Three new Captains take to the water for City Cruises in York

Three of the City Cruises York team have been successfully awarded with their Boatmaster’s Licences by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) following four months of intensive training.

Three of the City Cruises York team have been successfully awarded with their Boatmaster’s Licences by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) following four months of intensive training.

Following the rigorous testing by the MCA, the trio of Andrew Newbold, Fraser Northing and Erica Turner will be taking to the River Ouse on City Cruises’ seven passenger vessels, operating the attraction’s award-winning Sightseeing and Private Hire cruises – just in time for summer.

Overseeing the training was Mark Brownbridge who, as Designated Person, has responsibility for the safe operation of City Cruises’ vessels in York as well as compliance with the relevant legislation.

“The prime objective of the Boatmaster’s Licence is to ensure that the highest standards of safety are followed, especially on a busy waterway such as the River Ouse,” Mark Brownbridge said.

“Cultivating a safe and secure workplace is an important value and a top priority at City Cruises.”

Among the successful cohort was Erica Turner who, with women making up 2-3% of the maritime workforce, proudly encourages more women to look at careers in the industry.

“Sadly, there are very few women in the higher levels of the maritime industry – I hope to provide inspiration that other women can make strides in the industry. I’m looking forward to helping develop some of the untapped talent at City Cruises as well as leading and managing the crew on-board, ensuring our customers are provided with the best possible experience,” Erica Turner said.

On course for record turnover and just below 200,000 passengers, the news comes at a fantastic time for the City Cruises team who are preparing for a scorching summer season with a busy schedule.

Joanne Dykes, General Manager at City Cruises, is proud of the achievements of the new Captains.

“We are well on our way towards the summer holidays and a very busy period for City Cruises – thanks to our new Captains we’ll be running a full schedule of Sightseeing Cruises throughout the Summer and Autumn. I can’t wait to see the new Captains out on the water, showing our passengers and visitors to York the majesty of the city that we are proud to call our home,” Joanne Dykes said.

Tickets aboard City Cruises York services start at £12.50 per adult or £7.50 per child aged 5-15, children under 5 go free.  For more information and to book, visit: www.citycruises.com/york