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28th February 2015, 07:55 AM
#11
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
Ben Dennison... Reckon you have between 1 and 2000 words on the posts so far. So is not too hard a job to do 5000 words. Going through old posts re the degeneration of the British Merchant Fleets, will soon make up the shortfall. You should be able to do it in a couple of hours and still go out for a pint. Don't know what the others drink apart from too much, I'll have a half and a half , preferably a Low Flyer. Always remember when filling in the logbook section of the wind force always add 10 knots for good measure, never know may need it if have to note protest. Shipowner cant do it so you being a good company servant will have to do for him. Bad weather starts from force 7 for Insurance purposes re shipping heavy seas. Cheers JS
Last edited by j.sabourn; 28th February 2015 at 08:35 AM.
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28th February 2015, 08:56 AM
#12
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
Going to sea gives a young person a completely different outlook on life to any shore worker.
This young man may be the only Brit on board but he will learn many skills that no shore worker could hope to acquire.
He will learn to not only look after himself both in mind and body but also the importance of working as a team.
He will be exposed to different cultures and languages and sea the oceans in their true nature.
He will see sunsets and northern lights that very few shore worker could ever hope to see along with the wide variety of sea life up close and in the their natural habitat. He, as JS says, will get the opportunity to see how people in different countries actually live and not the view that a tourist gets when visiting these countries.
He will get the chance to see man made and natural wonders of the world, the Panama and Suez Canals, the Great Barrier Reef.
If he has any sense, when sailing with foreign crews, he should grasp the opportunity to not only learn their culture but also learn to speak their language, after my first trip {11 months} working with the Spanish crew, I was able to speak passable Spanish.
He will gain and see all the above in addition to learning the skills required to be a deck, or engine, officer of which there is still a demand for such skills ashore in a number of well paid jobs, pilotage, surveying, port operations etc.
Whilst following his cadetship and gaining all that knowledge, seeing the world best of all he will GET PAID for it all.
rgds
JA
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28th February 2015, 12:23 PM
#13
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
#11. 'go out for a pint' John my lovely, Ben is sixteen....Could be Morgan Spice now?
Last edited by gray_marian; 28th February 2015 at 12:50 PM.
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1st March 2015, 12:13 AM
#14
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
#13 Might be wrong but think maybe more than 16. Don't leave school at the earliest these days until that age. Had been twice round the world by 17 and seen more Bordellos and bars than most had hot dinners. The earliest age for issue of a 2nd, mates certificate was 20. Believe they come out of these shore establishments already certificated so must of changed the requirements if sweet 16. Don't know the requirements for attending these establishments either, but no doubt O and A levels as were known in our time are probably required which brings the age up to about 18 at least. Anyhow most young men at sea fell in and out of bars at an early age it was a fast learning curve. Cheers John S
Last edited by j.sabourn; 1st March 2015 at 12:21 AM.
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1st March 2015, 01:28 AM
#15
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
#14, No checked profile again Ben is still 16 He is probably doing an HNC/HND Course, then depending on exam results on to University or wherever. If he reads your recent post think you may have sold the MN idea to him
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1st March 2015, 01:46 AM
#16
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
#15.. Never thought of looking at his profile, don't know much about all these fancy courses and degrees. Have family with degrees in this and that, doesn't make them any brighter. The far as you went with sea going certificates in my younger era was Extra Master or Extra Chief Engineer. These weren't particular seamans tickets as went into the realms of Economic Geography, and oceanography and other subjects not particularly useful to a seagoing profession. However required these certs. to get employment as a BOT surveyor and Examiner. There were a couple on this site had such, don't know if they still post or not. The Head Surveyor in Glasgow on one of his frequent visitations to a ship I was on, asked me if I was interested in the BOT, said they would give me 2 years to get Extras. Started a correspondence course for same and found I couldn't even afford the hire of some of the books gave it away as had a growing family. Anyhow I think even a 16 year old nowadays would not take umbrage on going out for a pint. Cheers John S
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1st March 2015, 08:41 AM
#17
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
PS Who or what is Morgan Spice ????? JS
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1st March 2015, 01:10 PM
#18
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
#17, Here you go John, knock yourself out My son & his friends regularly did
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2nd March 2015, 05:25 AM
#19
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
Not surt how it is in UK but here in Oz many men are still living with mum and dad at the age of 25 or more. No life experience and vey immature into the bargain. I left home at 16 better than being chucked out.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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2nd March 2015, 08:32 AM
#20
Re: Merchant Navy College Assignment.
It's about time we heard from young Ben again, as from what I know of the young they are usually glued to their computer devices, so assume he must be reading this.
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