First year as a Marine Surveyor after a career at sea

After a career at sea as a deck officer, Robert Taylor joined the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as a Marine Surveyor. 

Robert Taylor working onboard a vessel

How did his first year with us go? From training and travel to last-minute changes of plans, Rob reflects on what he’s learned, the support he’s received from his colleagues, the places he’s visited, and what you can expect when joining the MCA as a marine surveyor. 

It takes a full year for a new entrant to qualify as a marine surveyor. That may seem a long time, but there is good reason. In addition to shadowing surveyors as they carried out their survey and inspection work, I had 13 short courses to attend, requiring travel to offices, harbours, and boatyards in Southampton, Belfast, Lowestoft, and Lisbon.

The scope of the job is unusually wide, and the work must be done to a consistent, high standard. I came to the MCA from a seafaring background, as a deck officer having sailed on a variety of ship types. This meant that, while my knowledge of navigation and ship’s equipment was up to speed, I had a great deal to learn about the likes of ship construction, repair, fire protection and engineering.  

Working in Aberdeen

From the third floor of Marine House, within Aberdeen harbour limits, the Marine Office windows give a panoramic view of the North Harbour. Ships can be seen coming and going; often, a glance from the window saves looking online to check where a given vessel has berthed. For vessel visits within the harbour, it is often possible to walk. This is where I spent much of my first year (two to three days every week when I wasn’t on a course) as I got up to speed with the MCA working practices and the instructions to surveyors – the internal guidance documents that are so important for doing the job well.

The work didn’t end at the office door or the harbour limits. Aberdeen Marine Office sees to a dramatic and beautiful part of Scotland; from the red sandstone harbours in Angus, through Moray, the Caithness coast, across the Pentland Firth to the Orkney and the Fair Isle Gap to Shetland, and down the scenic west coast as far as Lochinver. The role offers the opportunity to work across some of the most remote mainland and island communities. Surveyors travel to where vessels are based, with visits sometimes involving a week-long stay to ensure effective service delivery.

In my first year, I spent a week on Orkney surveying small fishing vessels and carrying out an audit for a ferry company, and I’ve spent a week in Caithness this May. I got to know the roads between Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Macduff, and Aberdeen by heart.

Some visits were planned months in advance; the business services team liaises with companies and fishers to find a suitable date, and the work is apportioned among the surveyors based on workload and experience. Other visits were, by their nature, spur-of-the-moment, reacting to an incident, or to carry out a port state control inspection. This demands flexibility and adaptability from both the organisation and the surveyor. I learned to keep my bag packed and be ready to change plans at the drop of a hat. This is not a 9am to 5pm job. But the flexibility works both ways; overtime can be taken as time off in lieu, and whenever possible duty shifts can be swapped with colleagues to fit with holiday plans.

Rob wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Training

The training required for each survey type is laid out in a structured training plan: how many surveys must be witnessed, how many must be carried out under supervision, and an assessment of theoretical knowledge and relevant legislation. From day one, I found myself attending International Safety Management (ISM) audits, International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) verifications, Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) inspections, and re-validations of Safety Equipment Certificates and Certificate of Survey of Vessel Standing by Offshore Installations.  In addition to this merchant vessel work, a great deal of my time was spent on fishing vessels; everything from under-15m open-decked wooden hulls to 23m long trawlers and 70m long pelagic boats. 

Inspecting fishing vessels

Scotland’s east coast is a fishing powerhouse; around 78% of the total fish landed in the UK in 2024 came ashore at either Peterhead or Lerwick. Consequently, a significant part of Aberdeen Marine Office’s workload relates to the fishing fleet. The legislation regulating this enormous industry, both international and UK-specific, must be well understood and consistently applied by the surveyor. In addition to understanding the legal side of things, it is important that the surveyor appreciates the unique culture and heritage of the communities that these vessels support. Immediately on finishing my training year, I found myself attending fishing vessels that had gone aground or lost engine power, speaking with skippers and crews to understand what had happened and to identify any lessons that could help improve safety. On some days I’d arrive at a harbour to carry out a routine job – an out-of-water inspection of a fishing vessel, for example – and take the opportunity to speak with fishers about their vessels, operations and any safety concerns they might have. These conversations often provide valuable insights and help build the relationships needed to promote a strong safety culture across the industry. No two days are ever the same.

Learning and development

Having worked in the maritime sector for 15 years, being in and around vessels felt comfortable for me from the get-go. Learning MCA procedures and the ins and outs of the role have been my biggest learning opportunity, but working in an office filled with experienced surveyors and carrying out ship visits with them, gave me an excellent practical learning environment. The technical manager, business manager and my line manager have worked together to ensure I saw the right kind of survey work during my training year. Now I’ve qualified, they continue to keep an eye on my workload and development. 

My advice to anyone interested in becoming a surveyor is to jump in with both feet. It's a professional role with a lot of responsibility, so there's naturally a lot to learn, but that also brings a greater sense of pride. Your colleagues – chief engineers, master mariners and naval architects – are only ever a phone call or an email away, and I still value that support network today. From my experience, they are always happy to give their knowledge and advice. 

https://insidemca.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/26/first-year-as-a-marine-surveyor-after-a-career-at-sea/

seen at 09:30, 26 August in Inside MCA.