I was employed on the UK MoD Strategic Military Sealift vessels as Master on a temporary basis to cover sickness.Liaising directly with the owners, charters and stakeholders.Daily reporting to the UK Ministry of Defence as well as Arrival and Departure reporting and Port Reports as required.Ensuring implementation and compliance with the company’s ISM.Maneuvering the vessel in Pilotage conditions with or without the assistance of Tugs as required.Ordering and maintaining victualing, cabin stores and bond.Chairman of Management and Safety Committee meetings.Overseeing and ensuring compliance with all flag and statutory certification.Signing on and checking of certification for crew and passengers as well as maintaining a Next of Kin list.Ensuring the safety, security and welfare on the ship’s company, including crew, passengers and embarked Force Protection and/or other military personnel as well as the effective and efficient management of all on board resources.

The National Antarctic Scientific Centre (NASC) is the national Antarctic program of Ukraine. The NASC bought the British Antarctic Survey vessel RRS James Clark Ross.I was brought onboard by the NASC to help them develop their maritime capability including Base relief, supply and re-supply and help to develop their scientific capability including the provision of training for the new crew.The NASC did not have any in-house Antarctic and Arctic maritime experience so I also brought in to command the vessel in Polar waters, lead on ice navigation and again train the crew in all aspects of Polar navigation as well as but not limited to Bio-Security, waste management and cargo/scientific operations.

BAS is a specialist scientific organisation running a fleet of modern ice-strengthened research and supply vessels conducting 24-hour scientific and logistics operations in the Arctic and Antarctic regions as well as conveying up to 50 scientists and Antarctic base staff and general and hazardous cargoes to ports and British and international scientific research stations around the world.Responsible for the safe and efficient management of the vessel and its seaworthiness.Ensuring the safety, security and welfare on the ship’s company, including crew, passengers and embarked science parties as well as the effective and efficient management of all on board resources. Ensuring implementation and compliance with the company's ISM.Responsible for safe and efficient Polar navigation involving the preparation and execution of dynamic ice navigation plans utilising satellite, sea, current and weather information as well as training Deck Officers in all aspects of navigating in the Polar Regions.Ensuring the safety of general navigation in all respects including being present during pilotage and restricted waters as required.Consistently using best endeavours to achieve the logistical and/or scientific objectives of the voyage and to maintain a high standard of work, safety and moral on board. Ensuring environmental compliance with all relevant legislation including MARPOL, Polar Code and Ballast Water Convention, Antarctic Treaty and Antarctic Territories environmental regulations and policies as well being responsible for bio-security in the Polar Regions to mitigate any effects on the biodiversity of the regions. Overseeing and ensuring compliance with all flag and statutory certification.Responsible for liaising with Principle Science Officers and Charterers to ensure the correct management and desired outcomes of embarked science parties and science/Polar expeditions.Responsible for the ship’ Disbursement Account and withdrawing as necessary any monies.

Responsible for the safe loading and unloading of cargoes, ship stability, preparation and implementation of detailed cargo and hazardous stow plans including the provision of multi-port/scientific cruise rotations.Planning for and executing heavy lifts.Preparing the ship for ice and ice operations.Taking charge of all boating operations and base reliefs by cargo tender and support craft.Responsible for all overboard deployments and recoveries of various scientific equipment as well as all scientific operations on deck and in laboratories in addition to planning and executing science mobilisations and demobilisations.Responsible for the day to day running of the deck department as well as the maintenance of the vessel, ordering stores, crew and officer welfare, working hours and general watch keeping duties as well being the senior watch keeper during ice navigation working opposite the Master for 12 hours per day with a junior officer to assist.Preparation and execution of ice navigation plans utilising satellite, sea, current and weather information.Detailed planning, loading, carrying and discharging of all classes of hazardous cargoes and stores in accordance with the IMDG code as well as all necessary reporting requirements.Managing and ensuring environmental compliance in accordance with the Polar Code, the Antarctic Treaty and British Antarctic Territories environmental policies. Implementing detailed and complex bio-security routines and ensuring compliance with regulations both on board the vessel and for shore parties/cargo operations.

