STCW'95

Well, it's been a few weeks since i last made a blog, i was off on STCW'95 courses two weeks back, and then away on a Challenger 72' Class yacht! It was fantastic, i'll tell you all a little about each, starting with the courses.

Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping 1995.

Personal Survival Techniques

The PST course is exactly what it says it is. An instructor comes in and teaches yo techniques that will save or prolonge your life when you are in a disaster at sea, focusing on what to do when you are in the water after the ship has sunk.

Initially it focuses on the types of equiptment used, GMDSS and such . . But then i goes on to the 'fun' part - the pool drill.

During the PST you will have to perform several 'manouvers' in the pool, these include things such as flipping an inverted life raft, creating the circle of confidence, performing a two man lift and the best part, jumping from a height . . well - stepping!

After you have completed everything you sit a very brief multiple choice exam and then you have your certificate.

Elementary First Aid was actually pretty boring, long and tedious. I'm not going to say much about it except that it is important. When you are doing it you do see the need for it and how you will probably end up using it at sea.

Phase One Deck Cadet

Well, away back in December last year (2008) i made an initial application to Glasgow College of Nautical Studies to enquire into the Deck Officer course (Officer Of the Watch). Not long after that i was in touch with a Glasgow based company to gain sponsorship to begin training for the role. That January i had my first interview with Clyde Marine Training. Everything went well, the only down side was that i had to wait until September to begin the course.

As the months went passed there was very little i could do, but on the 2nd of August Clyde Marine called and said that a company was interested in sponsoring me, could i attend an interview on the 5th? The company was Regent Seven Seas Cruises, one of the companies i thought i could only dream of working for! After a 40 minute interview, and a night of torture, CMT called up and told me that Regent would like to offer me sponsorship!

The first week at GCNS was exciting initially, but there is only so much induction talk you can listen to before you fall asleep!! No the best thing to do on your first week, but it was bound to happen at some point!!

That is all over now, and the work has definitely begun. Classes include, Nautical Science, Celestial Navigation, Bridge Watch, Seamanship, Ship Board Operations and Marine Industry. The Maritime lecturers at GCNS are awesome, very knowledgable and they seem to genuinely care, they aren't without humour either.

STCW'95 training courses have begun, and will continue right through until Christmas. PSSR was completed during the induction week and PST and Elementary First Aid will be completed in the next few weeks.

On the 18th of this month (October), me and 11 other cadets in my group will join one of OYT Scotland's Yachts for 1 week. I'll post a bit more about that later.

Anyway, i should probably get back to my Celestial Navigation tutorial ;-)


Tom