Maybe if there is a no deal, we might have to think about our own MN pretty quick, an Island nation without its own merchant fleet ??, crazy. We will then be dependant on foreign ships, kt
Printable View
Maybe if there is a no deal, we might have to think about our own MN pretty quick, an Island nation without its own merchant fleet ??, crazy. We will then be dependant on foreign ships, kt
Slight problem Keith , were are the people with the skills to run the ships? One department that was sorely lacking in British manpower was the Electrical department. A ships electrician in the modern world is now an electronics officer. Training of such has been well and truly neglected. When they did away with the Radio Officers on ships a few companies (BP) for one sent the Radio officers on a 3 week course and then made them the ETO!! sorry but I never sailed with one that was a lot of use. Then they came up with the idea that the 3rd &4th engineers would do a 3 week course and they would double up as the Electricians. I did a the course at South Shields college. My next ship was a new build product carrier out of Korea, I walked off after 6 weeks in Rotterdam. Reason the Oldman put me on the shake at 3am because the light in his bed room (bunk light) the bulb had gone ffs! I gave him a bulb and told him to change it himself. I asked him if he was at home and the bedroom light bulb blew would he pay out money for an electrician to come and change it!!!! No of course not, so we don't have a problem then do we. The man was a complete plonker. As regards my skills at being an electrician shall we say they are some what well short.
We might have to go for compulsory recruitment !!!, we might all be back at sea !!, grandads navy, well we had grandpas army. Put me back at sea i would not have a clue, apart from bow and stern, and even that with some ships i see in the Solent would be in doubt, ah well , if you listen to the doom merchants, we all have starved to death by next summer, kt
#13 Agree in full. Shipping companies never wanted to give the correct training for the role Lewis, always wanted to do it on the cheap.Once they sent you on that short course they threw you in the "deep end" and hoped that you did not melt! Impossible task to accomplish in 3 weeks training that's why they didn't ask the second or chief to do it. The Merchant Navy was the one place I found that ranked engineers in accordance to their skills, experience and certification above that of an electrician. Ashore an electrician always seemed to look down on mechanical orientated personnel, and usually got into better positions (supervisory / management) posts for what ever reason. The phrase that springs to mind " A mechanical engineer is an electricial engineer with his brains bashed out " This was always a hive of contention with me being mechanical / marine biased and came to a head when I was employed as a Works Engineer for a large multi-national. Became sick of electrical guys trying to "pull the wool" decided to do a course in electrical installation at night school, on completion started carrying out electrical installaions from the sub.station to completion of various machinery circuits. Repaired a lot of C.N.Cs in house for the first time as they had always been repaired by contractors. This stopped the (wool pulling) My point is you can only make someone multi- skilled by allowing them the right training and in this case of cross over is not possible in 3 weeks and not surprised you never felt fully confident. Regards Ken
An Electrician like an Engineer did five year apprenticeship in the sixties. The apprenticeship would include (compulsory) attendance at a technical college. Failure at the college meant the sack.
Surprised they taught H.V installation at colleges as this was the remit of the regional electricity boards.
Vic
Hi Vic not talking about H.V. 11000v talking L.V. 415v Although have been involved in upgrading H.V. 11000 V - 415 sub stations, also worked with 23000v dc and didn't melt. H.V. was on the job training with an A.P. as H.V. switching. L.V. switching and L.V. permit work was also addittional competent person training with an A.P. and certification accordingly .Regards Ken
I had been ashore a couple of years when I met a guy on the bus that I knew he was an ex-steward.He had a book on electricity and he was on his way to work as a 2nd Lecky in Harrisons I know he did a couple of trips around the land as 2nd Lecky I'm not sure if he ever went deep sea,what amused me he had done quite a few trips in Harrisons as asst/stwd.The last I heard he was working in a factory with the electricians (I'm not sure if it was Cautaulds) some guy said to him I can see your not an electrician I'm not going to blow you up but just go and get your cards before you kill somebody.He did get away with it for a while at sea.
Regards.
Jim.B.
Chancers all over Jim
Take me for an example as well,never had any real formal training as any sort of Tradie,but have done all kinds of things in life ,many jobs in those days never asked many questions as you know,so it was up to me to just get in Head Down and do what i could as best i could,and i got away with a lot i must say.
These days though one could not do that,unless you are a real Com Man LOL
cHEERS
Trouble is Jim you can't see it, you can't smell it but by God you can feel it, a little knowledge can be extreme :)