View Full Version : Back to Marine college
Hi All, at the tender age of 57 I am back at school again, and for the next week at anyrate a Student again ;)
What fun, got my temp student ID card so I can use the Library, where I am sending you this update. The Walsash Marine College is run by the University of Southampton and goes back hundreds of years to the days of Lord Nelson when the British Navy realised there was a need for a navigation and sail training school for the Merchant Marine as well as the Armed forces of the British Royal Navy and a network of Marine training centres were set up all over the UK.
The main accomodation block is named after Sir Ernest Shackleton, which made me smile as I am wearing my Shackleton Fleece here with pride having served on that ship back in 2003/2004.
The course is very different from the Offshore survival's I have done so many times around Europe, even though the sylubus is so similar, for here we are taught by ex Master Mariners and Chief Engineers who's salty tales hold us spell bound to our little student desks at every chance.
So far I have learned about social responisbilities at Sea to your fellow shipmates, Health and Safety at Sea and after that half day topic we moved on to the major part of the course - Fire Fighting.
For unlike on an oil rig or platform where due to the greater numbers of crew on board, few do advanced fire fighting - on a cargo ship at Sea with a crew of perhaps just 9 or 10 people we are all having to be expert fire fighters. 2 and a half full days are spent on this subject, far more than any offshore survival course I have done.
So today we spend a second full day in the theory of fighting fires at sea, ship construction and devices built in to stop the spread of a fire and the tools of the trade including SCBA search and rescue equiments and methods.
They have a very convincing Ship some 4 stories high which they will set alight with wooden pallates tomorrow and we will not only have to rescue one of our class mates but put the fire out as well.
So a whole day playing on the fire grounds during which time we get to set off fixed fire monitors, run hoses, cool down and extingush an example of each class of fire from Class A to F, play with all types of portable fire extinguishers and even learn the correct use of the fire blanket and fire axe.
We will be shown how to correcly enter a fire zone and get a demonstion of a Backdraught and a Flashover and take it in turn to lead a group of 3 fellow students on a search and rescue mission in a genuine smoke filled fire zone.
What FUN... And I am on full pay while I do it... Again, again - I want to play again ;)
canoilers
10-10-2006, 12:10pm
:biglaugh: I thought this would've been about Caleb for some reason.
Thats good to hear Tom, I wish you the very best. Make us proud eh young man. Now that you have this fire training maybe you can come to my house for supper, I kinda need someone who does for when I'm cooking. I still don't get how I can start a fire from making a salad. :p I wish you the best, we know you can do it. :D
Marine
10-10-2006, 12:39pm
Remember, we give away a Ring Pop with each graduation certificate.
That is neat Tom. Have fun Tom
canoilers
10-11-2006, 5:52pm
Remember, we give away a Ring Pop with each graduation certificate.
Sign me up then! Theres nothing on earth like a free Ring Pop, the whole graduating thing is just icing on the cake. :p
:biglaugh: I thought this would've been about Caleb for some reason.
Thats good to hear Tom, I wish you the very best. Make us proud eh young man. Now that you have this fire training maybe you can come to my house for supper, I kinda need someone who does for when I'm cooking. I still don't get how I can start a fire from making a salad. :p I wish you the best, we know you can do it. :D
Yes I can see how that would Work Sir. Could be handy for the next big pot of Chili I make as well. :D
Remember, we give away a Ring Pop with each graduation certificate.
Oh good OH! Nah, never got anything like that, but will post some photo's on my return to Canada. Below is an update at the end of the course!
Hi all, Thanks for the replies. The course is just 5 days and covers Basic Sea survival, Fire fighting and first aid. It is now mandatory for all Seafairers and even Yaughting crews to undergo this training World wide and it is called the STCW95 Convention which was passed by the IMO or International Marine Organisation in 1998 and is at the end of this year a madatory must have for anyone who sails ships for business or pleasure.
Small pleasure craft owners are exempt but even they have small craft safety courses to pass which vary from country to country. This one is International.
So I was team leader of a group of 4 firefighters on BA sets and we conducted a search in a simulation of a 4 story Ships acommodation block on fire doing a left hand search through two rooms, passing one bulkhead fire door into the acommodation area where we found a casualty, who was removed to safey before we dropped down a deck to tackle a class A fire in the ships laundry area.
It was very hot and zero visiability by the time we went through as we were the very last team of the day, but we did get to put the fire out with 8 inch fire lines at 5 Bar pressure.
Yesterday found us all at sea, in a simulation of a sinking ship where we had to follow a general muster, then a call to launch the life rafts, then a call to Abandon Ship, where we had to jump 5 meters into the water, form a survival circle, then a chain and swim to our life raft and board it, cut the painter line, and secure for sea posting lookouts and taking our sea sickness tablet (sugar pill).
This was done with very poor visability caused by jets of cold water sprayed from the ceiling and flashing Xeon lamps and high pressure steam which made so much noise you were forced to use hand signals to communicate.
We did this excercise twice, the first time in perfect Sea conditions and no noise, the second time was as above and a wave machine make us all wish we were back in the class room within a min of boarding the life raft, which bobbed about like a cork making us all a bit green.
It is only with the 1 meter waves you realise how very difficult it is to get inboard inside the life raft in a heavy sea.
