Fleetwood Nautical College

You’ll find Fleetwood Nautical College just off the A585 as you arrive in Fleetwood. It’s against the Eros Roundabout. It’s tall buildings and training facilities are a recognisable landmark in the area.

Fleetwood Nautical College can trace its origins back to 1892. Today the campus is part of Blackpool and The Fylde College, an Ofsted Grade 1 Outstanding College.

• It’s regarded as one of the leading training establishments for merchant seafarers and offshore workers in the UK.
• An eight times winner of the Maritime and Coastguards Agency Officer Trainee of the Year Award
• Accredited to the highest maritime industry standards.

Almost 100 courses are available at the Campus covering every aspect of commercial seafaring and the fast-growing offshore industries sector. People can begin their seafaring career at the Campus, or develop it further by improving their qualifications.

Facilities at Fleetwood Nautical College

Cutting-edge facilities at the 14-acre site include:

• five-bridge full mission ship simulator,
• an engine room simulator,
• an environmental survival tank,
• a firefighting training ground
• Marine Engineering Centre, recently built at a cost of £1.2 million.

Offshore Training Tank

The offshore training tank is quite a sight. In December 1994, the £450,000 state of the art survival training centre opened. All kinds of conditions at sea can be simulated – there are blackout facilities, waves as high as you’d like them, and even a helicopter winch platform. Dramatic and challenging conditions of offshore rescue situations can be simulated for training purposes.

Did you know? The training pool has been used for filming many TV drowning and emergency scenes. Coronation Street has visited several times, Emmerdale, A Touch of Frost, the Royal and Hollyoaks have all filmed here.

There’s also an engine room simulator (above) – which is exactly like walking into the high tech rooms onboard ships. And a state-of-the-art full mission ship bridge simulator. Now we’ve seen that first hand, and it’s amazing.

Ship Bridge Simulator

The ‘five-bridge full mission ship simulator’ is laid out exactly like a ships bridge. The room is complete with all the equipment and windows of the vessel – exactly like walking into a ships bridge. The view through the window is a computer controlled, photographic view of sailing into any given port that you choose. What better way to learn how to captain a ship!

The Marine Engineering Centre opened on 30 June 2017 and a year later in June 2018 the new £1m ‘Enclosed spaces’ training facility opened.

Did you know? Ian McNaught, Ships Captain of the Queen Elizabeth II, was trained at Fleetwood Nautical College.

Expansion at Fleetwood Nautical College

Blackpool and the Fylde College recently added new Halls of Residence at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, to help cope with growing student numbers.

The start of work on the building was marked by a ground-breaking ceremony carried out by Kathryn Neilson. She heads up the UK’s Merchant Navy Training Board with which the Campus has long-established links.

Increased demand for accommodation for students from around the world studying here led to £1.5 million investment in new Halls. The new building provides an extra 35 rooms. Increasing the number available by more than one third from the existing 102. In many ways it emulates the living conditions that they are, or will be, encountering during their working lives at sea or on offshore installations.

The additional capacity enables the college to:

• meet the requirements of shipping companies
• cater for those involved in offshore renewable energy, gas and oil exploration
• offer secure on-site accommodation for employees attending courses at the Campus
• provide a comfortable, safe and secure environment for students from around the world
• and look out for younger cadets just starting their training.

Open Days at Fleetwood Nautical College

Have you ever been for a look around at Fleetwood Nautical Campus?

It’s really interesting, to see the lengths that have been achieved in order to replicate training conditions for students. Blackpool and the Fylde College hold regular open days across all their campus, including the Nautical College.

There’s more information here about forthcoming events.

Training on the Seafront

Fleetwood Nautical Campus students use other facilities at Fleetwood seafront as part of their training.

Boating Lake

Look out for them practicing survival skills at the boating lake off The Esplanade.

Boat Launch Facility

The college also has a boat launch facility at Ferry Beach, to the left of the RNLI/Coastguard building next to Fleetwood Ferry (below).

Student Accommodation

Along with the on-site halls of residence, there’s also student accommodation in various other buildings across Fleetwood.

The former Ship Inn at Warren Street is one such conversion. In 2011 the former pub was converted to flats by Fleetwood Nautical College. Now the Ship Halls of Residence, apartments in the four storey building are cabins.

The Jolly Sailor on Radcliffe Road is another local hostelry that’s now student accommodation. Closed in 2010, the conversion reopened as student accommodation in October 2014 as the Jolly Sailor Halls of Residence.

In March 2017 work began on converting the Orient Buildings into apartments for students at the Nautical College.

How Fleetwood Nautical College Began

It was way, way back in 1892 when the first Fleetwood Nautical College began.

The new Navigation School for fishermen began with classes in the Congregational Sunday school buildings on London Street. The Fielden Free Library on Dock Street was another location for classes too.

On 16 April 1928, Fleetwood Navigation School moved into the Orient Buildings on Station Road. Instructors from Marconi Marine trained many local boys in how to operate radio.

Current Day Fleetwood Nautical College

You’re probably familiar with the current, distinctive Fleetwood Nautical College buildings near to the Eros roundabout on the A585 into Fleetwood.

It opened on 15 March 1965 after the old Navigation School had already closed at Station Road. The old departments all moved into the new premises and the new College officially opened on 1 November 1967.

In April 1978 the Halls of Residence opened. Complete with common rooms, offices, 88 study bedrooms and a laundry.

Fleetwood Nautical College is a fascinating place and if you ever get a chance to look around you should go.

Facilities and equipment are continuously improved to keep up with all the latest innovations. For example, in 1980 an advanced marine radar simulator was acquired, complete with automatic radar plotting aids. It was May 1983 when the college ran its first, now internationally famous, Offshore Survival Courses.

On 1 January 1987 it amalgamated with Blackpool and the Fylde College, to create today’s Fleetwood Nautical Campus.

MANY THANKS to Nick Moore and his fascinating History of Blackpool and the Fylde for historical information used in this article. You can read it in full here

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