New Foundation Degree Cadets Find Their Sea Legs

NEW FOUNDATION DEGREE STUDENTS FIND THEIR SEA LEGS

Posted: 11:53AM - Tue 25th September 2007

Fleetwood, September 2007.

Twenty-two new Foundation Degree cadets, fresh from their Enrichment Weekend in the Lake District, started learning about boatwork this week. After a week of induction and familiarisation with the Maritime School, the new Foundation Degree group set off on a gruelling weekend of team-building and leadership training under canvas, guided by Nathan Hackney.

Boatwork started in earnest on Monday morning in the capable hands of Gavin Burke, and cadets have had to assimilate several hundred years of hard won seamanship skills in just one week before successfully passing their oral examination at the Boating Lake.

“A brilliant group!”, said Gavin at the end of a busy week on the water. “An enthusiastic, good-humoured and keen group of students who are fun to work with.”, he said.

Ben Thompson, 18, from Newcastle, says “I coped quite well with the rowing boat and motor boat experience, and I enjoyed it very much. I glad to have experienced being lowered in a lifeboat when we did our ship visit to PACIFIC PINTAIL in Barrow last week, because it put the boatwork into context.”

“It was great to have a bit of hands-on experience with all the life-saving equipment, but it’s one of those things I hope I’ll never have to use in real life.”, laughed Trevor Hughes, 22, of Lincolnshire.

The class has been split into Port and Starboard watches, and their training with the Offshore School continues with more seamanship-related training as well as short courses essential for going to sea, like First Aid, Fire-fighting and Personal Survival Techniques.

Watch this space for updates…