So I have passed and have the weekend off before travelling to London and Harley Street for the company Medical and then on Tuesday I travel back to Canada for a few days waiting on orders to join my first BP Ship.
it is called the STCW95 Convention That's almost STC convention, so you should feel right at home :p
Wow! I like to hear that. Plus many people around that age is used to say it's to late to study again or take some classes about something interesting to learn. I'm glad you don't think about that way and you're at school again. Well, it might be for some reasons, because of some job you have on mind to work in or you're only interested in study again, which it would be the best option to answer, to study for will power is great. Atleast in my case I think to do the same when I'm older and older, and never stop studying cuz it's the best, and even more being a doctor.
I had to copy this from STC forums:p :hide:
That's almost STC convention, so you should feel right at home :p
Yes it is.
That's almost STC convention, so you should feel right at home :p
That made me laugh. I would of had more fun with the Shania Fans and Music though.
I am in Central London just off Regent's street and will be posting photo's on my return to Canada on this thread. I took a detour on foot from the famous Harley Street to Portland Place and the home of the mighty British Broadcasting Corporation or Aunty BBC as she is affectionatly known in millions of British homes around the World.
Amazing as all around was devistated including the famous All Souls church across the road, and the original Proms theatre - the BBC HQ at Portland place almost survived the Blitz and the front part of the Building is a landmark dating back to the 1920's.
I had lunch the the George, best known as 'that dammed GLUEPOT' by the famous conductor and founder of the Proms... Sir Henry Hall as he lost many a good session musician to the lure of the strong drink and loose woman who used to be very common there in the 1800's.
It was NEVER called the Gluepot, but to this very day the name has stuck, locals still pop down to the Gluepot, though a pie and a pint costs just a little bit more now than in Sir Henry Hall's time.
THE BBC lost so many man hours to staff sneaking out for a little refreshment to the Gluepot when they should of been working, they built there own PUB inside Portland Place so they could excercise more control over the staff. It also exists to this day and guests waiting to go on live on BBC radio are often to be seen before or after there show in the 'hostility suite' as Sir Terry Wogan likes to call it. He prefers the George, or Gluepot!
I refused to pay nearly £25.00 Pounds or over 50 Canadian to tour Madam Tuesurds waxworks. That was nearly twice what I was willing to pay. So having reported in, I will be taking the 10 hour flights home to Timmins tomorrow (Tuesday 17th) and just have one more night in the Jury Inn Heathrow.
For those interested I have posted a gallery of pictures on the STC Site. It is too time consuming to post them here as I have to use a host web site and it takes an age so please follow this link to view the pictures, you can always come back here and post your thoughts.
http://www.shaniatwaincentre.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1612
OK heaps and heaps of new photo's of the south west of England, Southampton and now central London are posted on this thread. Enjoy!
http://www.shaniatwaincentre.com/for...pic.php?t=1612
Well gang it has been a long road since late August when I emailed DHL my CV but looks like I can get on with the job pretty soon:
Dear Mr. Waller
APPOINTMENT TO BRITISH TENACITY
Atlantic Marine Limited Partnership, Bermuda have appointed you to the above vessel in the capacity of ETO/Trainee. It is anticipated that you will join the vessel on 27th October 2006 at Cape Town. You will be contacted nearer this date with the necessary information.
Please note that all personnel are expected to join with full uniform. The minimum requirement for uniform is that you should have a white shirt with epaulet loops, plain white shoes (plain training shoes), white socks, black socks, blue woollen pullover with epaulet loops, black trousers, white shorts with no logos and black shoes.
All officers are encouraged to take a copy of their last appraisal to their next ship for discussion with their assessor, during the SSAS initial interview, as part of their ongoing training and development.
Please also ensure that your PASSPORT, US VISA and all INOCULATIONS and MEDICAL CERTIFICATE (ENG1) are up to date and will remain valid throughout your period on board. Your CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY should also be checked in case revalidation is required. All of the above original certificates should be carried with you to the vessel, together with copies of all other training certificates.
We would recommend that all seafarers are vaccinated against Hepatitis B. Yellow Fever is a requirement. These vaccinations can be obtained on the National Health for international travel.
You are reminded that Unannounced Alcohol Tests may be carried out at any time whilst in port, in fact taking of samples may be underway as you join. Bearing this in mind consumption of alcohol before joining the vessel should be controlled as if you were actually on board.
In the event that you have any problems whilst travelling and need the assistance of a Travel Agent, please note the EURASIA TRAVEL 24 hours assistance telephone number of +44 (0) 1624 612127. This will put you in contact with the duty person, who will be able to assist with any travel emergency.
For the sake of good order, please acknowledge receipt of this letter by signing and returning the enclosed copy confirming your availability for this date and vessel. If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me on +44 (0) 1624 [Insert telephone number].
Yours sincerely,
Pat Finn
Personnel Officer
FinnFreak
10-20-2006, 7:33am
May the winds be fair, and the seas calm on your journeys.
John - ;)
May the winds be fair, and the seas calm on your journeys.
John - ;)
Thanks, the Sailor's prayer and I for one have had my fair share and more of bad weather, so hopefully my first trip will not be too bad. As I understand it the British Tenacity is a product tanker and does the Australian Far East route. I never thought much about how the crude oil ends up in my Car, but I guess I will now!
Thanks for the update.
You are most welcome, I will start a new thread once I join the ship and just like my Antarctic Diary's you will get a pretty good idea and feel for life on board.
Go here for more info http://www.shaniatwaincentre.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=27365#27365
That made me laugh. I would of had more fun with the Shania Fans and Music though.I am sure you will bring your very own Shania party whereever you go, the Falklands and Antarctis Shania parties are a good example :)
It is anticipated that you will join the vessel on 27th October 2006 at Cape Town.That's soon, travel safe.
the British Tenacity is a product tanker and does the Australian Far East route.Exotic ports ahead, eh?
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