Listen to his interesting interview here, with his top 5 advice tips, funny stories and experience in the industry.
1. Hi Sean, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Sean O'Reilly
Born Skeggy (on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea), I joined Royal Navy aged 18 as an Executive/Deck Officer (Midshipman) and served 28 years. I specialised as a bomb disposal diver and anti-submarine specialist, ship command qualified (unlimited tonnage) and experienced. I was briefly the youngest ship captain in the RN and I taught navigation and leadership at Britannia Royal Naval College (RN Officers’ Academy), commanded UK counter-narcotics Caribbean contingent before joining my last ship (civilian ship) in 2006 - aged 45, in rank of Commander. I was then a registered Charity Chief Executive from 2007-2009, followed by lecturing International Law of the Sea to naval under-graduates 2010/11 at Abu Dhabi University. I now own a holiday letting/property business in Dartmouth UK whilst enjoying being a visiting instructor for bluewater since 2013.
I am a Masters graduate in Politics and International Affairs, Arabic speaker and enjoy
Man United football, sea fishing, golf, crosswords and the occasional pork pie and a glass of Pastis (but not at the same time - the best accompaniment to a pork pie is a cup o’tea, whereas the best accompaniment to Pastis is a chilled beer!
2. What got you into teaching?
Trying to impart a knowledge or develop students’ skills is a VERY rewarding vocation, especially when the student is highly motivated (as bluewater’s students invariably are). Because the compressed nature of the Commercial Yacht career development process is challenging, to put it mildly, determined students (and especially those for whom English is not their first language) never fail to amaze me with their rate of progress. Why do I teach: because I enjoy it; my students’ success gives me a buzz.
4. How long have you been teaching for?
1985-87: Taught navigation, Law of the Sea, COLREGs, Naval operations, and air diving at BRNC (RN Officers’ academy) in Dartmouth, UK
2007-09: Lectured/tutored International Law of the Sea and The Law of Armed Conflict to naval university under-graduates in Abu Dhabi (UAE)
2012, I joined bluewater as a visiting instructor.
5. What is your favourite thing about being an instructor?
The students…
6. What do students love about bluewater?
Locality, reputation, expertise, industry knowledge ...
7. Have you got any interesting instructor stories to share?
Early in my time with bluewater, I de-briefed a student on a complex tidal question that had two correct answers, depending on how the question is interpreted. I started my de-brief by saying “I notice that you elected to use the High Water just after noon...”. I got no further. My student, seemingly fearing they had made a mistake (which was not the case), looked up and said “Let me stop you right f****** there!”. I was shocked, and briefly dumbstruck. Neck veins bulging, the enraged student continued: “I didn’t b***** well elect to do anything! What I did was what you f****** taught me!”. The de-brief was postponed to allow time for sensitivities to calm. Once I had reassured the student that their answer was fine, we had a deep and meaningful chat about anger management, especially as it applies to yacht captaincy. The student passed.
I have many stories! The vast majority involving lots of laughter.
8. Are you happy with the new software and facilities that have been installed in the training school? Any comments?
The
new simulators are first class; great training and learning aid. Lots of fun, too.
9. What are the pass rates like for the courses that you teach?
Unsurpassed!
10. When are your busiest times of the year? Can you explain why?
September-April, because that’s when students are free to develop their careers through progress on courses, and written/oral exams.
11. What do you think of the new E-learning platform?
Many aspects of the maritime profession can be learned through computer based training (for example, the factual knowledge of the COLREGs). Many can’t (for example; the depth of applied understanding/insight grasp of the COLREGs). Where CBT is applicable, it is a great training and educational tool, and bluewater’s is no exception.
12. Do you have any advice that you would like to give to potential future bluewater students, or students who are training with us at the moment?
My Five Top-Tips:
a. Aim to understand, rather than know
b. Be healthily ambitious; try hard and aim high
c. Recognise your weaknesses; address them
d. Aim to be a ship’s captain; not a boat’s skipper
e. Be part of the shipping profession; never say ‘we do it this way because we are in the yachting industry’.
Bluewater is very proud of being world leaders in yacht crew training. Sean is one of our many valued, respected, and skilled team of instructors.
