Having joined Tidal Transit in 2020, Jimmy tells us about transitioning into Maritime Industry as a secondary career and the latest news from Tidal Transit.
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Who are Tidal Transit and what is their history?
Tidal Transit is a Norfolk based CTV operator established in 2011 with a fleet of 6 x CTVs operating in the UK and overseas. We are very proud of our >88% operational fleet utilisation rate since new and a 98.7% fleet technical availability since its beginning.
What is your role within the company and when did you start?
I am the Operations and QHSE Manager, I started my current appointment on 2 November 2020.
What does a day in life look like?
No two days are alike, however my days are kept incredibly busy managing the Quality, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems within the organisation – reporting any non-conformance found to the Directors.
What is your background?
I have recently retired from the British Army after serving 37 years. I joined the 1st Battalion Irish Guards as a 17 year old and have served all over the world, with many highlights including operations in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Iraq. I was also lucky enough to be serving in Berlin the night the Berlin Wall came down; that was an overwhelming experience and filled with mixed emotions for the German population on both side of the wall.
What skills do you bring from your Military Career to Tidal Transit?
Whilst in the Army, I gained a vast amount of experience in Training, Logistics, HR and Management up to a Senior level, all of which do and will prove invaluable in my new position.
Do you have any advice for potential secondary career movers?
Be clear about why you want to leave your current job so that you don’t ‘jump out of the frying pan and into the fire’. Don’t under sell yourself and have a strong CV that is supported by a well written covering letter. Know your transferable skills and how they can benefit your new employer. Don’t be afraid to look outside your comfort zone, I have no Seafarer of Offshore Industry experience, however I was looking for new and different opportunities and challenges – Tidal Transit and the Offshore Contracting Industry offers both.
Are there any developments or new focuses for Tidal Transit?
Tidal Transit has recently formed a new joint venture with Louis Dreyfus Armateurs called ‘LD Tide’ to own and operate CTVs in France, LD Tide has ordered 3 x hybrid CTVs due for delivery in 2022. In addition to this Tidal Transit is working on several innovative access solutions focused on the Offshore Wind sector, news on this will circulate closer to the time!
Leo Hambro [Commercial Director] has mentioned before that “Tidal Transit would like to be the operator of the world’s first fully electric CTV”, can you tell us more about this?
Leo’s vision for a greener maritime future is rubbing off on all of Team Tidal, current plans are for retrofitting CTVs with full electric propulsion for nearshore windfarms. The distance is limited by current battery technology range but our involvement in projects such as ‘Ørsted’s offshore charging buoy’ may allow further offshore locations to be serviced sooner rather than later.
Where do you see Tidal Transit in 5 years?
In 2020 the company increased its fleet by 50%. In 2021 the company adds a further 3 x new builds to the fleet through its JV with LDA. In another 5 years we will hopefully see not only an increase in fleet size – but a diversifying fleet offering, via different vessel sizes and propulsion types, including full electric!
