The British Merchant Navy
The British Merchant navy today is a vital national industry. 90% of world trade is seaborne. And whatever the economic climate, it’s set to keep growing. Some experts predict ship-borne cargo to ship at seaincrease substantially by 2015!
Britain has traditionally had a strong Merchant Navy – a service as vital in peacetime as in war. In times of conflict it backed up our armed forces with supplies and men; and it still has that capability. In fact that part of the UK fleet that specialises in supporting the Royal Navy is manned with Merchant Navy Officers and Ratings.
But the Merchant Navy is much more than this. It has a hand in nearly every type of maritime enterprise. And the face of shipping is chratinganging. Today there are many types of ship that simply did not exist 20 or 30 years ago. In the North Sea and in many maritime oilfield and prospecting areas in the oceans of the world, support, supply and survey ships manned by MN personnel work, often in hostile environments, with highly sophisticated ships and equipment. Our ferries and cruise ships, both now booming, include some of the newest and biggest vessels of their type in the world.
Every ship from the largest crude oil tanker to the small but complex sand and gravel dredger relies on the professionalism and expertise of its Master, Deck and Engineer Officers. British Shipping is the country’s fifth largest service sector earner, adding some £2.6 Billion net to our balance of payments every year.