Ashley Redwood

Ashley shares his experiences working in the superyacht industry

As we head into the busy winter training period at UKSA we are not only welcoming new faces to our 3.5 acre waterfront campus, we are catching up with our on-programme students and graduates.

This time its the chance for Ashley who is currently on the second phase of the Superyacht Cadetship to tell us about his experiences of the superyacht industry so far.

Cadets often graduate debt free

Ashley is currently on his 3rd season working on board a 55m Superyacht currently located in Croatia, phase 2 of the cadetship programme is completed while working onboard a superyacht. The entry-level deckhands can be earning up to €2,000 per month during the second phase of their training, which many cadets use to fund training phases 3 – 5, therefore completing the course debt free, a great alternative to costly university tuition fees and unpaid training programmes.

“I began my UKSA journey aged 19 after hearing about the course from a friend who had highly recommended it. Before coming to UKSA I had been working on small passenger boats in Poole Harbour and I had completed a number of overseas watersports seasons as an instructor.

I have completed my Yachtmaster Offshore, STCW, Radar and PWC qualifications so far and will be returning to UKSA this winter for phase 3 of my cadetship.

“I definitely think training at UKSA has helped me to secure a job.”

There is a wealth of knowledge at UKSA from instructor to those doing MCA training

Studying at UKSA is great, all the staff are very encouraging and there is a lot of help after the course if you were to need it. All of the instructors want you to do well and succeed, many of them would stay on after hours to give you extra tuition.  There is a wealth of knowledge at UKSA and their industry team are able to provide advice on different career paths.

Once I finished the first phase I headed out to the South of France to do dock walking, it was through UKSA that I gained my first yacht placement.

If I was to choose highlights of my time in the industry it would be visiting so many fantastic locations around the world. I have encountered lots of wildlife; dolphins, whales and manta rays to name a few. I also went to the Cannes Film Festival when I was working in the South of France.

I definitely think training at UKSA has helped me to secure a job. Lots of people in the industry know about UKSA and the courses they offer and Yachts choose UKSA graduates.”