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Elaine Yau

Name: Tony Yeung Pui-keung

Occupation: Sea Captain

Age: 52

Young Post: Why did you become a  sailor?

Yeung: After the second world war, you could find  all kinds of military uniforms in the shops.

When I was three, my mother bought me a navy uniform and I  fell in love with it. Had there been recruitment for junior naval officers, I would have certainly joined the navy.

But as locals didn't get the chance to  undergo military training under colonial rule,  I joined a  naval school after I graduated from Form Five.

YP: What did you learn at the school?

Y: I learned all  about ships, including  their construction and maintenance.

The course also covered meteorology. It taught us how to predict bad weather so that we can plan the safest sea route.

We also studied ocean navigation. Apart from learning how to use  hi-tech navigational aids, such as the Global Positioning System, we were also taught how to locate our position at sea by looking at the  the stars and the moon.

Seamanship was also a major component of the course, and included practical skills such as  how to drop an anchor and moor a ship.

YP: What were your job duties?

Y: I served on oil tankers, bulk carriers and container ships. At the helm of a ship, I had to oversee everything on board.

When we were out at sea, I had to  make regular inspections on every part of the ship to make sure there were no leaks and the machinery was not faulty.

After the ship  berthed, I had to deal with the port authorities and oversee the discharging of goods.

Life at the ports was much more stressful. I had to make sure the ship departed on time and the pressure sometimes made me sick. I enjoyed being at sea much more.

YP:  You spent more than 20 years at sea - what are your most memorable moments?

Y: In my first year, I worked as a cadet officer. Our ship was heading to the Persian Gulf. When we reached the Indian Sea, the weather turned bad and the waves were  12 metres high.

Around the dinner table, the  crew  could only pick up their cutlery and food every time the ship passed a crest. Thinking how harsh my life ahead would be, I cried that night.

In 1978, as our ship approached the mysterious Bermuda Triangle, I was really scared that we would disappear just like the  doomed ships in the legends.

As we went near the infamous  zone, the compass went haywire and we  had to deduct 40 degrees from the reading.

Instead of being affected by some mysterious force, the compass was just under the influence of magnetic variations. In the end, we safely crossed the zone but the experience was unforgettable.

YP: When you were out at sea for a long time, didn't your  girlfriend complain?

Y: At first, I avoided  romantic relationships with girls as I didn't want  to  miss a loved one on board.

Later, I met my present wife. She is a very independent woman and seldom complained about my long stints away from home.  I was even  at sea when my wife gave birth to our first child.

Now, as head of the Maritime Services Training Institute, I no longer need to work on the ships.  I enjoy spending more time with my family, but I also miss my days at sea.

Resume

1974: Graduated from Form Five

1975: Enrolled in Worldwide Sea Training School in Mei Fu and worked as a cadet officer in a local ship company

1980: Promoted to the rank of second officer

1989: Promoted to the rank of chief officer

1993: Promoted to the post of master mariner

1998: Joined the Vocational Training Council as an industrial training officer

1999: Worked as an acting manager at Maritime Services Training Institute (MSTI)

2002: Became the manager at  MSTI

How to get there

Programme: Junior General Purpose Rating

School: MSTI

Duration: 23 weeks

Characteristics:  Covers basic knowledge about ships and navigation, as well as first-aid and survival skills at sea.   Graduates will be  registered with the Hong Kong Marine Department and  offered placements on ships. After  36 months of working experience,  sailors can  join courses at MSTI for further training and enhancement.

Enquiries: www.vtc.edu.hk/prospectus/eng/index.php

Programme: Diploma in Maritime Studies

School: Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi)

Duration: Two years

Characteristics:  Covers general ship knowledge and maritime operations, maritime affairs and management, coastal navigation and marine meteorology.  In Year One,  students are required to undergo a medical check-up at their own expense.  Employers may impose requirements on physical attributes such as eyesight.

Enquiries: www.vtc.edu.hk/prospectus/eng/index.php

The path

Graduates can find jobs at local ship companies and work as deck cadets. They may also  work in marine consultancy companies, warehouses, container terminals, bunkering and ship supplies companies, stevedoring and cargo forwarding agencies, and the Hong Kong Marine Department. There are fixed progression routes in different ship companies. After years of excellent service,  sailors may get promoted to  chief officer and then ship captain.



King of the high seas