DECK OFFICER CASE STUDY

Conversation with Sonia Mitchell – Second Officer on dredgers

Sonia as deck officer works on dredgers operating mainly in the North Sea and along the south coast with a compact crew usually of eleven. She started studying for her cadetship in her early thirties which was an advantage as she had much wider life skills than her younger colleagues many of whom were fresh out of school. Sonia had been doing a summer job working with Isle of Wight ferries when she happened to sea a poster advertising careers in the Merchant Navy which put her in touch with SSTG.

“I was impressed straight away as at college I got to work with retired seafarers, so people who have been doing the job that you are training for and who provide a lot of practical advice before you even get to sea. And SSTG were very supportive throughout. You have your training coordinator throughout your time at college and whilst training at sea who is a point of contact for you if you have a problem. And they arranged very regular meetings with you whilst you were in college.”

“Everyone gets to know each other and they did really look out for me.”

“Once you’ve done the theory at college you get on board ship and they want you now to do all of the practical stuff. It takes a while before you are allowed on the bridge to start doing navigation. You really get thrown to the deck team to learn practicalities but it was a good experience. And I was lucky in that the crew I was working with was quite small – so everyone gets to know each other and they did really look out for me.”

“You start shadowing the crew whose jobs you are going to be doing and you get to learn why the tasks are important, and if something has gone wrong you quickly learn how to fix it and make it right again.”

“On the dredging side it’s in effect a two-man operation. The captain will control the dredge pump and the pipe itself, raising it and lowering it as required, and will set our location on our track. And as second officer on the bridge your job is to firstly maintain your normal lookout as the captain is having to look towards the stern during dredging operations. You are also controlling the track of the ship as we don’t have dynamic positioning and do ours by hand. You are travelling about half a knot to one knot hand steering up and down lanes so it is very precise.”

“The other side of my responsibilities is cargo discharge. Our cargo goes into an open hold in the middle of the ship and once we are alongside we operate buckets to discharge the cargo on to conveyor belts. This is usually about a five or six hour operation to discharge all of the cargo and your task is to also monitor for cargo spillage and maintaining the right rate of discharge. Ballasting is a one-person operation so the captain is not needed for that, just you as the officer of the watch.”

“Not many people think about dredging as a career but once you get into it people tend to stay.”

“Dredging does require that we work very hard but the advantage is that you are always busy and the trips go very quickly. Our trips are for usually two or three weeks at a time, and then you get the same amount of leave, so for your work-life balance it is well worth considering. Not many people think about dredging as a career but once you get into it people tend to stay!”

There are many demanding skills required in dredging efficiently and safely, with the need to travel at exceptionally slow speeds a key element of operations at sea.

“You quickly have to learn good practice in ship handling especially when doing very slow speed manoeuvres.”

“Whilst we are dredging we are going into shallow waters, so for example if we are dredging at the side of sandbanks you have to constantly monitor positioning to ensure you are not going to ground the ship. And predicting what the tide is going to be doing is key as it will try and sweep you off course whilst operating at slow speeds. You quickly have to learn good practice in ship handling especially when doing very slow speed manoeuvres, which on other types of vessels at this level as an officer you wouldn’t normally be responsible for.

“Also on dredgers maintaining the cargo gear requires a very specific set of skills, and as you are in and out of port very frequently you quickly get a lot more navigation experience too. Many ships will sit at anchor but we are in and out of the Thames several times a week, and we are crossing The Channel a lot across some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world where you gain responsibility much quicker than you would on bigger ships.

“The great thing about working on dredgers is that you can fit your career around having a life at home as well.”

“The great thing about working on dredgers is that you can fit your career around having a life at home as well as it doesn’t require being at sea for months. And it’s not just for people who are at the start of their careers and don’t have families yet. The Merchant Navy is for a wider range of people than that. People spend their whole careers on dredgers – and I certainly intend to be here for many years!”

Start Your Career

Our experienced team of recruitment and training officers can provide you with help and guidance on roles and vacancies – and support in applying for sponsorship.

Boston Putford Offshore Safety Ltd

Operates standby support vessels.

Careers at sea with Boston Putford Offshore Safety Ltd.

Based:
Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Support Vessels in both the North Sea and other areas providing Emergency Response, Supply and Underwater Exploration/Construction services for the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry.

Ship Types Operated:
Standby

Company website:
www.bostonputford.com

Britannia Aggregates Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

Train as a deck cadet with Britannia Aggregates Ltd.

Based:
Northfleet, Kent.

Profile:
Operates a Marine Aggregate Dredger engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.

Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels

Company website:
www.brett.co.uk

CEMEX Marine Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

CEMEX, an SSTG Member for 10 years.

Based:
Southampton, Hampshire.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.

Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels

Company website:
www.cemex.co.uk

CMA-CGM Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

.

Based:
London, UK.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of container vessels on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.

Ship Types Operated:
Container

Company website:
www.cma-cgm.com

Alcedo Shipping Ltd

Operates bulk carriers worldwide.

Alcedo Shipping Ltd.

Based:
London.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Bulk Carriers on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.

Ship Types Operated:
Bulk Carriers

Company website:
https://www.alcedoshipping.co.uk

Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd

Operates container vessels for cargo transportation.

