At the end of 2024, the Maritime Skills Academy (part of Viking Maritime Group) hosted London River Services’ Woolwich Ferry Team to our Dover and Portsmouth facilities. It was a pleasure to host General Manager, Darren Ellis and his team as they participated in some training.
Read Darren’s full testimonial below to see what he had to say.
“The Woolwich Ferry Marine Operations Team are responsible for the Woolwich Ferry service delivery, maintenance of assets and infrastructure and asset renewal. The Woolwich Ferry service sits within Transport for London’s (TfL) Rail & Sponsored Services Directorate (R&SS).
The Woolwich Ferry (WF) Marine Operations Team has restructured the ferry service over the past two to three years, which included voluntary compliance with international marine standards, such as The ISM Code, for what is an Inland Waterways Category C ferry service on the Upper Thames River at Woolwich. Part of this voluntary compliance with international marine standards included all of our operational people completing STCW training at the Maritime Skills Academy training centre at Dover.
The WF team found the training facilities at Dover to be state-of-the-art. The training, led by experienced and engaging instructors, provided a positive training experience for all our people. Thereafter, this training has successfully been incorporated into their operational roles at the Woolwich Ferry Service.
The two Woolwich Ferries are modern diesel-electric hybrid double-ended vessels which carry lorries, vans, cars, cyclists and foot passengers. The vessels are equipped with four hydromaster azimuth thrusters for maximum manoeuvrability in a confined and intensive route of operation.
The WF Marine team worked closely with the MSA Portsmouth vessel simulator team to profile the WF vessel operating and manoeuvring characteristics, and for the first time to digitally map the Upper Thames operating area within the Woolwich Reach.
A regular monthly programme of emergency contingency training was completed throughout 2024 with all bridge teams training and exercising using the world-class simulator facilities provided at MSA Portsmouth. The simulator exercises also incorporated some of the more testing vessel manoeuvres specific to the WF service operational envelope.
The simulator training has been a great success and has been enthusiastically received by our bridge teams. It has prepared them for a full range of potential adverse future operational events, ensuring they can react as required if and/or when such events materialise, keeping our people, assets, infrastructure and the environment safe.
Working with the Maritime Skills Academy has been a truly collaborative partnership which has significantly enhanced our operational standards and the service we continually deliver to our customers.”
The Maritime Skills Academy (MSA) recently welcomed Finley Reeves to complete his 4-Part STCW Basic Safety Training. Finley, who turned 18 during his training week, is currently studying on a Football Scholarship and travelled from Tamworth to our centre in Dover to complete his training as he was exploring options for a potential career at sea.
We followed his week at our state-of-the-art centre and interviewed him after five days of training to see how he’d gotten on.
What inspired you to book training courses at the MSA?
I’ve always been in love with football, but sometimes you do have to move on. This course will open up opportunities for me to travel and explore. I think it’s important to look at what else is out there, and when there are opportunities to do things like this, you have to do them.
Which element of the week did you enjoy the most?
My favourite element was the second day of Fire Prevention and Firefighting. I’d never done anything like that before, and although you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ve got people around you who will make sure that you do know what you’re doing.
We were fully fitted in PPE with a breathing apparatus set and oxygen cylinder that we carried on our backs while we worked together as a team to identify a casualty and safely carry them out of the container. That was my favourite day.
The staff and instructors’ help made the experience enjoyable because it didn’t seem like a training course. I looked forward to each day as they were each a proper experience.
Has your experience at the MSA been different from what you expected?
I wasn’t expecting the fire procedures and classes to be as detailed as they were; I thought they [the courses] would be more theoretical than practical—experiencing real situations. All the practices in themselves were very detailed and realistic. Although you’re not at sea and in real firefighting situations, you are putting out actual fires in real-life scenarios.
Which skills have you gained from the 4-Part STCW Basic Safety Training?
I’ve learnt skills for life, such as CPR, what to do if you go overboard, and how to treat a casualty choking or with an injury that needs bandaging.
If I hadn’t completed this course, I wouldn’t have had a clue how to help someone effectively. It’s nice to know that I can try to help [someone] if something were to happen.
Have the instructors helped make the training engaging and useful?
The mix of [the instructors’] personalities and how some of them used humour or their wisdom from experience to teach the course is engaging, as it’s not just reading course material off the board.
They’re demonstrating and explaining at the same time, going into exact detail about why you need to do this and why that happens. It’s good to say, “You need to do this to keep someone alive”, but the trainers explained why you need to do that to keep someone alive. As a result, you’re more engaged with it [the lessons] because you’re curious and want to learn more.
Can you share a specific moment where you felt you learned something valuable?
On day five (Elementary First Aid), learning CPR and how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator), you can use that in any scenario; it doesn’t just have to be on board.
I now feel more confident about performing CPR instead of just winging it. I would try and help, whereas I probably wouldn’t have before.
What’s been the most challenging part of your training? How did you overcome it?
It’s not to say everything this week was easy, but the workload in the practicals was a challenge. When you’re firefighting, it’s hot, and you’ve got a heavy cylinder on your back, but if I had gone in there without training, it would have been even more challenging.
What role or career path are you hoping to pursue, having completed your training?
I love football, but I’ve got a big interest in this side of the world now and working at sea. I like the idea of working as a deckhand on a superyacht, and I’ve always wanted to travel — with a job like that, it’s a requirement. Although you are working, you’re also travelling the world, so you can’t really complain!
Would you recommend the MSA to others, and if so, why?
I’d definitely recommend the Maritime Skills Academy to others. A career at sea isn’t as well-known an option as it should be. I would never have known about the training needed to work at sea before six months ago, and my friends and family hadn’t considered a career at sea either, as I was explaining to them that I would be completing this course. However, I’d recommend it, and everything has been perfect. There hasn’t been anything that I thought could’ve been better. Everything went really well.
