Young Bunas Travels

[Jimbuna]

Having taken extended leave, he has now decided to terminate his contract with Holland America and is still awaiting someone or other to retire at the Port of Tees so he can commence working as a Pilot there.

In the meantime he has reached the final presentation and interview stage for the position of Senior Marine Lecturer at South Tyneside Marine College (arguably one of the best in the UK along with that in Cardiff).

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Having taken extended leave, he has now decided to terminate his contract with Holland America and is still awaiting someone or other to retire at the Port of Tees so he can commence working as a Pilot there.

In the meantime he has reached the final presentation and interview stage for the position of Senior Marine Lecturer at South Tyneside Marine College (arguably one of the best in the UK along with that in Cardiff).

Great news Jim. Will young James still continue as a pilot when school is not in session ?

[Jimbuna]

Can't say for sure CW but in all honesty that is something I haven't asked him.

[Jimbuna]

Update: Four months on and in response to a few kind enquiries from forum members.

Suffice to say, the cruise line industry is in turmoil and many people James knows and has worked alongside have been stranded on ships in faraway lands for months on end so he thought his earlier decision was a wise one.

He still awaits an opening for the Pilots position and the lecturing post never materialised due to the fact all of the foreign students returned to their own countries in the space of only a week when the lockdown became obligatory. Sadly, some of the college lecturers are now facing potential redundancy unti things pick up and how long that will be is any ones guess.

Holland America contacted him (my apologies for not stating dates etc. but I don't keep a diary) and asked him to reconsider then followed that up a week or so later with an offer to return to one of the ships to prepare her for a resumption to cruising.

The above offer was not as Captain which rather disappointed him but as Senior First Officer under a Captain known to have anger management issues so James declined and the caller admitted to him that he was the fifth or sixth to respond so.

Next up was contacting agencies only to be told work was obviously hard to find in these unprecedented times but despite that, a week or so later they contacted him and he was soon doing fortnightly trips on dredgers in UK coastal waters.

He did three trips in total and after his first trip he visited his recently retired mentor of many years on the south coast who advised him the cruise industry was probably doomed and never going to be what it was in the past due to cuts in wages and a watering down of training (a costly but vital part of the industry) thereby potentially upping accident levels etc.

This advice imho was probably the final factor in him making the decision he did.

So off he went on his second fortnightly trip but this time with another company and the Captain of that boat was so impressed by him that he put a good word in with the company who happened to have a vacancy for a Captains position.

Next thing we knew he went on his third trip (the second with this company) and a Company Director interviewed him on the boat and he was offered a permanent position.

To keep things in context one shouldn't forget his Senior First Officer duties were performed on vessels 80,000+ tons and the first dredger he was on was around 8,000 tons which he informs me is quite large for the category they are in.

The second and third trips with the second company were on even tinier vessels even when compared to the 8,000 ton vessel (see below)



http://www.ukdredging.co.uk/UKD_Fleet/UKD_Seahorse/

I don't mind admitting I had a bloody good laugh when he showed me the link from his phone but he wasn't phased by my reaction and told me of what he clearly sees as positive benefits.

In a UK port every night
No sailing in rough weather
Two weeks on and two weeks off
More pay than Holland America
Another string to his bow (CV/Resume wise)
And most importantly, his first command

I still couldn't resist from telling him (over a pint) "Your not forgetting the fact you can bring her home with you on a trailer and keep her in your bath when your not at work"

Joking aside, I'm very proud of him and I know my father (an AB in the merchant navy during WWII) will also be ever so proud of his grandson.

Fair winds and following seas James.

[Catfish]

Good news, i thought about him and the reduced cruising business in those times. Fair winds and following seas

[u crank]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

... I'm very proud of him and I know my father (an AB in the merchant navy during WWII) will also be ever so proud of his grandson.

Very nice Jim.

Congratulations and sail on James.

[Skybird]

This moment when Kirk and Enterprise melt together and become one!

[Commander Wallace]

Thanks for the update, Jim.


