Life At Sea
Darryl
When I was in secondary school I had never even heard of the Merchant Navy, I simply took it for granted that all the goods that we depend on in the UK just appeared here by some magical means, and that when going on holiday during the summer it never occurred to me what, or who was controlling the ship. I believe I would be the same as most in that respect.The year before I left my Secondary School in Northern Ireland I was given some careers advice from our careers lecturer. She told me of a few different careers, mostly armed forces or police and then she picked up a leaflet on careers at sea. I had a quick read through it and checked the qualifications needed; which I had attained through my school career. When I returned home that night I read up on the job on the internet and it seemed to fit what I was wanting, good pay, a chance to see the world, a life of adventure in general, whilst doing a worthwhile and respectable job. After sending off an application for an officer training place I got offered an interview in Belfast and was officially offered a place about a week or two later.
Since that interview I have never looked back. I started on an HND in Nautical Studies course, which would also give me my professional seafaring certification and would take three years, split into sea and college phases. The course is fully sponsored and the sea phases are spent at sea with your sponsoring company. My sponsoring company, Zodiac Maritime Agencies, takes on a large number of officer trainees and operates a vast fleet of ships. My experience of Zodiac has been pretty good and I have learned a lot from the officers and crew on board.
The first day at college is always a bit nerve racking, but everyone is in the same boat. It is a completely new experience for most as many have come direct from school and therefore need to adapt to the fact that even when they are at the nautical college they represent their sponsoring company. The college experience in the first phase is enjoyable and does prepare you for the practical side of going to sea. During this first phase you will find yourself fighting fires in very realistic simulation environments for your fire fighting certificates, as at sea we cannot simply call the fire brigade so we need to deal with emergencies on board. You will also jump into a cold swimming pool wearing a boiler suit and life jacket, as well as taking on some first aid training, all as part of the basic safety training. The courses are extremely good fun and courses such as the fire fighting does get the adrenaline pumping.
After the first phase of college, your first ship is a fascinating experience. From the day you step on till the day you step off you are made to feel like part of the team and as though you are doing something worthwhile. I embarked on my first ship in Houston onboard the M/V Saxonia Express, a fairly big container ship running between North America and South America. This took me through the Caribbean and the South Atlantic, we also made a visit to Mexico. My first seafaring experience was a really big learning curve and although the college prepares you as best it can, nothing can compare for the real thing. The officers and crew are very understanding and support you as best they can, as being on a ship we all have to work together and by the time you have been on the ship for a couple of months you become an integral part of the crew, assisting the officers and helping out on deck.
I left the ship in Houston about four and a half months later after, completing three trips from North to South America and began the long trip back to Belfast. The company covered my accommodation costs the night I left the ship, and along with the Captain, other officer trainees and some of the crew who were all leaving the ship at the same time we had a great evening together. It was nice to be able to relax off the ship knowing that the job was finished and it was time to get home for some well deserved rest.
The sponsoring company pays for your travelling to and from the ship as well as college fees and an allowance per month. We were also supplied with a seagoing uniform.
To summarise, if you are reading this and thinking that you would like a job that is worthwhile and something you can be proud of, while experiencing the world and life in general, as well as wanting to earn a substantial pay packet, then the Merchant Navy is definitely something you should give some serious consideration. The job will see you travelling the world and gaining some real character-enhancing life experiences.