A Day in the Life of a Merchant Navy Trainee Deck Officer (part 2)

While checking the lifesaving apparatus and firefighting equipment aboard my ship I decided to make a series of short films whilst doing it. It was filmed aboard Stephenson Clarke Shipping's MV Storrington in early 2010 and these are the tasks which must be undertaken every month

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Merchant
• Navy
• Trainee
• Deck
• Officer
• General
• Cargo
• Ship
• MV
• Storrington
• Stephenson
• Clarke
• Shipping
• Firefighting
• Lifesaving
• Equipment
• Maritime
• Marine
• Vessels
• Sea
• Career
• Jobs

[meanmrmustard89]

Nice video man. Just wondering, do you have to sign contracts with regards to how long you are tied to the Merchant Navy, like that of the military navy? Also what is like at night on the sea, I bet you can see the night sky so clearly?

[VinnyPowell1974]

@meanmrmustard89 the only contract that you have to sign is a 3 year contract for the duration of your cadetship to become an officer. If you were to leave early most companies have a penalty clause in the contract to say you would have to pay X thousands of pounds. After you have completed the training you are free to go where ever you want.

Yes you'll see night skies unlike any other. I remember being in the South China Sea gawping up at meteorites, the milky way, planets & 000's of stars

[seanyo82]

good pay on the ships?

[VinnyPowell1974]

@seanyo82 Not unless you're the chief officer or the master

[seanyo82]

@VinnyPowell1974

Well my neighbour works for SSTG he's land based now because he's quite old but he said he can get me in starting this september and guarantee ill pass all my exams. He's put me forward as deck officer so I just wanted to know what the pay for deck officer is like because im also considering joining the RAF.

[VinnyPowell1974]

@seanyo82 He cant guarantee you'll pass your exams unless he's got a friend at the MCA who'll take a back hander. The exam is really hard, i took mine in december. A lots changed since your neighbour first went to sea. The reality of it is long hours, hard dirty work, not glamourous any more like it used to be. You'll get more dough in the RAF, plus you wont be away from home for so long a period, i imagine the dough is good, plus you'll have a decent future career flying 747s when u leave RAF

[cerizvee]

nice vdo man.....um still in academy...hopefull gonna on board on Hapag-lloyd ship on January'13

[Kylecowie]

The life in the Merchant Navy is still good, yes there are long hours and hard dirty work etc but you get to see a shit load of places, the pay as a cadet is shit unless your with SSTG who pay for your accommodation when at college. This particular ship on this video is not a dry ship and does fairly short voyages so its good fun.

[meanmrmustard89]

@VinnyPowell1974 Cheers for the reply. I would also like to ask, if you would recommend a career in the merchant navy? And, how the shifts work whist at sea? Moreover how is leave granted as a ratio to time at sea (i.e. are you at sea for several months then on leave for several weeks or whatever)?

[VinnyPowell1974]

I look back on these ships with good memories too.....bloody hard ships to work, but great times nonetheless