Sea Phase!

[Megrow98]

When you are at sea whilest doing your training, how long are you at sea? This is the only thing I really don't understand. Do you go for weeks of months at a time? I can't seem to find the answer anywhere! Any other information will help me too! Thankyouu!

[Blondie]

I was under the impression it was for a few months

[size4riggerboots]

My longest trip as a cadet was 4 and half months, my shortest was 4 days (but that was only because I lacked 4 days bridge watchkeeping, it's not normal). It depends very much on what kind of ship you're on, I did a 6 week trip on a ro-pax ferry going from Holyhead to Dublin, and 6 weeks on a cruise ship that called at Southampton every week, longer trips of 3 months and 4 1/2 were on cruise ships that were operating further away. I think the average trip is about 4 months, but on cargo vessels and tankers you're more likely to find yourself on a 6 month trip.

[Megrow98]

Whilst on board can you call home? And did you find it hard being away from home whilst only young and still training?

And also is it a good lifestyle onboard? Thanks.

[size4riggerboots]

Whilst on board can you call home?

Depends on the ship, but as a general rule yes, as long as you don't mind paying through the nose for it, sat phones are not cheap! On cruise ships you buy phone cards and can use the phone in your cabin, on other ships there will probably be a phone booth or something.

And did you find it hard being away from home whilst only young and still training?

Um, I was 26 when I started my training! I'd been living away from home since uni, been travelling and sailing for months at a time and generally being an independent adult with a job and everything I moved out of home at 19, and had also been shipped off to boarding school since I was 11, so no, personally speaking, it didn't feel hard. There were times though when I was having a ****ty week and phoned home and had a whinge and a cry at my mum or my sister. Going to sea is very different to just moving to a different town knowing you can call home at any time you like for a few pence, or jump on a train and go home for the weekend, you do find yourself stuck in a strange environment with a bunch of strangers and no-where you can go to escape it all for a bit apart from your cabin. It's weird and a bit scary and nerve-wracking, but you have to get on with it, dive into the work, make friends, ask questions, distract yourself with doing things and the time soon flies!

And also is it a good lifestyle onboard? Thanks.

Depends on the ship! I've always had a good time though

[Megrow98]

Thanks! I'm in my last year of school and this is something I would really like to go into! I can't wait to leave school (hopefully get the grades) and start college! Thanks for the help! ��

[Blondie]

During the sea phases, is there much to spend your money on or is it going to be an awesome opportunity to save some pennies?

[size4riggerboots]

Again, depends on the ship and where you go, if you're on a tanker you might see an actual port once in a blue moon, if you're on a cruise ship, you hit port most days (although you won't be getting off every day), or somewhere inbetween those two extremes.... shore leave doesn't have to be expensive either. However, bear in mind that cadet wages aren't great and you'll be wanting to refill the overdraft you created during your college phase!

[Blondie]

The low wages are exactly the reason I was hoping to not spend when I'm at sea! Should make the difference between tesco* value and finest. I jest but the point is a valid one - I am hoping that times at sea will be an opportunity to live less frugally when back on land.

*other supermarkets are available

[size4riggerboots]

Well yeah, you can live as frugally as you like on ship, "it's all part of the wages!" is phrase commonly used on ship (to justify being a greedy bugger at mealtimes), getting ashore is always nice but you don't have to just go to the nearest bar and spend as much as you can, just going for a walk is lovely! Also bear in mind that some companies pay less while you're at sea, because you're not renting somewhere to live etc when on you sea phases.

[Blondie]

That raises another question: are we charged by halls of residence when we are on a sea phase?

[size4riggerboots]

No, you move out of halls at the end of phase 1 and then most people rent privately for the rest of the college phases.

[laura]

One advantage to offshore- good phone and kinda good internet access (compared to other shipping sectors) sometimes even from your cabin, and you often don't pay for the phone use either (usually there's a kind of limit to how much you can use, in our company it's more like don't take the p**s too much and it's fine) again though this is company dependant. I know some guys phone every day for 5-10mins others do the 'Sunday phone call home'. If the phone breaks, the crew turn from 'fairly' *coughs*... normal human beings into monsters. It's a big part of morale onboard these days but I kinda like being out of touch with the rest of the world now and again.

I know friends on UK ro/ro have wifi in port but not at sea, while on deep sea containerships it was limited email access assigned from the ship and they didn't call as it was too expensive, instead relying on a port call every two weeks or so to get internet/ phone.

We had second mate phoning his fiancee for literally hours in the Philippines... the Captain made him cough up for those calls. It would have been cheaper to fly out there and see her in person!

[Steve]

RFA specific answers for Blondie:

I was under the impression it was for a few months

Standard appointment length in the RFA is 4 months, and this applies to cadets too, but in practice you are unlikely to do many straightforward 4 month trips as a cadet. It is more likely that you will be pierhead jumped to another ship to take advantage of opportunities for watchkeeping time, or extend a trip for the same reason, especially toward the end of your cadetship.

During the sea phases, is there much to spend your money on or is it going to be an awesome opportunity to save some pennies?

Some trips are more expensive than others. You might find yourself spending a month in Dubai. This can be expensive. A month in Crombie can be expensive too (depends on how often you go out in Edinburgh). Trips where you spend more time at sea are better for saving, but less interesting.

You get 30 minutes of satellite phone time per week at MoD expense and can pay for more if you are so inclined.

[Blondie]

Thanks Steve, you've nailed my questions RFA I presume?