Deck Cadet Training with Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd.

Based:
London.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of container vessels on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.

Ship Types Operated:
Container

Company website:
www.evergreen-marine.co.uk

Gardline Ltd

Operates survey and research vessels.

Deck and engineer cadet training with Gardline Ltd.

Based:
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Profile:
Best in class provider of Marine Geophysical, Geotechnical and Environmental Surveys.

Ship Types Operated:
Survey

Company website:
www.gardline.com

Global Marine Systems Ltd

Operates surface and sub-sea vessels for installation and maintenance of submarine cables.

Seafarer officer training with Global Marine Systems Ltd.

Based:
Chelmsford, Essex.

Profile:
Global Marine Systems Limited, an independent marine engineering company, has been in business for well over 150 years and continues to be the pre-eminent provider of submarine cable installation and maintenance services in the world. Operating the world's largest fleet of cable ships and sub-sea vehicles, it is a market leader in marine cable installation and maintenance for telecommunications, as well as scientific research, oil, gas, utilities and the renewable energy sector. Global Marine is headquartered in the United Kingdom with regional offices in the United States and Asia.

Ship Types Operated:
Cable Repair

Company website:
www.globalmarine.group

Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd, an SSTG Member for 10 years.

Based:
Southampton, Hampshire.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.

Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels

Company website:
www.heidelbergcement.com

John H. Whitaker (Holdings) Ltd

Operates oil tankers.

Careers at Sea with John H. Whitaker (Tankers) Ltd.

Based:
Hull, North Humberside.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of oil tankers in the European area transporting fuel and oil products for ships and storage depots.

Ship Types Operated:
Tankers

Company website:
www.whitakertankers.com

Saga Shipping Ltd

Operates cruise ships.

Saga Shipping Ltd, an SSTG Member Company for 15 years.

Based:
Folkestone, Kent.

Profile:
This company operates the following types of vessel. Click on vessel for more information:

Ship Types Operated:
Cruise

Company website:
www.saga.co.uk

Tarmac Marine Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

Tarmac Marine Ltd, trains Deck and Engineer Cadet with SSTG.

Based:
Chichester, West Sussex.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.

Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels

Company website:
www.tarmac.com

North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Ltd

Operates support vessels for offshore oil and gas exploration.

North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Ltd, an SSTG Member for 10 years.

Based:
Aberdeen.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of support vessels in both the North Sea and other areas providing emergency response, supply and underwater exploration / construction services for the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry.

Ship Types Operated:
Standby

Company website:
www.northstarshipping.co.uk

P & O Ferries Ltd

Operates vehicle and passenger ferries.

P & O Ferries Ltd, trains Merchant Navy Seafarers with SSTG.

Based:
Dover, Kent.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of large Roll-on Roll-off Vessels between the UK and ports in Europe transporting passengers, their cars, and freight vehicles.

Ship Types Operated:
Ferries

Company website:
www.poferries.com

Seajacks UK Ltd.

Operates specialist jack-up vessels for offshore wind industry.

Seajacks UK Ltd, trains Merchant Navy seafarers with SSTG.

Based:
Great Yarmouth, UK.

Profile:
Seajacks UK are an East Anglian based offshore installation company committed to building the world’s most advanced and versatile fleet of self-propelled jack-up vessels equipped to service the demands of the offshore wind industry. Our on and offshore crews work in full conjunction with all of our clients, looking to provide the most cost-effective solutions in the safest environments possible.

Seajacks has a fleet of 5 GustoMSC designed vessels, all capable of installing and maintaining offshore wind farms in harsh conditions. Seajacks fleet includes; Seajacks Kraken, Seajacks Leviathan, Seajacks Hydra, Seajacks Zaratan and Seajacks Scylla.

Seajacks utilise DP2 positioning for fast and efficient rig moves, with no need for tugs means there is year round operating ability in the harsh conditions of the Southern North Sea. The DP2 systems make all of the vessels fully capable of driving their four legs into the seabed, providing them with a steady platform and ensuring they remain uncompromised by the conditions of the sea below.

Seajacks Scylla is equipped with a 1500t leg-encircling crane, incorporate useable deck space of up to 5000m², and has 8000t of available variable load. Sailing at speeds of 12 knots or over, Scylla is outfitted with 105m long legs that have the ability to install components in water depths of up to 65m.

Ship Types Operated:
Jack-up

Company website:
www.seajacks.com

CldN RoRo Ltd.


Operates freight vessels for Irish Sea crossings.

CldN RoRo Ltd, trains ETO Officer cadets with SSTG.

Based:
Heysham, Lancashire.

Profile:
As a UK cadet you will complete your sea service whilst under training on the UK based vessels serving between the UK and Ireland. The company has a fleet of modern vessels concentrating on the freight market.

Ship Types Operated:
Ferries

Company website: 

www.cldn.com

Ship Safe Training Group Ltd
The Precinct Office
The Precinct
Rochester
Kent
ME1 1SR

We'd love to
hear from you!

Tel: +44 (0) 1634 820 820
E-mail: recruitment@sstg.org

The legal stuff

© 2013 - 2022 Ship Safe Training Group Ltd (SSTG) All Rights Reserved except where otherwise stated.