Derek Flanagan

I later returned to the National Fisheries College to study for the Second Hand Full certificate, which enabled me to become mate on any sized fishing vessel anywhere in the world.  Two years later I returned to the National Fishers College to complete the Skipper Full certificate enabling me to Skipper any size of fishing vessel anywhere in the world.  These courses are very intense and involve studying subjects such as electronic navigation systems, celestial navigation, chart work, maritime business and law, emergency procedures such as fire fighting, sea survival and medical first aid.

After I completed my fishing qualifications it was becoming more difficult to make a living from fishing, dwindling fish stocks, poor prices for fish (but not in shops or restaurants) and tougher restrictions on fishing methods and quotas forced me to reconsider my career options.  I consider the sea my second home and decided that I would join the merchant navy.  I got my first job on a Fishery Patrol vessel called the Northern Desire working around the Mediterranean and Atlantic between the Azores and southern Ireland. After the Mediterranean I had a short leave before heading to the Falkland Island and the Fishery Patrol vessel Fox.  The Falklands are a bleak place and the weather in the south Atlantic can be horrendous but the wide life is amazing, in one particular place we hiked across a small island on the west side of the west Falkland Island to a Penguin rookery.  We could hear the penguins from about a mile before reaching the cliffs.  We were able to walk among them and also get very close to the albatross nested in along the cliff.  

I changed from Fishery Patrol vessels to the oil and gas industry in the North Sea, which offered, better leave rates.  I joined as second mate on an Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel before moving into supply vessels and studying for my merchant navy officer of the watch unlimited certificate I also gained valuable experience working with Global Maritime Distress and Safety Equipment in the North Sea.  In 1998 I joined the Putford Artemis as Chief officer and enjoyed the work on this ship very much, working on a very busy gas field in the south North Sea keep us busy through out the trip and the company were very progressive.  I think the crew on the this ship worked very well together and I was sorry to leave in 2000 when I got offered an opportunity to work at the National Fisheries College in Donegal.  I am now teaching in the very place I began to learn about the sea. Initially I began teaching GMDSS related courses to general operators level and now I instruct in a range of courses including Fire Fighting, Personal Survival Techniques for which I have recently written a students manual which has being adapted and published as the standard manual for all fishing Personal Survival Techniques courses in Ireland.  I also instruct Navigation and Stability, computing and First Aid.  I am very interested in interactive teaching and the power the Internet can have in training and am currently studying for a Masters Degree in interactive teaching technologies with the University of Ulster.

That pretty much sums up my career to date except my diving and small craft experience.  I have sailed in big ships but also small ones too.  I have cruised on many types of pleasure craft and understand the difficulties in navigation as compared to lager merchant vessels and fishing vessels.

Diving is a hobby I wanted to take up for years and never had the time or money to do so.  When I started to work ashore at the National Fisheries College I made diving my second priority, my first was getting married to Kathleen my partner and friend since secondary school.  Over the last three years I have come to enjoy diving very much, I feel that the diving around Donegal is relatively unexplored as many divers only know about St Johns Point to the west of the county.  Kathleen and I have set up Diveology so we can share the beauty of diving around Donegal with all divers.  Diveology is also here to provide knowledge in marine training and promote safety among all leisure users of the sea.