Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

[steamer]

I've covered everything in my TRB that needs covering at this level and I'm gagging to get back to college now to learn some more!! Anyone else think the old seven phase system with its shorter sea phases was a bit easier on us, cause I'm ready to get back to the grind stone now...

...and if I have to sit through another toolbox talk about de-rusting I think I will actually kill someone with the stuff!!!!

[Lewis]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

toolbox talk?

[CharlieDelta]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

I've done 4.5 months seatime, 2 months watchkeeping and got 45% of my book signed. I know exactly what you mean. I've not got any other trips planned this phase though, so have over 3 months' leave...

[Lewis]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

Won't that cause you trouble later on? Having to find 7.5 months on your next phase before goig back to college?

[CharlieDelta]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

It's pretty much a 12 month phase, so not really. Also gives me more time while actually having a bit more of a clue what I'm doing.

[YoungMariner]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

How does it work now, I went through the 7 phase system.

[steamer]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

basically you now spend too long in college as they havent figured out how to pack the course out yet, then you spend too long at sea where you exhaust your small amount of skills and knowledge before heading back to college, cramming your head with as much as possible and then go to sea one more time to put it in action

[Chiefy]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

You exhaust your small amount of skills? WHAT? You are there to learn, if you have completed the book (so far), then get on and learn what the others do / have done. 3rd mate should be able to show things that are coming up, get some watch keeping in, help the 2nd mate with charts corrections, learn learn learn....
Remember in less than a year you will be on watch it will be all yours with no study days or away days, now is your best chance to get ahead of the curve.

Sorry but any cadet commenting they are bored isnt doing enough, hone those skills you do have extend the rest of them.

[Steve]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

You exhaust your small amount of skills? WHAT? You are there to learn, if you have completed the book (so far), then get on and learn what the others do / have done. 3rd mate should be able to show things that are coming up, get some watch keeping in, help the 2nd mate with charts corrections, learn learn learn...

The problem is that without the background theory taught in college it can be rather difficult to progress things. Maybe you have an OOW that can successfully teach celestial nav, or tides, sailings or even stability, but you'd be lucky to be in such a position. This was a problem even under the old 7-phase system where you were expected to do things at sea that you hadn't learned the background for in college yet. Celestial navigation for example was not taught in college until phase 5, leaving only one (relatively short compared to today) sea phase to make progress on a sight book if you weren't lucky enough to have a good teacher aboard ship during earlier sea phases.

[Chiefy]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

I get that part, however there is a lot of other "stuff" that needs to be learnt that isn't on the syllabus (officially) BUT is a part of the job and that our friends in the MCA like to ask us about.

Though I still dont get how they keep changing the system, as far as I can see to make it cheaper

[steamer]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

It is very different for engineering cadets who get a solid foundation before going on their, much shorter seaphase. We basically get told which way round to hold a chart, get our maths up to speed and get a bit of very broad industry knowledge before being sent off to learn the deckies job in the first phase.
Getting an officer to remember half of the stuff that we need to know in order to progress is one thing...but actually expecting them to teach it is even harder. I really do think there should be a formal DSTO qualification that not only prepares them for taking on cadets, but would also provide proper renumeration for the hard work that they are expected to put in.
Anyway, back on topic,, I'm certainly not bored...just itching to learn more so that I can put it into practice.

[Chiefy]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

Glad you didnt take it the wrong way, re-reading could be taken differently

As for a proper Cadet Training qualification that isnt a bad idea BUT you then get into the whole area of adding it on to who's ticket? Or do we get some teachers who can come to sea and do you need 1 per ship OR bring back NON company specific training ships where ALL cadets go regardless of which company for at least XXmonths (think the amercians do this but then they have some really odd systems in place anyways!) additionally would the CTO be an additional officer or be bolted on (as sort of happens now) to the ships compliment.

As you say the level of education you get from ship board officers varies greatly and does need addressing, but that is a different topic all together

[RNR]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

I've got a year sea-phase coming up mate because they want to merge my class with the class that starts in September! Our 2nd sea phase is 6 months though so basically just swtiched them around.

[steamer]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

Jeez-that's a bit mad!

[kellie]

Re: Is it just me or is this sea phase far to loooooooooong?

I finished my first phase on the 18th of feb and still haven't set foot on a ship, i did fly out to South Korea the other week but missed the ship, so came home again!!!! So yes its a long phase but unfortantly i am going to struggle to get a decent amount of sea time, due to some emmmm mess up's!