or to an anchorage. This hands-on training is worth so much as you quickly come to understand the reasons why you are doing things, the methods and most importantly the safety precautions you need to take.
I then went on to work with the ship’s deck petty officers. This is a role almost exclusive to cruise ships, and they are responsible for a number of jobs including the inspection and maintenance of lifeboats and liferafts, fire fighting equipment and deck machinery such and windlasses, winches and cranes. Many of these jobs are usually the domain of the third officer, but due to the sheer number of lifeboats and fire lockers on board cruise ships, the petty officers do a lot of this work.
I spent some time working with the ship’s Safety Officer, who assigned me a multitude of different tasks, each one bringing me to new areas of the ship and giving me the chance to learn more about how things work, why and what happens when things go wrong.
For my final two months, I began working on the bridge. I started out with reasonably simple tasks and spent a lot of time asking questions, which the watchkeeping officers were very happy to answer. As they said more than once, if you show an interest and an enthusiasm to learn it is a pleasure to teach you. I spent time as lookout and as helmsman, and gained my steering certificate. I learned a lot about ship operations, navigation and about keeping a safe watch. As I progressed, I was given more responsibility, and toward the end I was playing an active part in the bridge team, particularly during arrivals and departures where I would complete the pre-arrival/departure checks, monitor the checklists and prompt the Captain and senior officers to complete checklist items, keep the deck logbook, answer the bridge telephone and the alarm systems, keep the ship upright using the ship’s heeling tanks and plot our position on a paper chart when our electronic charts did not cover the area.
My first trip was certainly very memorable – I saw some amazing places, including the Falkland Islands, South America, Australia, New Zealand, some of the Pacific Islands, Hawaii, San Francisco, the Panama Canal, the Caribbean Islands, and the stunning Baltic countries. I crossed the equator and the date line twice, rounded Cape Horn, visited the southernmost city in the world, transited the Panama Canal and visited Pitcairn Island where the 60 inhabitants are all descendants of the Bounty mutineers. All in five months!
I worked with some of the most friendly and helpful people I could ever hope to meet, who showed a sincere interest in helping me progress as a future deck officer. I learned a lot about the job, and at the same time I learned a lot about myself. When I signed off, I was genuinely sad to do so, but I am looking forward to my next sea phase.
Phase 3 at Warsash Maritime Academy
I have just returned to Warsash Maritime Academy to begin the HND units of the cadetship, and I am looking forward to studying subjects such as terrestrial and celestial navigation, chartwork, ship construction and stability, cargo, law and management, passage planning skills such as meteorology and watchkeeping subjects such as ship handling and the Collision Regulations. The phase promises to be very busy, but with the support and expertise of the staff at Warsash I am confident that the next seven months will fly by and I’ll be putting this knowledge to good use on my next sea phase!
