My occupation / education

October 2009 I passed my final exams of the Maritime Officer (previously known as Dual Officer) education. From start to finish, the education has taken more than 8 years including both schooling ashore and sailing service as a Cadet and Maritime Officer. I completed the education while contracted to the Danish shipping company A. P. Møller - Mærsk, the leading ship owner in the Danish Merchant Fleet, and currently the world's largest container shipping company. After graduation I was offered a job as officer in the same company.

This section will explain in details the different parts of the education that I completed. Since then, the programme has been subject to a mayor restructuring, and is now shortened to about 5½ years.

Maritime Ground School - 5 months

August 2001 - December 2001

This is the first part of the education, and it takes place at Kogtved Søfartsskole in Svendborg, Denmark. Basic knowledge on a wide variety of maritime subjects is obtained here, both navigational and engine technical. A Fire Fighting and 1st Aid Course is also included. After completing this stage I was ready for the 1st Period of Seagoing Service.

1st Period of Seagoing Service - 5/6 months

January 2002 - June 2002

During this period I joined two different Maersk vessel as part of the on board crew. From January to March I was on board the "Clifford Maersk", one of the world's largest container vessels, and from March to June I embarked the enormous crude oil tanker "Ellen Maersk". I participated in the on board work and through hands-on experience and learning from on board officers I added to and emphasized the theory from the Maritime Ground School. The period was divided evenly into two parts so that the same amount of time was used on the bridge/deck as in the engine room. Pictures from this entire period can be found in the "Galleries" section.

Maritime Workshop School - 5 months

August 2002 - December 2002

This part took place at Procesteknisk Institut in Svendborg, Denmark and supplied the practical abilities, i.e. welding and lathing skills, general workshop skills as well as basic electrical and hydraulic understanding. The electrical theory training included wiring and connection pratices, as did the hydraulic course. Trips to the Odense Steel Shipyard and Burmeister and Wain Alpha Diesel industries were also part of the period.

Navigational & Engine Technical Academy - 12 months

January 2003 - December 2003

Taking place at Nautisk Institut, Svendborg, Denmark I studied here between January and December 2003. Following a year of practical work and learning this year of pure theoretic studying along with another one later on is "the back bone" of the education were the theoretic knowledge needed for a Dual Junior Officer is obtained. Classes like Navigation, Engineering, Watchkeeping, Ship Stability, Maritime English, Metheorologi, Electro Technics and Hydraulics are included spiced up with various practical excersises on most subjects. These excersises include Simulator training (both navigational and engine technical), Radar training and a First Aid course. I passed my exams in December 2003, and will therefore continue to the 2nd Period of Seagoing Service.

2nd Period of Seagoing Service - 10/12 months

January 2004 - December 2004

A year of theoretical training is now being emphasized by a year at sea. From January to early April I was embarked on the Anchor Handling Tug / Supply vessel Maersk Assister, and enjoyed 3 months of great experience, learning and fun. After my disembarkment on April 7, I was given 15 days of vacation before I embarked the container vessel Lexa Maersk in Algeciras, Spain on April 22. I sailed with this vessel between Europe and South America until August 18, where I disembark for another 2 weeks of vacation. Last vessel was the Svend Maersk, a sister vessel to the Clifford Maersk. I embarked September 10 and disembarked December 14 from Suez, Egypt. Svend Maersk was the last ship I joined as a cadet, next time I join a ship it will be as a Dual Junior Officer.

Navigational & Engine Technical Academy - 12 months

January 2005 - December 2006

After a year of gaining experience at sea, I returned to Nautisk Institut, Svendborg in order to complete the education with one final year of schooling. This took place between January and December 2005 with final exams and graduation late December. The classes once again included Navigation, Engineering, Ship Stability, Electro Technics, Watchkeeping, English etc. Other courses were spread out over the year, including a fire fighting course, an advanced radar course, full mission simulator courses in both engine room and on the bridge etc. The full mission courses are carried out in simulators resembling real wheelhouses and angine rooms and aim to train the individual in watch keeping routines. The year was rounded off with a interdisciplinary project completed in study groups of four students.

Service as Dual Purpose Maritime Officer - 1½ years

January 2006 - June 2007

After graduating the junior officer exam it was finally time to apply my knowledge in pratice as an officer on board ships in the A. P. Moller - Maersk fleet. My first vessel was the Leda Maersk, a 4000 TEU container ship, and after one week of handover on board I officially stepped into the position of Maritime Officer. The trip was followed by 12 weeks on the sister vessel Laura Maersk, then 11 weeks on the Albert Maersk and finally 9 weeks onboard the Axel Maersk before it was once again time for schooling.

Navigational & Engine Technical Academy - 12 months

August 2007 - June 2008

Late August it was back to school as I commenced the senior officer education after one and a half years of working as a Maritime Officer. The first two semesters of the senior officer education are focussed on the navigational part and subjects include Navigation, Ship Stability, Maritime Law, Economics, Safety Management, Crew Resource Management, Maintenance Management and others. June 2008 I passed my final exam on these subjects and I had thereby completed the Ship Master's Exam, the highest civilian maritime education available for Masters (= Captain). Next up: Engineer's Exam.

Navigational & Engine Technical Academy - 12 months

August 2008 - June 2009

With the Ship Master's Exam comleted it was time to focus on the engine technical part of the the dual purpose senior officer education. August 2008 I commenced this part consisting of two semesters. Subjects included Engineering, Electronics, Electric Technology, Electrical Installations and Authorization, Automation, Turbine Technology, Steam Technology and others. June 2009 I passed my final exams, thereby completing the Chief Engeineer's Exam, the highest civilian maritime education available for Chief Engineers.

Bachelor Thesis - 2 months

August 2009 - October 2009

The very final part of the Senior Officer Education was the bachelor thesis. Given the choice between examination in either late October or late January, I chose the former, giving me just 6 weeks to complete the thesis. I teamed up with my brother Fini, and we decided on the subject of Trim Optimization, a study into the coherence of a ship's trim and its fuel consumption, and how it is possible to estimate a ship's fuel consumption at changing trims, if data from model test results are not available. The thesis was handed in early October, with the oral exam placed 10 days later. We both passed, and on October 31st it was time for graduation after more than 8 years of studying!