On my way

At the beginning of February I started my basic training at the New Zealand Maritime School towards the coveted 2nd mates foreign-going qualification, after being selected to be one of 20 cadets from across New Zealand, Australia, China, and other places to fill the small number representing the NZMS annual intake. The last 6 months has seen me gain my basic seamanship certificate, and a little extra. The course take 3 years in total (providing I pass everything), includes a total of 12 months seatime, and is the ONLY way a person may eventually become the Captain of a foreign going merchant ship.

This included practical courses instructing in Sea surival, First Aid, Survival craft/Small (ship-launched) boat proficiency, Restricted Radio, Bridge watchkeeping (utilising astate of the art bridge simulator), Fire-fighting (run from Auckland Airport), Deck watchkeeping, Anchoring, Mooring, as well as Shipping Industry knowledge, Shipboard Familiarity, Tanker Familiarisation, and Martime Mathematics and Physics.




Tonight I begin my first "Maritime Adventure," as it is still called in law and insurance, of 6 months aboard the Faith N. I'm as excited and nervous right now, as I am confident of the quality of my training and my personal abilities.

To everyone I've used, abused, or neglected over this time, especially very recently: My sincere apologies and thanks. You are (mostly :P) all really important to me. Thanks for understanding what a strain these last couple of months time has been, especially Mum & Dad - (you are the best), and Juraj & Herlind who put me up for the last month and kept me well fed. But enough of that..

Before I board Faith N, one of the largest ships sailing the oceans today, I'll have called into Asia (Singapore), and Europe (Netherlands), two continents I've neer set foot in before - and then Ill be on m way to outh America, another crease in my trouser leg. (so far Ive seen Australasia, North America, and the U.K.) I'll be flying a Singapore Airlines Boing 777-200 (for those who care about planes) to Singapore, stay for 14 hours, and then a Royal Dutch Airlines 777 to Amsterdam. The company shipping agent will pick me up here and arrange transport to Rotterdam.

I'll keep a journal on my laptop, and update this blog as I can.

Lets see what happens... stay tuned!