I must have been really lucky as I was still a third year Apprentice aged nineteen when I was pulled off one ship to join another as Third Mate. This ship was the Regent Leopard and the time was just prior to Christmas 1958 when anyone on leave would try to have Christmas at home. The ship already had two Apprentices of similar age to me but neither had been taught how to take sights or owned a sextant. The Second Mate wasn't a Company man, he'd been picked up from the pool for the Christmas trip. Once we got away and things settled down I taught the Apprentices how to take sights, work out distance run from noon the day before, and average speed, something that I had been taught from my very first trip by a very conscientious Senior Apprentice. Once the Second Mate found out that I was capable he began to miss more and more noon sights preferring to stay in the bar and then come to the Bridge and copy my workings. As to sailing Second Mate, as I explained previously in the thread (where were you on your 212st birthday) I completed my first trip as a Certificated Third Mate on the Bowring bulk carrier mv Knob Lake as I turned 21. Unfortunately our Chief Officer had to fly home from Amsterdam as his Mother was dying so First, Second, and Third mates all moved up one spot and a new Third Mate was flown out to join us. ( We carried four Mates for working on the American Coast, Chief, First, Second, and Third). So that was how I came to sail as Second Mate on a Second Mate's ticket right up until I got my Mate's ticket. ps The newly promoted First Officer was the Senior Apprentice who had taught me how to take sights about four and a bit years previously.