Full Ahead : the podcast about ships and shipping
A podcast about the maritime industry, exploring the people and stories behind the ships and shipping that keep the world connected. Hosted by Alistair Eagles, a senior shipping professional, and journalist Nigel Thompson, it covers ferries, ports, and life at sea. The series aims to shed light on a fast-changing sector that many rely on but few truly understand, featuring surprising stories and fresh perspectives.
Episodes
The Scillonian III: Behind the Scenes | The Full Ahead Podcast
In this special edition of Full Ahead, Nigel Thompson gets exclusive access on board the iconic Isles of Scilly ferry, from the bridge to the holds, the engine room and beyond.The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group had invited us to join one of the final trips from Penzance to St Mary’s.But there was a problem…A storm meant Scillonian III couldn’t make the crossing.So, instead of sailing, Nigel was g
Full Ahead: Inside Stena Line’s Belfast Port operation
Every day, thousands of people and tonnes of freight move through Belfast Port but what does it actually take to keep all that traffic moving?Stena Line is at the heart of that operation and with new technology being introduced to handle freight faster together with new ideas to bring people into the industry, the way the port operates is changing.Darren Byers is Stena Line’s Belfast port manager.
Inside Harland & Wolff: A brighter future for Belfast's shipbuilder?
Join us as we step inside the legendary Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast for a behind-the-scenes look at a place where some of the world’s most famous ships were built.We meet the apprentices learning the skills of the futureand hear from Navantia’s Head of HR and Culture Kat Thorn how the company is gearing for shipbuilding to come back to Belfast.Also with Margaritaville at Sea’s flagship
Why Merchant Navy Day still matters
September 3 is Merchant Navy Day a chance to remember the seafarers who lost their lives at sea during wartime and celebrate the thousands who continue to keep the world moving today.The Red Ensign, or “Red Duster”, will be flying across the country as people come together to mark the day.In this episode of The Full Ahead Podcast, we’re joined by Ed Clark from The Seafarers’ Charity to find out wh
The ships that refuse to die and how Warrenpoint is making a mark on the Irish Sea
🎙️ There’s more to repairing ships than simply getting them back to sea! 🌊In this edition we get the inside story from Dunston Ship Repairs Ltd about the painstaking preservation work that means the historic Arctic Corsair trawler is now proudly on display in Hull. 🛳️ Alistair Eagles also steps aboard the world’s last seagoing paddlesteamer to find out how this remarkable vessel continues to bring
Behind the scenes on Stena Embla: What’s next for life at sea?
🚢 We’re back afloat for this episode of the podcast and asking when it comes to recruitment, what the future of the maritime industry may look like?We were recently invited aboard the Irish Sea ferry Stena Embla which links Birkenhead and Belfast while the ship was alongside on the Wirral for a rare maintenance and rest day.With the industry changing we enjoyed conversations with some of the peopl
Inside Fleetwood Nautical Campus ⚓
Have you ever wondered what it takes to launch a career as a Merchant Navy Officer or Maritime Apprentice? For this episode of the Full Ahead Podcast Alistair and Nigel go on-location to Fleetwood Nautical Campus (FNC) widely regarded as one of the UK’s top nautical institutions.With a rich seagoing history dating back to 1892, the campus continues to set the benchmark for maritime education. We v
The Åland Islands: Europe's Maritime Meeting Place
Discover why the Åland Islands have become one of northern Europe's most important maritime meeting places.Alistair travels to Mariehamn for Maritime Day, where shipping professionals, industry leaders and enthusiasts gather to network, share ideas and celebrate the maritime sector.From the charity 5K run supporting Mercy Ships to interviews with leading names in shipping, this episode capture
Hey Tugboat, the Bristol Channel's First Female Tug Captain | Full Ahead Podcast
Rhiannon Pritchard made history as the Bristol Channel's first female tug captain — and she's helping shine a spotlight on one of the maritime industry's most important yet often overlooked roles.Through her hugely popular Hey Tugboat social media channels, Rhiannon has attracted thousands of followers by sharing life at the helm of a Svitzer tug. She offers a skipper's-eye view of
Seawork Southampton 2026: Inside Europe’s Biggest Commercial Marine Show
“We haven’t built the perfect boat.”That’s the verdict from Alan Goodchild of Goodchild Marine,speaking to Full Ahead at Seawork.Billed as Europe’s largest on-water commercial marine andworkboat exhibition, Seawork brings together hundreds of organisations from across the maritime sector. From unmanned vessels and cutting-edge safety technology to maritime charities and scientific organisations su
On the Bridge: Chief Officer Harvey Finney, CalMac | Season 2
