Showcasing our determined team member Dom!
It’s time to officially ‘meet and greet’ another member of the Dart Harbour & Navigation Authority team – this time it’s the turn of Dom Slader.
One of the newer members of the crew, River Officer Dom, 19, joined us in June this year as an apprentice – a role he was determined to undertake and where his perseverance shone through!
After completing his GCSEs and A Levels at Teignmouth Community School, Dom knew the next steps had to be leading towards his planned career in the maritime industry.
“I have worked on boats all my life – it’s all my job has ever been. I started by helping to land fish on a fishing boat in Teignmouth,” he said. “I then got involved in my local yacht club, becoming an assistant sailing instructor.”
With his maritime knowledge clearly shining through, Dom was headhunted by another local company: “I was scouted by a local boat hire business and I worked for them for five seasons.
“I was working all winter and summer, maintaining boats in the winter and driving boats in the summer.”
Gaining all this experience ran alongside his studies – Dom was still at college whilst working after school days, weekends and holidays, showing his commitment.
“I achieved a few qualifications through my work, including first aid and sea survival. I also took my Powerboat II course independently to help with driving the safety boat at the sailing club.”
After his A Levels in 2025, Dom applied to do work experience with the Authority: “I did a three-day work experience and thoroughly enjoyed it. I followed a whole three-day shift which is the standard working pattern in the summer, but unfortunately there wasn’t a permanent position for me at the time.
“When I saw the variety of work and saw how nice everybody was, I really wanted to work here!”
Showing his determination and commitment, Dom kept in touch with the team throughout the winter until a role became available at the start of June this year.
“A Small Commercial Workboat apprenticeship role came up and I was interviewed for it in late May. I do two-week blocks at SeaRegs in Plymouth, with the majority of my work taking part on the river in Dartmouth.
“It finishes in April 2028 with the End Point Assessment culminating in a commercially-endorsed Commercial Yachtmasters qualification. That will mean I am qualified to drive the work boats at Dart Harbour.”
Dom is also very busy outside his work commitments – with other commitments!
“I am a member of the Dawlish Coastguard so I’m called out on shouts, plus I maintain the vehicles and undertake training. I just enjoy being outdoors!”
With his family history, it was possibly inevitable Dom’s career would be on the water: “My Dad is also part of the Coastguard team and has been part of the RNLI for 30 years now. We have owned small boats as a family so I was pretty sure from a young age that I wanted to work on the water in some capacity.”
Dom has no doubt he made the right choice and is pleased that his determination paid off. “I enjoy the variety – I’m always doing different things and seeing the different vessels in and out of the harbour is interesting – I liked it when the Norwegian navy boats ‘Storm’ and ‘Skjold’ came in.
“The team is a really nice bunch of people! Dart Harbour has been really supportive – supporting me to push and challenge myself but in a controlled environment.
“After my apprenticeship I would love to stay if there’s an opportunity to progress through here. I would like to get signed off in-house on the internal training matrix to do more on the barges and pilot boat.”
To anyone thinking of pursuing a maritime career, Dom has some valuable and practical advice: “I would thoroughly recommend it – it’s good fun! Just make sure you’ve got your sea legs!”
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