ISSUE 3 | MARITIME
…It takes you away from everyday life and into a whole new world…
ADVENTURES AT SEA When a career in physiotherapy failed to live up to expectations, Nicola Whelan decided to jump ship and embark on a career in the merchant navy. Nicola made her life-changing decision after seeing an advert on TV. “I thought all careers in the Merchant Navy were engineering-based,” she said. “But once I realised the variety of jobs on offer I put my application in and arranged an interview with Maersk shipping company, who would sponsor my training. Before I knew it my bags were packed and I was heading south.” Nicola, 30, from Tyneside, is now halfway through her three-year training as a deck officer at Southampton Solent University’s Warsash Maritime Academy. She is also one of the raw recruits featured in a new Scottish Television (STV) series examining the lives of the people behind the Merchant Navy. The STV cameras followed Nicola during her first five months at Warsash. They were with her as she conquered her claustrophobia during an exercise to put out a dangerous fire in a smoke-filled 16 | WINTER
hothouse, constructed a painter stage, and sat her first exams. During her first voyage, Nicola showed nerves of steel as she manoeuvred a 300ft container ship, The Gateshead, through the notoriously narrow Panama Canal. With only half a metre leeway either side there is no margin for error. “When I first took the wheel it was a bit nerve wracking. The ship was so big,” said Nicola. “I got a real feel for the huge responsibilities of a deck officer – looking after expensive vessels, cargo and crew. But by the time we’d got to the Panama Canal I felt quietly confident.” Now Nicola can’t wait to finish her training and get out to sea full-time. “I love it. You get to see amazing places, you are always busy and there is a real sense of camaraderie with the rest of the crew. It takes you away from everyday life and into a whole new world.
“The training is intense, but at the end of it I’ll be en route to an exciting, well-paid career with great prospects.” Anyone wanting to know about a lucrative career in the Merchant Navy can visit www.warashacademy.co.uk or call 01489 556 295.
WATCH •
Scottish Television’s six-part series about careers and life in the Merchant Navy can now be viewed online at www.stv.tv/merchantnavy