Sea Officer

Reviews for Sea Officer

The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology - John Barnes

Sea Officer is a tale of seafaring that reminds you of how it was 60 years ago and how the shipping industry changed dramatically in a short space of time in the 1970s. Michael Penney's autobiography is the story of one man's career at sea, with P&O and in the UK's Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) and ashore over some 55 years. He first went to sea in 1945 as a cadet and came ashore 10 years later as a mate to pursue a career in shipping management, much of it in the Far East.

Highly readable, the story reflects the evolution, and decline, of British shipping over the post war years. The coming of containerisation features strongly with Penney actively involved in the setting up of Overseas Containers Ltd., (OCL), which built and operated some of the UK's first and largest 'box' ships. In parallel he details his adventurous career in the RNR, ending up with the rank of Captain RNR, and in command of Solent Division, whilst also spending a year as a naval Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty the Queen. He finally 'stood down' in 1976 after nearly 25 years of service.

Penney's career with P&O lasted four more years, and he witnessed many of the problems that beset the company during the late 1970s, before leaving in 1980 and, after a few diversions, starting a whole new career, with his own company promoting the use of solar power to many sectors including the marine world.

Now in his 80s, Penney remains in touch with many of his former colleagues, and his book has proved a best seller, already requiring a reprint. To anyone who was involved with British shipping over the last 60 years, it is a fascinating read - to those who weren't and want to know how things were, and how they changed, this is a great first hand account!

The Old Pangbournian Society - Ted Daubeny

This book is, in effect, an autobiography of Michael Penney's long and very active life in the world of seafaring, ship management and business.

Michael came from a family with a long seafaring tradition. His grandfather was a river Thames pilot and his father a P&O passenger ship purser. Leaving the college in March 1945, he shortly afterwards went to sea as an apprentice in the P&O Company, joining his first ship CORFU in Glasgow. He served in this vessel until the end of the war and continued with his apprenticeship on board various ships until passing for his 2nd Mate Certificate in London, aged nineteen, in 1948. Service onboard P&O ships followed until he obtained his Master's Certificate in late 1954. The following year, by this time a married man with a daughter, Michael left the sea service of the P&O and was enrolled in the same company's Learner scheme, which scheme was to train graduates for ship management.

It was unusual at that time for a young sea officer to be taken into a shipping company's shore management. It is a compliment to his initiative that he himself had written to his employers to ask if there might be an opportunity to do this. Clearly the management must have been impressed, since he was not a graduate and there was a general shortage of sea going officers to man the post war expanding fleets. There followed a period of twenty five years during which he rose steadily through the management structure to reach senior management posts. It is surprising how many and varied were his appointments, including extended periods spent in Hong Kong, Japan and New York.

Although Michael's sea service in the Merchant Navy ceased in 1955, he continued to serve at sea as an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve. He had joined the reserve as a young P&O officer and continued in the service until 1975. By this time he had reached the rank of Captain RNR, which rank is achieved by very few reservists. Clearly he enjoyed this side of his sea service and carried it out very well.

Fierce winds of change had been sweeping through the world of ship management in the 60s and 70s. P&O were no exception to this and there were many management redundancies. The axe eventually fell on him and after thirty five years with the Company he was, at the age of 51, out.

Unperturbed by redundancy and forming himself into a Limited Company, Michael then set out on a twenty year career as an independent consultant and business man. This third period in his working life, included time as a warship salesman, manager of a fleet of banana carrying ships and as a very successful entrepreneur in the field of photovoltaic engineering - solar power to you and me. By now into his seventies it might be thought that after such a long and busy life, he could have relaxed and put his feet up. But no. He now set to and wrote a book about it all.

It has to be said that this is not an easy book to read as it is dense with detail. The index of people runs to five pages and of ships to three. However it is an interesting record of life in the maritime world of Britain during the latter part of the 20th century and I recommend it for your attention.

Ships Monthly Magazine - Sandy Kingdom

An absorbing autobiography of a merchant seaman who - like Captain Cook - obtained his master's ticket then went into the Royal Navy - or, in this case, the R.N.R. Here he found his merchant service outlook and knowledge well received.
When the container revolution of the sixties eventually killed off most of the British Merchant Navy - even our author's beloved P&O - he became a seamanlike consultant with diverse interests. But it was the newly developing solar power which hooked him in the end - and with boundless energy and hardwon skills he formed a prosperous family company developing solar systems.

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects

This book records the life of a working sailor in the Royal Navy and British Merchant Service in the second half of the 20th Century. The narrative begins in the closing days of World War II, when a teenager discovers his lifelong vocation. His subsequent career at sea is filled with people and ships, famous and everyday. A life rich in excitement and love, triumph and disaster, humour and laughter unfolds. Whilst this is a biography of a mariner, it encompasses naval architecture, architects, and the technical complexities of ships. Mr. Penney is a companion of RINA.

Aug 2008