Alistair Baillie

Admittedly I have been very lax with updating my blog. I’m actually writing this in October 2013 but I’ll post it as January 2013 🙂

Whats been happening that I was so busy? We’ll it’s a mixture of life at sea becoming routine so there isn’t really much to say – i’m pretty certain you don’t want a daily update of “today I stood staring out the window and had some chocolate cake for lunch”, and also not being able to talk about certain things online – not because they’re bad but I’m sure my employer would frown upon it.

After leaving ship in April I returned to Warsash Maritime Academy for a few weeks of revision for my Chief Mates examination and to complete NAEST (Management Level) and sit another Signals Examination as my previous one had expired.

NAEST for those not aware is basically a week long simulator course, the management level is the next stage up from the course you complete before your OOW exams and it’s generally a little bit harder. Nothing is particularly challenging, especially if you’re used to working in busy areas.

Signals is the same as it was when I first completed it a few years ago, to be honest I don’t really see the need to have it in its current form, we don’t particularly use morse code at sea any more – yes, we do still have RACONs and lights but at the end of the day, having learned it once I don’t see why you need to spend weeks re-learning morse code to promptly forget it the day after the exam. Anyway, little rant over – nothing I can do about it!

After finishing at Warsash I returned to Scotland and ended up back at sea in September. I got to experience a 7 day “wet dock” & had an awesome time actually going ashore in the evenings – Jack Daniels Steak is amazing – although I can’t remember where the restaurant was! Even went ice skating. Unfortunately that week had to end and we sailed from Limassol repositioning to the Red Sea for the remainder of my contract – I eventually got home mid January.