We hope you enjoyed our trip aboard CalMac's newest ferry in the first epsiode of the second series!The MV Isle of Islay, An t-Eilean Ìle in Gaelic serves Islay and was launched in 2024, the first of two ferries being built in Turkey to service the route.Chief Officer Harvey Finney was among the team who brought the ship home to Scotland during what was to prove an eventful journey!In this bonus i
Aboard CalMac's new Isle of Islay ferry I Season 2
Welcome to our second series of the podcast about ships and shipping!We've a bumper season lined up for you - be sure to subscribe now and check out our YouTube channel too for videos about the podcasts too.We kick off the second season of the podcast with a trip aboard Caledonian MacBrayne's newest ferry, the Isle of Islay.Not only this but we reunite with the very first guest from the podcast wh
Mike Louagie – maritime photographer (ships, ferries & ferry shipping summit) | Full Ahead Ep 15
In this episode of Full Ahead, we’re joined by master maritime photographer Mike Louagie, whose striking images capture the power, scale, and atmosphere of ships and ferries around the world.Mike shares the stories behind his work, from life aboard vessels to documenting the maritime industry at key moments, including his experience at the Ferry Shipping Summit and beyond.We also talk about what i
How air bubbles cut ship drag and boost fuel efficiency | Full Ahead Ep 14
We explore how air bubbles are being used to reduce ship drag and improve fuel efficiency in modern shipping.Known as air lubrication systems, this technology is helping vessels cut emissions and improve performance at sea.We break down the science behind hull resistance — and why it matters for the future of sustainable maritime transport.Does the size of bubble matter!?Armada Technologies, a par
Stena Connecta & Norsepower rotor sails: wind power and the future of shipping | Full Ahead Ep 13
We've been aboard the innovative Stena Connecta which is now in service on the Irish Sea.Stena's ‘New Max’ RoRo ship has 2,848 lane metres across its 147-metre length and the ship's profile is distinctive thanks to two 28×4 metre Norsepower Rotor Sails™ installed.They're designed to enhance energy efficiency and could deliver up to 9% fuel savings on the route between Belfast and Heysham.The disti
What’s next for UK ports and shipping? Richard Ballantyne OBE explains | Full Ahead Ep 12
Welcome from Alistair and Nigel to the February edition of The Full Ahead Podcast!As well as getting out to meet people from all walks of life we look forward to spending time with some the maritime industry's movers and shakers .Richard Ballantyne OBE is Chief Executive of the BritishPorts Association, the national membership body for over 400 ports, harbours and other marine facilities in the UK
50 Years at Sea: The Extraordinary Life of Tony Cowell | Full Ahead
In this special feature-length edition of Full Ahead, we meet a man whose remarkable career has taken him from fishing boats and the harsh realities of life at sea to the bridge of a passenger ferry — and the crew of a lifeboat.Tony Cowell first went to sea at just three years old. Following his father and grandfather, he became a Fleetwood fisherman and spent years working in one of the most dema
Behind the Scenes of Coastguard: Search & Rescue SOS
The UK's coastguard and rescue teams respond to everything from emergencies in the middle of the Atlantic to dramatic cliff-top rescues — and a new Channel 5 documentary series gives viewers a front-row seat.Coastguard: Search & Rescue SOS follows the lifesaving work of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, capturing the experiences of helicopter crews, investigators, surveyors and counter-p
Two Ports, Two Stories: From Portsmouth to Lancaster
We're back in the UK after our trip to the Ferry Shipping Summit in Sweden, where we recorded five special episodes of Full Ahead.This time, we're looking at two very different UK ports — Portsmouth International Port and the Port of Lancaster — and discovering how both are adapting to the future.While in Malmö, Alistair and Nigel spoke to Andrew Williamson, Head of Cruise and Ferry at Por
The Full Ahead Podcast at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 Episode 5
At this year’s Ferry Shipping Summit in Malmo the theme was ‘Cutting-Edge Ferries Future Ready Ports' and in this final, bumper episode recorded in Sweden we look to the future.One of the recurring themes was ‘digital’ while Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it can be adopted to smooth the journey for freight and passengers was another common discussion point.In this episode we hear from Henrik
The Full Ahead Podcast at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 Episode 4
This year’s Ferry Shipping Summit in Malmo brought together a diverse range of ferry and port operators from across Europe.Eight executives responsible for some of the biggest ferry companies around gave their thoughts on the industry, its challenges and opportunities.In episode 1 of this series we heard the view of the man in charge of Brittany Ferries in the English Channel market but in this po
The Full Ahead Podcast at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 Episode 3
Although the Ferry Shipping Summit took place in Malmo we were delighted to be able to see another Swedish port at work.Ystad is the country's southernmost port with links to the Danish island of Bornholm and Świnoujście in Poland.In this edition we hear from the man who is aiming to continue the development of this medium sized port by encouraging more freight and passenger traffic through it
