Last month marked a considerable milestone in my career as a seafarer. After over 10 years at sea, I finally achieved my Master 1 Certificate. This ticket allows me to be the captain of any vessel anywhere in the world.
I wanted to take this article as an opportunity to give a very brief recap on my career at sea, a career that I have loved and one that I look forward to continuing for many years to come.
Straight out of School
In 2008 I finished my schooling on the Gold Coast and at the start of 2009 I headed to Tasmania as an 18 year old. Before working on ships, it is necessary to first carry out basic safety training and familiarization. For this I did a three month pre sea course at the Australian Maritime College in Launceston.
4 February 2021
An innovative Australian wave energy generator has been deployed in the ocean off King Island, where it will be connected to the Bass Strait island’s power grid and tested alongside existing wind, solar and diesel resources – a first in Australia and possibly the world.
Melbourne-based company Wave Swell Energy said the 200kW Uniwave unit, or Uniwave200, had been installed successfully adjacent to the Grassy harbour, in King Island’s south, and was “sitting proudly” on the seabed in about 5.75 metres of water.
The “oscillating water column” (OWC) technology, which the company has likened to an “artificial blowhole,” works by using waves to produce high pressure air, which is converted into electricity by a turbine.