Maritime Training

In 2004, the School of Marine Studies received a request from the Chatham Community Focus Trust to run a maritime course on the Chatham Islands.

There was a group of 14 young men who each needed to obtain the New Zealand Inshore Launch Master certificate. The qualifications were essential for them to be able to work the islandï¿½s fishing vessels, a major industry for the Chathams.

The trust decided that rather than sending the 14 men away to mainland New Zealand for the training, they would arrange for the training to be delivered on the islands.

Captain Alastair Robertson and Roger Wincer from NMIT's Nelson School of Marine Studies flew to the islands to deliver the training. The School had to come up with some flexible solutions for delivering aspects of the course, for example, when teaching radar, a simulator room is normally used, but on the Chathams, a suitably equipped boat had to be made available for the practical training and exams.

All 14 students successfully obtained their Inshore Launch Masters certificates.