Hello!

Hello to my friends, family, and anyone else who happens to find themselves on here. In a few days, I am taking a train from Montreal to Halifax to board the oil tanker MV Acadian. I want to use this site to keep a record of my experiences and to share what is going on with anyone who may be interested. I don’t really know what to expect on this trip because all the time I have spent on the water has been spent on the 72 foot tall ship the St. Lawrence II. She is a fantastic ship- strong, stable, and extremely seaworthy. Her sail training program is more or less single handedly responsible for teaching me about ships and sailing,and giving me a passion for being on the water. However going from a 72 foot sailing ship in the summer to a ~600 foot oil tanker in the dead of winter is going to be a big change, and I have to say I am very excited! Hopefully this is will be a big step into helping me figure out what I want to do with my life and will lead towards other jobs on the water, for the rest of this year, summers after university ends, or even after graduation. Whatever happens, it is a big stepping stone. I spent a fair bit of time and money doing my safety training in Cape Breton- a requirement for any work on ships. Then using my sea time from the St. Lawrence II, I was able to get my bridge watch rating, essentially a licence to steer and showing basic knowledge in proficiency as a deckhand. Whatever this leads to, I’m sure it will be a memorable experience!