Hello all!

[Whitefall]

Hi everyone, I'm David, 28 years and from Norway. I recently finished my final year at technical college and got my degree as a Deck Officer Class 1 and some decent grades along the way. I'm currently looking for an spot as a deck cadet so I can serve my six required months before I'm eligible for the D3 sertificate.

Got all the basic courses and a couple of extras. I've been meaning to expand my qualifications and take a few extra courses, among them the DP certification, but as long as I'm on the starting block I can't afford it.

I've been sailing since 2001, starting out as an apprentice and due to a mishap in the UK I got an extended apprenticeship and didn't become a AB before in 2005. All my experience is from general cargo, heavylift and Ro/ro, which I left in 2007 and started my education towards becoming a Deck officer, and now I'm here.

[Whitefall]

Riiight.. We don't all catch whales over here, nor do we think killing whales is the best thing after sliced bread. Personally I've never even set foot aboard a fishing vessel, and I do promise I won't kill any whales if you say hello, and I still won't kill any if you don't say hello.

[GuinnessMan]

Hello David! Welcome to the site!

[agibbs98]

Greetings David, good luck on finding a company to help you get sea time

[Whitefall]

Yay, I'm noticed! Hello yourselves! Latest update for myself is a mail from the Cadet Administration & Recruitment at Maersk telling me as I'm already finished with my education so they sent me along with another email for my application. Don't have much hope for Maersk taking me in though, but it's worth a shot as I'm really hoping to serve on a autoliner, container or something along those lines. I have an application in with Wilhelmsen, but when I talked to a really unpleasant assistant. Gonna call back though, and see if I can't get to talk with someone in charge of crewing rather than some assistant. Most likely I'll end up offshore as most Norwegian cadets, serving as a combined seaman / cadet. The Norwegian Maritime Directorate is not to happy about people doing that, so I hope I can avoid doing it like that.

I've been browsing the forums a bit, and it seems there's quite the difference between the education in different countries. Seems you British have your sponsorships and whatnots. I don't suppose anyone could fill me in a bit on how the maritime education is abroad?

As for Norway, there's really just two choices. First one is a three year education at university level, and you end up with a Bachelor as well. Most sailors tend to look down on people that went that way because many of those students, well actually almost all of them has never set foot aboard a ship before. I took the short route, going through two years at Technical College instead, it's pretty much the same as on university level just compressed into two years instead, and without the Bachelor degree. Main difference is requirements for admittance, you don't get accepted into the shortcut without a maritime background. You either need do have the D5 Coastal certificate, or as I do, at least two years of sailing as an certified AB. And then it's just two years of compressed nightmare and they boot you right out there to find a place as a cadet.

Granted, many maritime academies here has deals with different shipping agency which guarantees you a position as a Cadet as long as you have excellent marks and don't fail any exams. Unfortunately, my academy don't so I'm left to try and find one myself. What really annoys me is that I've been working my ass of for this, and I still haven't a ship to sail on. Another guy I went with does, because he knows people. Doesn't matter he's failed two of the final exams. At least he will never get his certificate before he's passed those exams, but damn it. He's taking up a slot for people which actually will.

[size4riggerboots]

Hi David, yeouch, that sucks! As you have gathered, the UK system is very different to Norway's (and much kinder), our sponsors provide us with the shipboard placements at various points during the academic course, meaning we get to put the theory into practice while it's fresh in the mind. The course we are put on gives us a 6 month exemption off the required sea time to take the Orals. What this also means I'm afraid is that we have no idea how to go about getting a place on a ship as a cadet independently, as all that headachy stuff is organised for us. Sorry to give such an unhelpful answer, but I wish you all the very best of luck in finding a ship. S4

[Whitefall]

A quick update is in order, as I have new things to report.

So it seems I did better than I thought on the interview, as I have been offered an position with Maersk. I don't really know much more about it yet, but yay! I'm finally getting somewhere.

[MEJG]

I look forward to, perhaps, working with you in the future...

