How / Where do I start?

[Stephen Beard]

Hi,

Im 23 from Liverpool. I've been eager to start a career at sea for about 7 years now but I've yet to commit. The reason was I kind of messed around during my A-Levels and only got a C and an E (120 UCAS points) and it was my intention to go in as an officer (At GCSE I have 2 A's 6B's and 2C's). So I was kind of biding my time considering my options. Ive been working full time since leaving college.

I'm starting to get a bit anxious to get to sea, I've already been crew on a tallship (brig) for 2 weeks through the north sea back when I was 17 and I loved it.

Anyway, I'm not so worried about going in as an officer now because I figure if I go in as a rating, i get the sea hours logged and i can continue my education through the open university. And besides, It doesnt really matter if Im an officer or a rating, the money is good anyway. Its more the lifestyle/to be at sea I want.

The problem is every time I look on the internet for cadetships it all seems to be officer cadetships which I dont fulfil the requirements for. How do I apply for rating cadetships/who offers them?

Also if any of you have any general advice would be good.

Thanks

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Stephen
Give this site a try,look around there are lots of sections!
Cheers and Good Luck!

http://www.clyderecruit.com/minimum-requirements/


http://www.careersatsea.org/apply

http://www.careersatsea.org/apply/sp..._companies.php


https://nationalcareersservice.direc...avyrating.aspx

[John Arton]

Stephen
Somewhere on this site there is a post headed Liverpool, I think, where it gives the date and place of an Open day to be held in Liverpool for anyone wishing to pursue a career at sea.
Your GCE's should be sufficient for enrolment as a deck or Engine Cadet. As regards ratings there are very few U.K. Companies employing U.K. Ratings these days and most of them are either Ferry, North Sea or Tug companies.
Despite all that you may read from us old timers here a career at sea can still be one of the best career's ever as it teaches you far more than just sea going knowledge. It gives you the ability to be independent and be able to look after yourselves, there is no mother to wash and iron your cloths. It also exposes you to many other cultures and languages and even to this day you get to visit foreign climes whilst all the time getting not only paid to do so but also you get free board and lodgings.
So despite the many drawbacks, i.e. away from home for long periods or perhaps being the only natural English speaker on board, I would say go for it as after all if you were to go in as a deck or engine cadet, what job will give you the responsibility of being in charge of a watch, controlling a multi-million pound investment and being responsible for the lives of your fellow seafarers along with millions of pounds worth of cargo. Cannot think of any shore job where that responsibility is given to people aged around 22 or 23 years old.
rgds
JA

[Stephen Beard]

Thanks both,

Is there a particular reason why they dont take many British people on as ratings? Seems a bit odd.

Its really annoying because I'm only about 60 UCAS points off being eligible for most officer cadet schemes. I saw one which said 120 UCAS points (which I have) but they wanted an A-Level in either Maths or Physics. Wish one of them would just give me a chance lol.

[j.sabourn]

#1... Stephen , you say you are 23, have no committments and free to roam. As regards most of us on this site we mostly talk about a bye gone age. However we would probably swap places with you any day to try and revive some semblance of the past. What you do with your life is your business, if I was in your position and knowing what I think I know now, and still wanting to follow the sea as a calling and not just a means of getting around for a couple of years, I would get out of the UK for starters. The only type of shipping left in any quantities are going to be in offshore Industries, the likes of gas and oil. Australia still employs European style crews for such courtesy of the maritime unions, however this may not last for too many more years. The seamen in Australia when I left in 2002 did a 3 month course at the Launceston Marine College and then did about 12 months seatime on half pay before going on what we would of called ABs money. This to me would be the way I would go if the real committment is there. It is very unlikely you are going to get a reasonable seagoing appointment any other way. You will of course have to go through acceptance re Immigration, also acceptance by Unions, accept the conditions of service etc. It is however a way into the Industry. You have the age which is the main thing to do it. It is how far your commitments to the same apply that matter, you might have all the good will in the world, but find when/if you get there it turns ou not like what you expected. Best of Luck John Sabourn

---------- Post added at 08:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:24 AM ----------

#4... The reason Stephen is wages. No shipowner is going to pay reasonable wages if he can get away with cheaper labour. You are living in a world where money rules. As regards the qualifications you have now, in our time this made no difference, you were judged by competent other seafarers who had been through all the ranges of seagoing positions. You wont be judged among your peers about how many pieces of paper you have they are only a means to an end. Go off the deck if its the Deck side you want to work. You will get all your experience re shipping from the ship and not sitting in a classroom. You will find this out for yourself, also at sea nowadays everyone works and eats together, I wont go as far as to say sleeps together as that may give a wrong impression. If you want to sail with English speaking crews, the only suggestion is as I have said. Cheers JS

[Stephen Beard]

Damn thats kinda depressing. What about officers do they recruit many british officers? If so I'd be willing to go to university as some do graduate schemes. Not much else I want to do other than go to sea..

[Captain Kong]

Last year I sailed on the STATENDAM Holland America Line cruise ship round the Pacific Islands,. There was a lad from Preston doing his first voyage as a Nav. Cadet. I asked him how he got on.
He said he went to a Merchant Navy trade fair, or somethingh like that. and he was sponsored by Trinity House, did three months at Warsash College near Southampton and then got the Job with Holland America. All the officers on H.A.L. are all British and Dutch with the English language the only language used.
Try that route. H.A.L. is a very good company to work for, they have a fleet of 15 cruise ships and trade World Wide.
./
You can do anything and achieve anything you want to, if you try hard enough. your future is in your own hands.
Go for it. but be dedicated, it is not a job, it is a way of life.
Cheers
Brian
Keep us informed of how you go on.

[j.sabourn]

Another way of getting to sea, which not so long back I considered on doing, was going for a D.P. ( Dynamic Positioning) certificate. These were in extreme short supply in the 90"s. With such a qualification and the experience you could go to sea on vessels so equipped, without any other qualificatios. It would have more than doubled my wages if I had had at one time. You could go and work for sub sea and companies like that, if you have been watching the news recently you will see the equiptment they use on specialised vessels again these are DP ships. The world is your oyster. You dont have to go to sea the conventional way the likes of most of us on here. You could go into Oceanography, or even go as a crane driver on an oil rig, and probably finish up on a ship as such. Do you not have a person who discusses various career opportunities in the UK? There is more than one road that leads to Rome. Cheers John S

[Captain Kong]

Go to Fleetwood Nautical College, google them for the info. only an hour up the road from Liverpool and have a chat with them. They are good, I did all my tickets with them. They sometimes have a Careers Fair and you get all the information and even a chance of a start. Apart from MN qualifications they also do a lot of Offshore work.
.

and for lunch you could call in at Williams Log Cabin for one of his famous Bacon Barms.
Cheers
Brian.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Damn thats kinda depressing. ..

Stephen if you find the words depressing, are you sure you have the right temprement for the sea, the words that depress you, should challenge you and spur you on. If you really 'want' to go to sea, then you will let nothing stand in your way; if you are only going to sea because as you say 'the money is good' then you may find it a miserable life. The sea is a 'calling' not a 'job' if you go to sea and find out you don't like it, then there is no going home once you've left the quay.

You have been given a good number of excellent leads, rise to the challenge and follow them, if your heart is really in it