The ‘Great Pelican Takeover’ started with a series of job interviews. All of the students on board had the chance to choose three different roles they wished to trial during the takeover. I thought that the work as a 2nd Mate on a tall ship might be very interesting and a good challenge for me, so I decided to apply for it as my first choice.
After all the interviews were over the voyage crew was split into four different watches and the roles were announced. I was in the watch which started the handover so my work as a 2nd Mate started straight away. On a tall ship there are many different tasks to fulfil, so early on I talked to David, who is our real 2nd Mate on board, about what I should expect and what my tasks would be.
The 2nd Mate’s responsibility is all of the navigation and chart work as well as all the route planning. He is also in charge of the state of the life-saving and fire equipment, making sure that the fire extinguishers and lifejackets are all in good condition and in order.
During my time as 2nd Mate, I learned a lot about the work and the special routine that the 2nd mate has. David showed me many of the tasks and after a short explanation I could do a few of them on my own. For example, I checked the radios in the wheelhouse, and did a few chart corrections. Overall, I really like the routine and the difference between all the jobs. It has been a very interesting time and I learned a lot about the work and the responsibility of a 2nd Mate on the Pelican.