The Full Ahead Podcast at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 Episode 2
In the second of our series recorded in Sweden Alistair Eagles and Nigel Thompson look at an issue that affects the whole shipping industry - recruitment.It’s still the case that the image of the industry remains ‘male, pale and stale.’ That’s what Alistair said during his speech at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 in Malmo and not only lived to tell the tale but there were more than just a few murm
The Full Ahead Podcast at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 Episode 1
Welcome to the first in a series of podcasts recorded at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2025 in Malmo, Sweden.The event brought together several big hitters from the world of ships and shipping and your hosts Nigel Thompson and Alistair Eagles spoke to many.Arguably few have as much experience as Peder Gellert. Until 2022 he was the executive vice president of DFDS shipping, a company he first joined i
Can a ship be arrested? Inside the world of maritime law
Can you really arrest a ship? And what happens if the ship simply sails away?The maritime world is full of surprising stories — and this month, Full Ahead explores one of the most unexpected: maritime law.Alistair and Nigel are in Liverpool, where they meet Ruth Wood, Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime, ahead of the organisation's annual awards. It's much more than a celebration: the event
A new ferry for the Irish Sea — and a Captain's 50-year life at sea!
A brand-new ferry arrives in Lancashire — while a captain who went to sea as a teenager looks back on an extraordinary career spanning half a century.It's a busy edition of Full Ahead, beginning on a blustery quayside at Heysham Port for the arrival of Stena Futura, the first of a new generation of hybrid ferries destined for the route between north west England and Belfast.At 147 metres long,
The Danny: Steaming through history, the tug that refused to die
What does a 120-year-old steam tug sound like — and how did it escape the scrapyard?This month, Full Ahead goes aboard one of Britain's most remarkable surviving working vessels.Built at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead in 1903, the Daniel Adamson — affectionately known as The Danny — once worked the busy waterways of the North West, towing barges and even ocean liners along the Mersey, Manchester
Trail: The Danny
In the next edition of the podcast we're aboard The Daniel Adamson, a remarkable survivor from the steam age. She was built at what is now the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead in 1903 and is a small but powerful tug. She once towed long strings of barges laden with goods from the inland towns of Cheshire and the Potteries to Liverpool. We've been aboard to hear how she was saved from s
The Little Ferry with a Big Story | Full Ahead
Welcome to Full Ahead — the podcast that takes you behind the ships, the people and the stories that keep the maritime world moving.Alistair and Nigel are back together after their travels, and this time our journey takes us from the spectacular west coast of Scotland to one of Britain's busiest ports.Alistair explains how CalMac ferries became an unexpected highlight of his cycling tour of we
Meet the maritime pilot guiding ships into port
Imagine being sent several miles out to sea, climbing aboard a ship you've never seen before, and then taking responsibility for guiding it safely into port.That's the job of a maritime pilot — and in this episode of Full Ahead, we meet one of the people who does it.Andy Bradbury is part of the team of maritime pilots working around the UK. He explains what first attracted him to this dema
Behind the Scenes: Ferrying 40,000 Bikers to the Isle of Man TT
40,000 motorcyclists. One island. And a ferry company working flat out to get them there.The Isle of Man TT is one of the world's most famous motorcycle races — but what happens behind the scenes to get tens of thousands of fans, bikes and vehicles across the Irish Sea?In this special edition of Full Ahead, Alistair Eagles and Nigel Thompson go aboard the flagship Manxman of the Isle of Man St
Reinventing shipping: The ideas shaping its future
Shipping has moved the world for centuries. But what will power the ships of tomorrow?Nigel escapes the Full Ahead shed and heads to Liverpool for the inaugural Mersey Maritime Innovation Summit, where industry leaders, engineers, academics and innovators gathered to explore what's next for one of the world's most important industries.There's plenty happening across the maritime sector
Full Ahead Ep 1 Starting Out! Meet hosts Alistair and Nigel, our guest is the inspirational Chief Officer Harvey Finney and be sure to keep listening to learn about the bitter end!
Welcome to the first edition of Full Ahead, a podcast about UK ships and shipping!Host Alistair Eagles has 30 years experience in the industry including running a major Irish Sea freight ferry service while broadcaster and journalist Nigel Thompson just wants to learn more about the maritime world.Our main guest is the inspirational chief officer Harvey Finney who tells us how made his way into th
