By Archie McCartney, Deck Cadet, UK Marine

“I have now been on board Sand Falcon for a few months as a Deck Cadet and the experience and knowledge I have gained so far is fantastic. The Captains and crew on board have been very helpful in teaching and supporting me get to the final stages of my Officer of the Watch qualification.

I started my HND in Nautical Science in September 2021 when I was sponsored by a deep-sea shipping company. During my first sea phase I was unable to get to sea due to lack of berths. I did eventually get to sea on board a tanker which I was on board for five months. I enjoyed some of my time on board and got to see some interesting parts of the world, however, a tanker wasn’t the best learning environment for me.

I am very lucky to now have Cemex as my training sponsor and I’ve been made to feel very welcome by everyone in the company, from Captains, Crew to all the support team on shore. Compared to my previous experiences, being on board Sand Falcon as a Deck Cadet with Cemex is infinitely better. The support from the Cemex team has helped me to continue with my cadetship and I have learnt an enormous amount already.

We have also spent some time in dry dock and the experience has offered me a great insight in how a routine yearly stoppage of a vessel of this kind works.

I would like to thank Matt Bland for giving me the opportunity Captain Jason Barlow and Tony Surey, officers, crew and shore-based team at Cemex UK for this great experience and opportunity.”