When do the summer holidays start this year?

[Jordo]

Well I was thinking, if I went to CGNC in September and worked in college until January or February and done all the exams beforehand. Then went on my ship for 3-4 months in January or February. Then when I got back would I go straight into the summer holidays or is there still stuff to be done in college before the summer (I.e phase 3)?

Any information would really be appreciated, thanks.

[CharlieDelta]

In Warsash you do Phase 1 from September to December or January depending on course (HND/FD) and then you have a sea phase until the following September. Should be similar in Glasgow. You don't get traditional holidays during sea phases, but you will get leave between trips.

[EH75]

At Glasgow you will start your course in September and then finish phase one towards the end of February. You will go back for phase 3 around the end of September. In between you will be on a boat.

The amount of time you get off and exact structure of time off will depend entirely on your sponsoring company. In my first sea phase I had a month off before joining my ship at the end of March, spent four and a half months on board and then got a month off afterwards after signing off ship in August which I think worked out pretty well. That was with a container company.

However the make up and length of time off varied wildly between my class mates with some people only getting a few weeks off and some people getting over three months. This is not actually a good thing as they have now all been back phased due to not havig enough sea time.

As already mentioned, traditional summer holidays don't exist in the nautical college world.

[EH75]

Forgot to say, in terms of work you will have to do during the sea phase, it depends on your course (PD or HNC/D) but either way you will be given tasks and reports etc to complete. These can all be completed on ship meaning you should theoretically not have to do any work when you are on leave. Of course that depends on your own motivation, I know plenty people who didn't finish them on ship and then had loads of work to do when they got home before they went back to college.

There aren't any set courses or anything that you need to go on during your sea phase prior to the commencement of phase 3 though.

[Lewis]

I hate to sound like a grumpy git but if this is your main concern maybe you should consider if this is the course for you. Most people wont be looking for a holiday but to get in as much sea time as possible.

[GuinnessMan]

Summer holidays? What's one of those?

[Jordo]

I hate to sound like a grumpy git but if this is your main concern maybe you should consider if this is the course for you. Most people wont be looking for a holiday but to get in as much sea time as possible.

Well you do sound like that. And this wasn't my first concern! Of course I've looked into the course loads before this cropped into my mind.

[Jordo]

At Glasgow you will start your course in September and then finish phase one towards the end of February. You will go back for phase 3 around the end of September. In between you will be on a boat.

The amount of time you get off and exact structure of time off will depend entirely on your sponsoring company. In my first sea phase I had a month off before joining my ship at the end of March, spent four and a half months on board and then got a month off afterwards after signing off ship in August which I think worked out pretty well. That was with a container company.

However the make up and length of time off varied wildly between my class mates with some people only getting a few weeks off and some people getting over three months. This is not actually a good thing as they have now all been back phased due to not havig enough sea time.

As already mentioned, traditional summer holidays don't exist in the nautical college world.

Thanks a lot that's all absoulutely great!!

What does back phased mean?

[EH75]

Basically these guys did not get enough sea time during their first sea phase (most came back to college with around 3 months, some actually had just under 3 months). This meant that it was impossible for them to get the required 12 months sea time total in their second sea phase even if they had spent the entire time on board and had no time off.

So instead of coming back to college with everyone else next month, their sea phase has been extended and they won't be coming back until August where they will get put in with the guys who started in the January intake just after us. So essentially their total cadetship will take 6 months longer than originally planned.

On the plus side for them they have had obscene amounts of time off but personally I'd rather get the seatime in so I can qualify quicker and start the job proper.

[Hatchorder]

What does back phased mean?

If you do not have the required amount of sea time when you return to your next college phase then the college can ask your company to send you back to sea to get the right amount of seatime before you go back to college. Then you do not start your next phase when you were due to but maybe 4 or 6 months later. "Sent back to sea to finish a phase before you start the next one"

Does that explain it better?

Ian

[Hatchorder]

Bugger - Just said the same as John, but was on the phone for so long that he posted before me! Sorry John!

[EH75]

Haha no problem, think we covered it pretty comprehensively there!