Finn stood proudly with his certificate after completing the STCW Basic Safety Course at MSA Dover
Maritime Safety Instructor Stuart Warters said of Finn’s experience at the MSA, “[He] took everything in and was always engaged with the courses. Finn demonstrated everything we needed him to do and by the end of the week, he had really improved in confidence.”
If you’ve completed one of our training courses, at either our Dover or Portsmouth facility and would like to leave some feedback or write about your experience, contact our team today at Marketing@vikingmaritime.co.uk
A recent delegate at MSA Dover, Marine Officer Paul Watts from the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) (an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) completed his STCW Basic Safety Training at our state-of-the-art training centre and kindly detailed his week of training for us to share.
The MMO licenses and regulates marine activities in the seas around England and Wales to ensure their sustainable conduct, which meant that Paul would need to complete his four-part basic safety training to work at sea.
Paul pictured third from left with other MSA delegates as part of their STCW Basic Safety Week
This account is Paul’s first impression of the Maritime Skills Academy, our expert instructors, and our course structure.
Below, he reflects on each of the five days of the course.
Day One – STCW Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (theory)
After a nice and easy drive to Dover and arriving at the Maritime Skills Academy we were greeted with a coffee and a big smile from Senior Maritime Safety Instructor, Steve Morgan. As a Royal Navy Veteran with 37 years of firefighting experience, Steve was well placed to lead today’s topic of Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (STCW Reg VI/1 para 1 & sec A-VI/1 para 2.1.2). It was a day dominated by theory; however, the content and presentation style made it very easy to understand, and Steve’s natural humour, peppered with a mixture of stories made for a very enjoyable day!
Day Two – STCW Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (Practical)
Now this is what I’m talking about — Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting (STCW Reg VI/1 para 1 & sec A-VI/1 para 2.1.2) practical skills! Today, supporting Steve, we were joined by Maritime Safety Instructors Dave Pryer and Joe Bowyer – who between them, are equipped with a wealth of seagoing and firefighting experience.
After being kitted out with our PPE, overalls, fire kit, flash hood, boots, gloves, helmet, and breathing apparatus, it was onto the fire ground for various firefighting practicals with a fire blanket, fire extinguisher, hose and nozzle/branch which was so much fun.
Instructor Steve Morgan preparing Paul (pictured second from left) and other delegates on STCW Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting
The facilities at the Maritime Skills Academy were excellent. On the fire ground, several ISO containers are cojoined to replicate the space experienced on a vessel. It was here that we entered a smoke-filled environment to conduct search and casualty evacuation drills, and later search and firefighting drills.
I’ve never worn fire kit PPE before, and although initially a little cumbersome, I soon got used to it, and after carrying out the live drills, I wanted to go back for more. Overall, an exhausting and hot day, but hugely enjoyable and oddly satisfying at the same time.
Day 3 – STCW Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities and STCW Proficiency in Security Awareness
Today, it was back in the classroom for Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities (STCW Reg VI/1 para 1 & sec A-VI/1 para 2.1.4) and Proficiency in Security Awareness (STCW Reg VI/1 para 1 & sec A-VI/6 para 4), led by Joe, who spent 26 years at sea as an Engine Room Petty Officer. Whilst it was a full day of theory, it provided a good grounding for understanding the various pieces of maritime legislation, working practices, and general life on board.
Day 4 – STCW Personal Survival Techniques
Another day that I was nervous but super excited about; Personal Survival Techniques (STCW Reg VI/1 para 1 & sec A-VI/1 para 2.1) …aka pool day! Dave led the session in the pool, ably assisted by Joe on the poolside. We practised donning and doffing our lifejackets and then became accustomed to wearing them whilst swimming on our backs. Afterwards, we carried out the recovery tow of a conscious person in the water followed by an unconscious person; this was surprisingly easy!
Paul preparing to jump from the side of the pool during the STCW Personal Survival Techniques Session
Next up was the jump into the pool from a metre’s height and the optional four-metre jump – replicating the abandon ship command. Finally, we completed drills with the life raft, safely entering and exiting the inflatable and then righting the upturned life raft in the event of it deploying the wrong way up.
The day concluded with an emergency “abandon ship” scenario, combining all the elements we had learnt and practised alongside simulated noise and weather, making the whole thing very realistic!
Paul and other delegates demonstrate their Personal Survival Techniques entering a life raft
Day 5 – STCW Elementary First Aid
Our final STCW Basic Safety Training session included Elementary First Aid (STCW Reg VI/1 para 1 & sec A-VI/1 para 2.1.3), and our instructor was Maritime Safety Instructor James Dean, a hilarious chap with many stories to tell! Overall, it was a very enjoyable day, during which we learnt the principles of casualty care and demonstrated life-saving techniques such as CPR, using an AED, the Recovery Position, controlling bleeding, managing a choking patient, and dealing with medical emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes.
As the week concluded, I had mixed emotions; I was exhausted but also elated at the new skills I had gained and demonstrated. Despite the exhaustion, I would’ve happily repeated the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting, and Personal Survival Techniques elements again and again!
Maritime Safety Instructor Joe Bowyer commented on Paul’s time at our training facility, saying, “It was an absolute pleasure to instruct Paul during his STCW Basic Safety Training week, and he was very engaging in each of the sessions. We would welcome him back anytime.”
If you’ve completed one of our training courses, at either our Dover or Portsmouth facility and would like to leave some feedback or write about your experience, contact our team today at Marketing@vikingmaritime.co.uk
