Sea staff

Training and Qualifications

Formal courses and certificates
OYT South produces a Sea Staff handbook which is available to all existing sea staff as well as to people who are interested in joining – copies available from the office . This handbook lists compulsory and additional recommended qualifications required by OYT South sea staff at every level. If you need to do any courses in order to sail with OYT South or to make progress as a member of our sea staff, we do run occasional shore-based training weekends when a variety of courses are offered. If you let the office know when there is a particular course you want to do, we can see if we can get a group of OYT people together and set up a course for them. If we cannot offer a particular course on a date which suits you, we can recommend training establishments – just apply to the office.

Training on board John Laing
Mates training weekend voyages are normally offered twice a year on board John Laing. These are primarily designed for currently active volunteers, though we might occasionally take a new volunteer if there is space.

We also run slightly longer familiarisation voyages which are designed for new prospective sea staff, but are equally open to existing sea staff who want to refamiliarise themselves with the vessel and her routines without the added pressure of having to organise a watch of novices at the same time.

Check the 2010 programme for dates and prices of forthcoming training and familiarisation voyages.

If you are booked on a normal voyage as sea staff, but there is something you particularly want training in, please let us know in advance of the voyage if possible, or tell the skipper when you join.

To refresh yourself about on-board practices and routines on board John Laing, see the members-only section of this website.