Morris Macleod

Morris Macleod

I was a pupil at the Castle navigation class from 1960 to 62 and went on to the Merchant Navy at the age of sixteen. Nine years later at the age of twenty-five I was a qualified Foreign-going Master Mariner. The Castle was a game changer in my life!!

I attended Lews Castle College from 1960-62 on the navigation course. Completing this course gave you a six month reduction on the sea time required to sit the Second Mate’s examination.

I passed second from the top pupil on the Navigation course and still have the prize nautical dictionary I was presented with.

 

In November 1962 I joined the mv Southbank one of 50 plus ships of the Bank Line fleet in Liverpool as an indentured apprentice. We sailed round the world from Liverpool to the USA, Australia, New Guinea and finally back to Liverpool.

I completed my apprenticeship in 1966 and went on to pass Second Mates examination in Glasgow, then in 1968 First Mate’s in Leith and finally Masters Foreign Going back at Glasgow in 1971.

I remained in the Merchant Navy until 1984 then switched over to the offshore oil industry, initially as offshore installation manager on a drilling rig in Norway. In the early 90’s I came ashore and worked for a major oil company as marine superintendent on offshore projects in Africa, Azerbaijan, Vietnam and finally back to Norway.

I retired in 2011, however, in 2013 I was headhunted to manage the towage of a 307190 DWT tonne tanker from Borneo to Guangzhou (Canton) in China. This was the largest ship ever towed into Canton which is miles up the Pearl River and the port had to be closed to enable us to get up the river.

That was the final voyage of my sea-going career.