Maritime Masters is me. One person, one phone number. The person you talk to is the person who does the work.
I've got over 40 years at sea. I started in the British Navy and have worked in the maritime industries of the UK, New Zealand, Australia and the Asia Pacific ever since. I've held command of large ships and small: ferries, tugs, warships, superyachts, traditional craft and sailing vessels of every kind.
I hold a Master of Science in Applied Navigation from Plymouth University, and I'm a Fellow of both the Nautical Institute and the Royal Institute of Navigation. The latter part of my career has been training seafarers, giving technical consultancy to industry, adjusting compasses, and working as a maritime regulator in New Zealand and Australia.
My Navigation Assessor accreditation comes from the Nautical Institute, whose scheme is approved by the IMO. It's what backs the navigation assessments and bridge competency training I carry out.
A large mussel harvester came to me with an erratic, damaged compass and a big bubble in the bowl. I refilled the damping liquid, cleared the bubble, re-aligned the lubber's line, then brought the deviation down from 15 degrees to 1 degree with corrector magnets. The skipper was pleased not to be buying a new compass.
A ferry operator wanted an honest read on their bridge team. I spent five days aboard on the Wellington to Picton run, watching how the team worked and how they worked together. Each person got useful feedback on their own performance, and the operator got a clear picture of the team and where training would help most.
A candidate sitting his skipper's licence in Auckland was so nervous his stress was dragging his performance down. We took the exam out of the classroom and onto a local vessel, where he settled and performed well. Afterwards he told me it was the first exam he had ever passed. He was elated, and so was I.
Too often the way seafarers get treated is built around what suits the provider, not the person in front of them, whether that's a student, a skipper or a vessel operator. I've had a lifelong passion for the maritime world, and I felt I could give these people the level of attention and service they deserve.
That's the whole idea behind Maritime Masters.
Whether acting as a Maritime New Zealand assessor, examiner, or compass adjuster, Mark consistently delivers a high standard of service backed by extensive practical experience and sound technical expertise. His attention to detail, commitment to safety, and ability to communicate clearly make him a trusted professional within the New Zealand maritime industry.
The superyacht work has become a big part of the job, in port here and out in the Pacific.
That's the only way it works here. Call or email any time.