“Sometimes I just stand up on the deck and enjoy the beauty of it all. I like seeing dolphins and flying fish. Being at sea is actually quite cool.”
As a boy, Russell lived on the coast near Worthing in Sussex and loved surfing, but he never saw his future at sea. “I think my Uncle was in the Royal Navy but I didn’t really know about the Merchant Navy, so I went to college and did a National Diploma in Music Technology. My idea was to work in a recording studio or in live production but it was just a nightmare to break into the music industry.”
After college Russell found himself working in a variety of dead-end jobs while he tried in vain to break into the music business. Then a friend applied for a cadetship in the merchant navy, through Ship Safe Training Group (SSTG) and Russell decided he would give it a go too.
Now, aged 23, he is in the final year of a three-year course as a Deck Cadet. The course comprises of seven phases, combining training in class at College or doing “sea time” – on-the-job training with shipping lines. When he qualifies he will be a Deck Officer, with an internationally recognised qualification that is welcomed by shipping lines all around the world.
The Merchant Navy is now a career that welcomes women too. “I have certainly never seen any difficulties”, says Russell. Russell’s course started with a classroom induction phase of six weeks. “They give you an insight into what the Merchant Navy actually is – I had no idea. A lot of people think its guns and warships and things, but obviously it’s not. When you consider that we are an island and we don’t manufacture much today, 95% of our trade arrives or leaves UK ports by sea. You get taught about different sorts of ships and you do your basic first aid and fire fighting training courses – very straight forward things at this stage.”
“My first voyage was on a container ship out of Thames Port. It was a 56-day trip to China and back. It was a good experience and I learnt a lot. I have never been seasick. These giant container ships hardly move whatever the sea is like. Once, in the middle of the Pacific there was a big swell, but you hardly noticed it.”
In the first phase at sea Russell learnt basic seamanship but now his days onboard consist of a series of “watches”. During the watches he would be on the bridge keeping a look-out for other ships – both through binoculars and on radar and helping Senior Officers with their duties. There are also duties when the ship is entering or leaving a port. “You’d go and stand at your station for tying up alongside or letting go.”
After the first sea phase Russell went back to college for three months to learn about magnetic compasses, bridge instruments, ship construction and mathematics, celestial navigation, ship stability, navigation, chart work – and all the useful things that you actually need. “Its complex but the lecturers are very good.”
If Russell passes all his exams, he will have a fantastic array of qualifications: an internationally recognised Officer of the Watch Certificate; a HND in Nautical Science; an NVQ Level 2 in Marine Vessel Support; an NVQ Level 3 in Marine Vessel Operations; certificates for fire fighting, first aid and lifeboat training. Plus a well structured system for advancing your career “You come out with a lot of qualifications you could use in other jobs as well”, he says. “When I started my training there was only the HND route available to me, now I believe there are 4 routes, HNC, HND, FOUNDATION DEGREE, and HONOURS”
Russell’s sponsorship agreement is managed by SSTG on behalf of Evergreen and covers the following:
- A Personal allowance of £580.00 per month,
- His tuition fees
- Accommodation and food
- Travel to and from college and ships
- A Uniform allowance
When a cadet qualifies, he or she could earn £20,000 – £25,000 as an Officer of the Watch, and if they’ accumulate more than six months out of the country they can claim their tax back. “I think it’s a good career for young people today”, Russell says. “I went in with relatively little – five GCSE’s – and I’m going to come out with a hell of a lot. I could have gone to university and got myself into massive debts, but I am being paid to gain a qualification and will qualify with no debt.”
