Young Seaman Sets Sail on Journey to Career with Sentinel Marine

A young seaman has plotted the first point on his course toward a successful career in the maritime industry after being named deckhand trainee of the year by the Scottish Maritime Academy, North East Scotland College’s nautical center.

Frazer Smart, who joined the team at Aberdeen-based company Sentinel Marine after graduating, has also just returned from his first trip to sea.

Smart (24), from Turriff, was presented with the award, sponsored by Peterhead Port Authority, after lecturers on the 12-week program determined that he was best overall student from the three courses that run over the course of the academic year.

Sentinel Marine, which provides emergency rescue and response vessels (ERRVs) for the offshore industry, spotted Smart's talent when visiting the college to recruit new additions to its team. The firm is nearing completion on a £110m ($146m) investment to add nine new-build state-of-the-art vessels to its fleet.

Smart spent his first trip at sea on board the Mariner Sentinel under the watchful eye of Master Mogens Karllson. The ship is currently operating within Statoil’s Mariner oilfield to the east of Shetland.

The trainee deckhand course covers a wide range of topics, including stability, vessel construction, communication and maritime safety. Sentinel Marine has the newest and most modern fleet of ERRVs in the industry, and by opting to build new rather than refit existing vessels, have ensured their ships are kitted out with the latest technologies and crew facilities.

Unlike other ERRVs, the vessels can take on a wide variety of other roles in addition to the primary function of protecting the lives of offshore workers, including cargo storage, oil recovery and rescue towing.

Sentinel Marine senior crewing officer Natalie Fitzpatrick says that Smart has a bright future ahead with the firm and has already had an excellent appraisal with very positive feedback following his first trip to sea.

Sentinel Marine is headquartered in Aberdeen, with a second office in Singapore. It specializes in providing reliable, disruption-free and safe services to the oil and gas marine industry.