Case study from deck cadet, Luka Haynes.
Luka HaynesDeck Cadet
“With looking to return to Humber Maritime College in the near future to complete my HNC exams, I thought I would take a moment to reflect and share the humbling experience of joining my first vessels, and the memories I will cherish for a lifetime. 
No matter how excited I was to join my first vessel, the Ocean Osprey, I was understandably a little nervous of the unknown. Once on-board the 2284 tonne and 66m long vessel, I was settled and made it a priority to get involved in as much as possible, from mooring ops to deck work and all the way up to the bridge, I wanted to experience it all. I had an incredible deck crew, who were very patient with me and made my time so special, a massive shout out to the Officers (both Deck and Engine), as well as the Captain who all supported me in my progression during the COLREGS, Chartwork, Stability, Radar, ECDIS and deck work. I left the Ocean Osprey longing for more.
As I was leaving the Ocean Osprey I was made aware that I’d be joining the THV Galatea and before I knew it I was on-board and cracking on with reports, learning and spending a lot more time on the bridge by joining in with watches: some of this involved taking positions the old fashioned way and by Radar, plotting routes on ECDIS and applying COLREGS – this was my generic day-to-day which I loved.
Obviously, there were occasional out of the ordinary experiences I wouldn’t usually get on other vessels after all this was the THV Galatea, so things aren’t done by halves. From Heli-ops to the visit from Department for Transport, I’ll never forget how incredibly lucky I am to meet such incredible and inspiring people. A special shout out to the Galley crew who made the best food I have ever consumed in my life!
My thoughts and recommendations for anyone joining their first vessel:
– Nerves are natural, embrace the moment and remember why you’re doing it
– Get involved with every single opportunity, if it is 03:00AM and the vessel is going alongside, make sure you are on the bridge or helping out (you never know what you could learn)
– Be prepared to write a report for everything you do, the more you complete the happier you’ll be in the long run (trust me)
– Remember you’re learning, trust the process and have fun whilst you’re at it!”
