Royal Fleet Auxiliary or Merchant Navy

[Sean Walburn]

Hi I am trying to embark on a seafaring career and I have applied to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary mainly because they seem to be the only people taking on below officer level. However if I am honest I would prefer to work in the merchant navy and not under the MOD.
I would love to hear from people who have sailed in both and how the differ. Particularly regarding sailing with an all British crew in the RFA and working with an international crew in the merchant. Are the opportunities to visit different ports greater in the RFA than with the Merchant Navy? And lastly is there much more discipline in the RFA that the Merchant (I suspect there is).

Would like to hear from you guys

[Raymond Bisseker]

Hi Sean, I sailed with the RFA and regular MN in the 1960,s, as a Radio Officer. As I recall both types of ship has discipline!!. Probably very similar.

Since a carear in the MN is effectivly a civilian job I found dicipline little different from a regular shore job.

In my day, yes the RFA employed British/Irish nationals only (If I remember) and voyages were world wide.

The same for the regular MN but with mixed nationality crews.


Good luck Ray.

[Frank Ferri]

Hi Sean,
Although in 1952, my first trip to sea was RFA tanker and we were on military manouvers in the Arctic, for deck crew and catering, the discipline was pretty much the same as MN and the navigation officers were a mixture of RN & MN, sadly you no longer get the daily generouse tot of rum. Being RN the variety of ports of call may not be as good though .
Best of luck
Frank

[Raymond Bisseker]

Hi Frank, Those were the days. I think the tot finished in around 1970? Anyway I can still remember in my dotage. Tots and good runs ashore in Faslane and Rosythe. Can't remember much Sun though. LOL. As an ex RO I'm stilll pounding the key as a Radio Amateur. These days as F5VKX formally G3SRQ/9M2NB/9M8NB.

Best wishes Ray. From the sunny South of France.

[Jim Brady]

Sean, firstly the chance of making a career in the Merchant Navy is zilch.We just dont have one anymore, apart from cross channel ferries.
If you do get a chance to secure yourself a job with the RFA grab it with both hands because that is all that is left of the British Fleet. Reading your posting I get the idea that you would be applying for a position in the crew department so I think the RFA is about the only place left for a job at sea.
I know two lads currently employed by the RFA the terms of employment are great.I know that you just want to get away to sea but one of the lads I know is home for three months at a time and on full pay he is highly delighted with that. the other lad at the moment is around the West Indies for six months.
As regards discipline and "Bull S**t I think the time I was at sea was more stricter than what they are putting up with today.

If you do get the chance of the RFA go for it and maybe you can come back on this site some time in the future and tell us all how you got on.
Regards.
Jim B.

[Sean Walburn]

Thanks for the input guys it really is appreciated