I was employed as Marine Pilot to provide both river and harbour pilotage services for vessels, twenty-four hours a day on call and in all states of the tide. I have piloted all types of vessels in varying weather conditions. I am an accomplished ship handler who works seamlessly with crews of all nationalities and I am very used to working in high pressure environments to achieve shared goals within the aims of all the relevant stakeholders.My main roles included but were not limited to:The preparation and implementation of detailed passage plans.The safe navigation of vessels from the pilot boarding area to the destination port, berth, jetty or terminal.Maneuvering of various vessels into locks, tidal docks, alongside berths, jetties or terminals.Working with tugs in varying numbers and of various sizes.Liaising with the ships Masters and crew to ensure a safe and expeditious passage.Liaising with Vessel Traffic Services to ensure efficient boarding, exchange of relevant information, tidal data and changing weather conditions as well as active traffic management with other pilots and VTS to ensure safe passage.Ensuring the smooth operation of the vessel which would also include liaising with Lines Men, Dock Masters, Stevedores and Tug Skippers.Self-management to ensure adequate rest to ensure constant provision of a Pilotage Service.To remain up to date with all local navigational issues as well as national and international regulations.As well as these duties, I also undertook a number of voluntary roles within the organization which are listed above as ancillary roles within the time frame of my pilotage career.

In addition to Pilotage and Risk Assessment roles, I also voluntarily took on the role of a Vessel Traffic Services Operator, principally to assist the Harbour Master with a manning shortage at the station. I became at the time, the only authorised Pilot and VTSO in the district.This allowed me to greatly expand my knowledge and skill base by passing the IALA V103.1 qualification and I was fortunate, because of this, to be able to effectively pursue two separate careers at the same time as well as rise to the position of senior VTSO within a three man watch with a Duty Assistant Harbour Master in overall charge.My duties in this role included the following:Proactively managing the safe passage of vessels and other craft within the 50nm plus district, which is the busiest commercial waterway in the UK.Actively managing the departure of vessels form Locks, Docks, River Berths and Jetties.Organising the boarding and landing of pilots including the provisions of launches and crews to actively manage the available resources to achieve best possible efficiency while simultaneously ensuring commercial constraints are met.Active and passive enforcement of local, national and international regulations.Liaising with Pilots, tug crews, Dock Masters, agents, Coast Guard, law enforcement, emergency organisations and other relevant stakeholders.Actively problem-solving in a real-world environment with due consideration to safety and commercial interests with the emphasis being placed firmly on safety.Staying abreast of all relevant local, national and international legislation and ‘best practice’.Pilot Exemption Certificate interviews and authorisations. Passing and maintaining management level severe pollution training.Self-management to ensure adequate rest so as to be able to provide 24/7 VTS coverage during tours of duty.

Although I was primarily employed as a Marine Pilot I also took on secondary roles within the Harbour Master’s Department which were primarily aimed at assisting where I could to ensure the efficient running of the department and also to expand my professional knowledge. One of the roles I undertook was the role of Lead Risk Assessor for the Pilotage Department which involved but was not limited to the following:The formulation and implementation of risk assessments for all aspects of pilotage from transport to and from vessels, to boarding and landing as well as onboard activities.Annual review of all the associated risk assessments.Development and implementation of new risk assessments as well as adapting old risk assessments to new and developing systems of work.Accident investigation.Provision of Safe Systems of Work to all aspects of pilotage.Authoring and implementing specialist documentation and systems, including pilotage wide “Safe Access” documents and associated systems of operation.Attending stakeholder meetings and engagement events with outside organisations, including government agencies as well as any other duties as required by the Harbour Master.

UECC is a specialist RO/RO shipping company running a fleet of modern purpose built ships including ice-class vessels, shipping new and used vehicles, machinery and specialist high value, oversized and heavy cargoes.Trading areas included the North Sea, Irish Sea, the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Baltic.Chief OfficerResponsible for the safe loading and unloading of cargoes, ship stability and preparation and implementation of detailed cargo plans including multi-port rotations.Responsible for the day-to-day running of the deck department as well as the maintenance of the vessel, ordering stores, crew overtime, departmental budget management and general watchkeeping duties.I attended several refit/dry-dockings including having been selected to be a member of a team of three and the sole deck officer during a major repair and conversation refit undertaken in Germany and over a period of several months.

Responsible for the preparation, implementation and execution of passage plans including ECDIS systems as well as paper.Responsible for the maintenance of the ship’s fire and safety equipment as well as the ship’s medical provisions.Responsible for general watchkeeping duties including navigation in dense shipping areas such as the English Channel as well as cargo watches.

Anderw Weir Shipping was a general cargo, RO/RO and container shipping company running a fleet of vessels including icebreaking cargo ships with the majority of vessels also carrying up to 12 passengers.Trading areas included around the world service and trans-Atlantic service as well as the North and Baltic Seas.Responsible for the ship’s lifesaving and firefighting equipment.Maintained watchkeeping duties including ice navigation and cargo watches.On the general cargo vessels, I was responsible for preparing the ship for cargo operations and closing the ship upon completion as well as the preparation and review of detailed cargo plans including reefer, parcelled and containerised cargoes. Responsible for maintaining the meteorological equipment and logbooks carried on behalf of the UK Meteorological Office, a role for which the Met Office awarded me a commendation.Maintaining the ship’s bar including stock ordering.