Summary: Seamanship training of Commonwealth African students at the Southampton School of Navigation. Production is intended for African television.
Description: The modern shipping trade needs large cargo ships and massive tankers to be successful, but safety problems can arise (footage of the Andrea Doria and Torrey Canyon disasters) and good seamanship is important. The Southampton School of Navigation is training people to change this. The Director, Captain Arthur Phelan, explains the cosmopolitan nature and role of its training. Various African students are interviewed, including Albert Nkana (training as Second Mate), Archie Amara (cargo ships) and Michel Gay (tanker man). Training scenes show practical seamanship (including survival techniques), electronics, radar simulator. The world needs more of Africa's raw materials, thus it would be better if ships were manned by Africans themselves. Practical training is intense: fire-fighting, jackstay transfer. Captain Phelan discusses the graduates, and emphasises once again the importance of safety.
