Mark Pomeroy

From dinghies and aircraft carriers to yachts – training for an exciting new career in yacht delivery!

After retiring from the Royal Navy and corporate life, Mark Pomeroy from Winchester is pursuing his passion for sailing. He joined UKSA recently to get his Yachtmaster Offshore qualification to professionalise his yachting skills, train others and get involved in yacht delivery as a next step.

The growth in yacht deliveries

Over the past decade, the business of moving yachts has seen significant developments. Several delivery companies now offer the services of qualified crew, 24-hour engineering support and satellite tracking as standard to deliver yachts worldwide.

After a long fulfilling career in the Royal Navy then in retail management for 8 years for John Lewis then onto Walmart in the UK/USA, Mark isn’t ready for a quiet life; he’s raring to go.

“After getting my qualifications this year, I want to train further so this is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for me.”

Here’s Mark’s story:

“The decision to professionalise my yachting skills was triggered by wanting to sail more and on different boats and broaden my yachting expertise and knowledge. Meeting like-mind people was also high on my checklist. I’m leveraging my transferable skills from my military days and experience in corporate life to applying them to professional yacht training: discipline, humility, leadership, focus and forensic attention to detail.

My family are fully behind my decision. I helm my own boat and have been on the water for the majority of my working life – from dinghies, yachts, hovercraft to aircraft carriers!

After getting my qualifications this year, I want to train further so this is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for me. I am very conscious that all skills fade and I haven’t trained for a while.

The course here provides an excellent opportunity to relearn many of the skills I have used previously and gives me an update on new thinking and the latest equipment.

One-stop solution to gaining my Professional Yachtmaster Offshore

I heard about the course when searching online. Training here is very appealing as it offers a fast, end-to-end solution and UKSA has a good reputation. And as I have been in the military, I was eligible to apply for the Armed Forces grant so I received funding towards my course, so that’s a bonus.

My first impressions of UKSA are, so far so good, as the instructors are professional and dedicated and very willing and motivated to help in any way they can.”

Useful links

• Click here to find out more: Professional Yachtmaster Offshore 14-week course
• Interested in yachting careers at UKSA?