Maersk is a very good company (in my experience anyway) best of luck!

[Whitefall]

I'm told I should receive my assignment soon, as I understand it they are going to move me around on a couple of ships but it's going to be within Maersk Line, so no offshore or tankers for me. But I'm happy with container ships as I was hoping to get on a liner when I finished school, and hey! I'm really looking forward to this , although I'm starting to feel nervous about it all as well. That's something I always do with new things, but luckily I adapt quickly.. Although I'm going to be trying too hard and be unfamiliar with everything the first week or so. Hopefully they place me aboard on of the smaller liners at first instead of handing me the keys to the E-series on my first day.

Anyway, I look forward to perhaps be working with you and others here that are with Maersk. Just look for the incredibly nervous looking guy who has no idea of how he actually got there. Well, actually I do know how, but I'm going to be more like "oh dear god whathowwhy" the first day or so before I realize again.

[MEJG]

... Just look for the incredibly nervous looking guy who has no idea of how he actually got there. Well, actually I do know how, but I'm going to be more like "oh dear god whathowwhy" the first day or so before I realize again.

Sounds like most deck cadets i've met...

[Whitefall]

That's genetic to deck cadets.

Mate - Nautico Navigare Watchus

Primitive animal related to the Orangutan. Primarly seen on ocean-going vessels. May also be spotted on land, see window glancer.


The mate likes to stay as high as possible, as it can not stand to live near almost any other animal. A mate is a very fragile animal, and does not tolerate physical work. If exposed to any physical exertion, it will transform into a Nautico Navigare Yellus and try to drive anyone off by screaming and acting mad. The mate is an extremely showinistic animal, and will only tolerate the company of cadets or the lookus.


The mate spends most of his time gazing out of windows, but one has yet to discover what they are looking for. By nightfall the mate is usually joined by the common Nautico Sleepus Lookus, as the mate is extremly scared of the dark.


A mate starts his life in the wastebin, where other mates has stored used coffee filters, it then crawls off and spends up to three years in hibernation, doing absolutly nothing at all before they seek to higher grounds. The older mates then teach the cadets to stare blankly into the air for anywhere from four to six hours continusly. When the cadet is able to stand still for six hour or more hours at a time it will be granted a certificate of incompetancy. Top scientists has yet to discover any evidence of higher intelligence in the mate.

But not to worry, there's one on engineers as well.

Engineer - Nautico Crawlus Dieselus


Primitive animal related to swamprats. Primarly seen on ocean-going vessels. May also be spotted on land, see cellar crawler.


An extremly shy animal, which prefers to stay in dark, dirty and loud enviroments. Thrives in areas with large deposits of fuel oil and oily rags. A engineer prefers to cover it's outermost layer called a boiler suit with heavy fuel, as it is extremly intolerant against soap and/or water.


The engineer spends most of its time crawling around in dark areas trying to destroy machinery as a way to create more filth and dirt. The engineer may at times be found with a Machinus Wreckus, mockingly known as a repairman. This animal destroys everything the engineer isn't able to wreck by itself.


Engineers starts their life in an engineers pocket, as the decomposition of oily rags progress. Eventually the engineer will throw the old rags into a corner and within weeks those will spawn an motorman. The motorman is then shipped of to an reservation called "Engineering School or similar" for behavior modification and tought how to break down machinery and returned to the ship as an cadet. The fully grown engineer then teaches the engine cadet how to cover itself in heavy oil in the shortest amount of time.


Engineers are highly territorial animals, and does not tolerate anyone on their domain. Especially not it's mortal enemy, the Nautico Navigare Watchus.

[size4riggerboots]

Brilliant!

[Whitefall]

Yay! I've been assigned!! Going to Las Palmas and boarding the Maersk Gironde next Wednesday. Increasingly nervous by the day, but really looking forward to it all.

[Chiefy]

Good luck and see you around the fleet sometime

[GuinnessMan]

And now the Maersk Gironde comes to a crashing halt...