It's good to see young James is keeping busy and has a few " Irons in the fire."While it's easy to be pessimistic about the cruise industry and economy as a whole. I think once a viable vaccination / inoculation is developed, I think many industries including the cruise line industry will come roaring back.



Keep your head up, James. It will all work out.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

.

Bottom line: at work or play, Young Buna's certainly well 'attyired"!

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

More pay than Holland America

Wow! That's great news what we would call blessed in my circles

So happy for you ... the future looks brighter than it would've been if he had of stayed with Holland America which now has four of their big cruise ships up for sell.

[mapuc]

It's interesting to follow your son's adventure on the seven seas.

I hope the situation for the cruise companies will approve next year.

Markus

[Onkel Neal]

I'm proud of him for you, Jim, it's a blessing to have children in these times who can pull their own weight and create their success.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Bottom line: at work or play, Young Buna's certainly well 'attyired"!

That picture is First Officer time period (only three stripes) during his time at Holland America and the evening dress is worn because you are expected to head a table and mingle with the guests. He obviously now has his fourth stripe but he informs me they don't wear uniforms on his little puddle jumper.

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

Wow! That's great news what we would call blessed in my circles

So happy for you ... the future looks brighter than it would've been if he had of stayed with Holland America which now has four of their big cruise ships up for sell.

Holland America are part of the Carnival Group and of the twelve HA contribute to the overall fleet it is now being rumoured a further three are to be sold off.

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

I'm proud of him for you, Jim, it's a blessing to have children in these times who can pull their own weight and create their success.

Cheers Neal his mam and I certainly feel like we've been blessed.

[Jimbuna]

UPDATE:

Well, life on the puddle jumper didn't last all that long. A month or so ago James suffered a minor back injury and the replacement skipper arrived for a period of a week. James recovered and on returning, the usual handover was conducted between both skippers, during which a senior company figure arrived unannounced.

The senior company figure berated the relieving skipper claiming the vessel was not keeping up with the work schedule and said that future improvements were needed if he was to get more work from the company in the future. The relieving skipper responded by telling the senior company figure to stick his job where the sun doesn't shine and promptly picked his bags up and left the ship.

Shortly after James (he assures me in a polite manner) told the senior company figure that he would appreciate it if he was never to be addressed in what he thought was such an unprofessional way.

The response went something along the lines of "I'll speak in whatever tone I feel is appropriate and that is my right as a manager in my position"

That played on James mind for the next fortnight whilst at work and upon returning home he confided in me and my response was quite candid "Do you like your job?" James said "Yes but I'd hate to think this manager would ever talk to me like that" My response "If he did, simply tell him you are in charge of the vessel and have him leave immediately then phone head office and tell them you'll be going shoreside within the next twenty four hours, so they have fair warning to get a replacement skipper"

I thought nothing more of it but obviously James did because last week he arrived at our (parents) house to announce he had applied for and been offered a First Officer position with Stena Line.

I said "But that's a demotion son" and James response was "Actually, it's a little more money than the job on the puddle jumper and a commitment to a Captains position as and when a vacancy comes up plus the fact it being a ferry I'll always be in UK waters and it is still two weeks on and two weeks off. The only perk I'm losing is the loss of a hire car so I'll be driving my own to and from the job but the mileage allowance is pretty good"

I asked what the company response was when he rang them to resign the puddle jumper position and he replied "They said they didn't want to lose me and asked if I received an apology would that change my mind" His response was "Would that mean a change of senior manager?" There response "Not necessarily so" So James said "Just accept the resignation then"

If you've kept up this far I'll thank you for your time and finish by saying....you spend a fair portion of your life bringing up your kids and you like to think you know everything about them. James being no exception, I knew how determined and professional he is at work and the rise in ranks over the years proves that but I never realised he had the same stubbornness and fire in his belly that his father and my father had.

His new vessel is the MS stena Superfast VIII and is currently running regular daily schedules between Belfast and Cairnryan.

Fair seas and following winds bonny lad.

https://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferries/...superfast-viii

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Stena_Superfast_VIII

[fireftr18]