MCA & RYA Online Courses News Case studies About UKSA Contact us Make a donation MCA & STCW HOME ABOUT UKSA MEET THE TEAM MCA AND STCW Meet our MCA & STCW team Our instructors and course advisors have a wealth of industry knowledge and experience. Gregor McGowan MCA Training Manager Gregor has been involved in the marine sector since working on North Sea Trawlers whilst still at school. From the fishing industry he went on to become a Royal Navy Cadet before working in the Superyacht sector. Gregor has a passion for sailing and has skippered many offshore races around the world including the Sydney to Hobart and Fastnet races. He has successfully completed all of his Officer Of the Watch (OOW) and Master Modules so has an in-depth knowledge of IAMI examinations. Gregor has been teaching Master, OOW and RYA qualifications for many years. He particularly enjoys teaching celestial navigation and meteorology. As an active RYA Yachtmaster Ocean examiner he regularly assists our OOW students who are looking to progress towards their Chief Mate qualification. Gregor represents UKSA’s interests on small subgroup committees at the MCA and helps our students with their NoE applications. As a PYA regional office UKSA can provide you with support as you progress with your maritime career. Gregor is UKSA’s official PYA representative and is your first point of call if you have questions regarding future training. “I have worked for UKSA for a number of years and I continue to be inspired by its values. I enjoy being part of a small team of dedicated professionals and feel that we are able to offer our candidates a more bespoke training experience than that of our rival colleges.” Bill Tate MCA Liaison Manager Bill is a Master Mariner with over 30 years of sea-going experience and 20 years of teaching MCA yacht modules. He is an IAMI Director and Chair of the IAMI Restricted CoC sub-group, working with MCA on the Yacht Officer training programme and the Maritime Skills Alliance. He teaches all Officer of the Watch (OOW) courses, Master courses and the ECDIS, EDH and Simulator modules. “UKSA is an inspiring place to work. I am personally passionate about ensuring the superyacht sector receives good quality and appropriate training to make life at sea safer” Ross Kennedy MCA Senior Instructor Ross has been working at UKSA for several years now. Unlike the majority of our staff, Ross came to us from a commercial background where he rose to the rank of Chief Officer. He completed his cadetship on an assortment of vessels which saw him gain a wide-reaching knowledge of the shipping industry whilst completing the myriad of courses required for that rank. Ross teaches our Masters and Officers from the moment they undertake their first course right up to the day they sit their oral exam. Ross has a strong interest in Navigation and relishes teaching the next generation. “I know what it feels like to be treated as just another student when being trained by a large organisation. I really like the family-style feeling at UKSA, I enjoy being able to make my teaching specific to each course. The MCA team at UKSA are very supportive of each other and bring a vast amount of different experience to the table. I feel that my students are my best teachers and that the quality of my coaching has steadily improved throughout my time at UKSA.” James Potipher MCA Instructor James started working in the industry as a Watersports Instructor, teaching people to become instructors themselves. After six years he joined the yachting industry. His qualifications are Master 200 and Advanced Powerboat Instructor. James continually works to gain higher qualifications; ultimately he aims to get his Master 3000 ticket. He teaches PSCRB and the STCW course for new superyacht crew. “I want to share my knowledge and experience of the maritime industry with the new generation of superyacht crew.” Rob Burton MCA Instructor Rob began his career as a Dinghy Instructor, which led on to his gaining the Oceanmaster and Oceanmaster Instructor qualifications. He then worked on superyachts for eight years, cruising the Med, Caribbean, US, Red Sea, UK, Baltic and Norway. He holds the Chief Mate <3000gt and Master <200gt CoC. Rob currently teach the OOW modules of Nav & Radar, GSK and ECDIS. “I have always enjoyed teaching/instruction so this was a great way for me to come land based whilst staying in the industry.” Paul Martin MCA Instructor Paul was a Radio Officer and Station Manager at Portishead, progressing to teaching Master Stability and Construction for Bluewater in various countries. At UKSA he teaches the specialist marine courses GMDSS GOC, Master Stability 3000 (Yachting), Ship Security Officer, STCW PST, STCW PSSR & STCW PDSD. “I enjoy working in a fun, friendly and diverse environment. UKSA is a fantastic place to meet new people and to change the lives of young people.” Find out more about what we do. Please get in touch on +44 (0)1983 294941 or email us EXPLORE COVID-19 Career training MCA training Leisure Schools & Groups Development Programmes About UKSA Our Impact Case studies UKSA blog Work for us Corporate events CONTACT Speak to UKSA on +44 (0)1983 294941 reception@uksa.org VISIT Arctic Road, West Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7PQ Courses accredited by .cls-1{fill:#fff;}Asset 1 .st0{fill:#FFFFFF;} British-Canoeing-logo Our registrations Cookies & Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Safeguarding Policy COVID-19 Policies © UKSA 2021. UKSA is registered in England (Company No.02251024). UKSA is a registered charity (No.299248). Patron: HRH The Princess Royal.