Foyreddit

In short, anything that isn't the Royal Navy, commercial vessels owned by private companies/owners. Including but not limited to Container ships, oil tankers, ferrys, tugs, dredging ships, Cargo ships, fishing vessels cruise ships, Super yachts.

The most common route in the UK to join as an officer is through a sponsoring company, who are incentivised to do so by tonnage tax exemptions and government contributions called SMART funding. You must obtain 12 months sea time as a cadet for a Deck officer and 6 months for an engineer. In addition you must complete either a foundation degree or higher national diploma through one of the nautical colleges/affiliated universities in the UK. This is done in a sandwich format and takes approximately 3 years. Colleges/Universities require for the FD route 160 Ucas points which can be met by doing A levels or a college course, HND route requires a few GCSES with at least a C in maths (these aren't all set in stone, very much depends on your application and interview). This all leaves you with a certificate of competency, which is essentially a ticket to a huge industry from Superyachts to Oil tankers.

Pretty shite - 40 knots, 5 metre swell had a nice few days...up and down like a yoyo at the moment though.. this was yesterday

http://postimg.org/image/vy9wx1slr/

Not whilst working for my current company but I watched a friend jump from a 12 stack of forty foot containers on a container vessel into the dock water. Needless to say he'd had a few jars!

Whilst I appreciate your kind sentiment, I think you may believe I work for my country and/or the armed forces, I work a private company contracted to a big company, I don't provide a service beneficial to anyone but Oil and gas companies that make billions. Unfortunately the vast majority of shipping companies are out now purely for the benjamins.