Position: Second Mate, DPO

Company: Oceaneering

Time: May ‘03

Web: www.Oceaneering.com

The Ocean Service is an ROV vessel & represented my big break into the offshore DP game.  She was a beautiful vessel, with a long standing crew & lots of custom work done.

She was sold in 2007 to Nomis Shipping & has been renamed the Dea Surveyor.  Note that the picture is of the Surveyor as I couldn’t find a suitable one of the Ocean Service.

Position: Apprentice Mate

Company:Secunda

Time: Feb ’01 – Aug ’01

Web: www.Secunda.com

The C/S Agile is the Cable Laying vessel where I first discovered what was to be my calling: Dynamic Positioning. 

I did 6 straight months onboard & was fortunate to take part in a couple of big cable projects in the North Atlantic, a few weeks in Bermuda & a drydock in Falmouth, England.

While I didn’t get any time actually on the DP desk it certainly fueled my ambition to make sure I got my ticket & started to build my experience as soon as possible.

Position: Apprentice Mate

Company: Renaissance Cruise Lines

Time: Aug ‘00 – Nov ‘00

Web: None Available

The R-Five, owned by the now defunct Renaissance Cruise Lines, traded over in Europe.  My time on board happened to fall between their North Sea season & the Mediterranean season so I was fortunate to be able to sail in all those waters. 

The cruise industry is much different from the offshore, but there are many lessons to learn here that you cannot receive anywhere else.  The crowd control for thousands of passengers for example.  Ship handling & safe navigation was also paramount, as most of the steaming happens at night in some of the busiest waterways in the world.

I spent lots of time here running a tender & FRC.  This helped to  advance my small boat handling skills.

Plus the ports of call were just beautiful!