Merchant Navy

[AlexanderV8]

Radio Officer. That's what I was & best job by far (when it existed before global satellite coverage!) in the Merchant Navy. Most popular bloke on the ship, as everyone wanted to get on your good side for phone calls home & for fixing radios, stereos & things!

I worked for Shell Tankers & as soon as we hit port, the ship's radio station had to shut down due to explosion hazard from loading/unloading oil. So, all the time in port, my time was my own while the engineers & deckies had to get back sooner or later for their watch.

Brilliant toys to play with in the radio room, loads of opportunities for work ashore in electronics, not just stuck in some noisy power stations.

Two years to get my ticket & then started at second mates' wages. Two stripes on my sleeves to impress the local girls (well, to be honest most of the time only money impressed the type of girls you find around ports).

Don't regret a thing. Learnt about life, saw & experienced a lot & was paid well for the privilege - what's not to like?!

[ArtVandelay]

AlexanderV8 said:

Radio Officer. That's what I was & best job by far (when it existed before global satellite coverage!) in the Merchant Navy. Most popular bloke on the ship, as everyone wanted to get on your good side for phone calls home & for fixing radios, stereos & things!

I worked for Shell Tankers & as soon as we hit port, the ship's radio station had to shut down due to explosion hazard from loading/unloading oil. So, all the time in port, my time was my own while the engineers & deckies had to get back sooner or later for their watch.

Brilliant toys to play with in the radio room, loads of opportunities for work ashore in electronics, not just stuck in some noisy power stations.

Two years to get my ticket & then started at second mates' wages. Two stripes on my sleeves to impress the local girls (well, to be honest most of the time only money impressed the type of girls you find around ports).

Don't regret a thing. Learnt about life, saw & experienced a lot & was paid well for the privilege - what's not to like?!

Sounds similar to me, but I was an ETO (seeing as radio officers don't exist these days really)

2 and a half stripes here though

[AlexanderV8]

ArtVandelay said:

2 and a half stripes here though

Bugger, I should have stayed in then, I'd have done anything for half a stripe.

[hidetheelephants]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

My sisters boyfriend is a 2nd mate with P&O, and just did his masters ticket at Fleetwood. He said the halls were of a better quality than most (if not all) than the private residence options in the area.

Given the cabins at Fleetwood are only slightly larger than coffins and you share your shower and lav with other cabins, this is a fairly damning indictment of the local private accommodation. I recall from my brief but unpleasant stay there that most of the town resembles one of those 'potemkin villages' the army use for practising blowing st up in an urban environment after a particularly vigorous artillery barrage.

[iacabu]

It could well be £500, I have been told both figures by the same Training Officer. Either way I wish I didn't have to pay it. It's only for a few months.

On a brighter note, ENG1 passed yesterday so good to go.

Edited by iacabu on Thursday 12th December 14:12

[Gaspowered]

The Channels have set in. Going home tomorrow. A short trip this time. I've completed my motor time (checked my discharge book 4 times to be sure), so off to college in Jan.

[chris123321]

I start my sea phase in roughly 5 weeks,

Excited indeed, the Merchant Navy is brilliant and I can't understand why it wasn't promoted when I was back in school.

[roryfizz]

Just in the middle of end of phase one exams, but looking forward to joining my first ship on the 1st of Feb!! Who are you other cadets sponsored by? If you feel like disclosing that is!!!

[MercuryRises]

chris123321 said:

the Merchant Navy is brilliant and I can't understand why it wasn't promoted when I was back in school.

It is indeed brilliant.

We don't want it promoted too much, as long as there's more jobs than officers wages stay high!

Having said that, I wish someone had mentioned it to me when I was 16, I'd be a Chief Engineer by now instead of the the guy who fixes the sewage plant (I'm the (Irish accent on) Turd Engineer, as gets pointed out once a trip, ha ha ha.)

[chris123321]

MercuryRises said:

It is indeed brilliant.

We don't want it promoted too much, as long as there's more jobs than officers wages stay high!

Having said that, I wish someone had mentioned it to me when I was 16, I'd be a Chief Engineer by now instead of the the guy who fixes the sewage plant (I'm the (Irish accent on) Turd Engineer, as gets pointed out once a trip, ha ha ha.)

Aye, keep it a secret

Same here, I'd easily have my chief mates by now.

Would love to go deep sea but the older and bolder side of me says offshore is the sensible choice.

haha, yeh some aspects of the engine room sound stty (badum-tsh) but otherwise either choice is a damn fine career. Although you do get to see sunlight on the bridge

[MercuryRises]

chris123321 said:

sunlight

Nah, You've lost me there, fairly sure it's a myth

[chris123321]

MercuryRises said:

Nah, You've lost me there, fairly sure it's a myth

I always picture engineers as gollum like fighting over a can of WD40.

[craig2003]

DJFish said:

I went to Fleetwood about 20 years ago.

So did I, was there in 1992 a 1994 on and off also as a trainee deck officer for Seaboard offshore. The joys of Decca, Loran C and Mercator projection!
I miss the sea a little although in the Oil & Gas now I managed to wangle a trip on a supply boat last week for the day

[BullyB]

ArtVandelay said:

It's a piss take making you live at the halls of residence which cost a fortune for what they are. Supposed to get you ready for a life at sea but accommodation at sea is usually of a good standard!

I'd tell them to fk off personally.

Oh, I remember the rooms at South Shields college, very st!
I went from there (preparing me for sea) to a fantastic cabin on a cruise ship that was cleaned twice a day.

[BullyB]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

Jammy bugger!!

That is (very) far from a lot of cadets experiences

Yer, I often wondered what it would be like on a proper commercial ship...
A cadet on a cruise ship was fantastic. I did two world cruises in my first two years.

[iacabu]

Well I can now confirm my sponsoring company is Foreland Shipping. I'm not sure if every Bibby cadet goes with them or not but looks an interesting start for me.

Also, can anyone recommend any stationery for college (and beyond). Specifically chartwork/navigation equipment (i.e dividers, parallel rulers)

Thanks

[hidetheelephants]

Do Foreland still run the Point boats for the MoD? If so you'll be getting familiar with Marchwood.

[iacabu]

hidetheelephants said:

Do Foreland still run the Point boats for the MoD? If so you'll be getting familiar with Marchwood.

According to Wikipedia, yes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreland_Shipping
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_class_sealift_s...

[Gorilla Boy]

iacabu said:

Well I can now confirm my sponsoring company is Foreland Shipping. I'm not sure if every Bibby cadet goes with them or not but looks an interesting start for me.

Also, can anyone recommend any stationery for college (and beyond). Specifically chartwork/navigation equipment (i.e dividers, parallel rulers)

Thanks

Welcome to the team, im sponsored by foreland too and i can confirm you will be on one of the point class ro-ro's.

Might even be on one of them with me, gimme a PM if you have any questions

[iacabu]

Gorilla Boy said:

iacabu said:

Well I can now confirm my sponsoring company is Foreland Shipping. I'm not sure if every Bibby cadet goes with them or not but looks an interesting start for me.

Also, can anyone recommend any stationery for college (and beyond). Specifically chartwork/navigation equipment (i.e dividers, parallel rulers)

Thanks

Welcome to the team, im sponsored by foreland too and i can confirm you will be on one of the point class ro-ro's.

Might even be on one of them with me, gimme a PM if you have any questions

PM'd. Cheers.