They say a seaman's life is hard, and he has to be tough to survive, adhering to strict discipline –– the lifestyle is hardly new for 26-year-old marine apprentice pilot Anthoni Lightbourne.

And, the ways of the seas isn't new to him either.

He received his maritime start working for Bermuda Island Cruises since age 12, and started at the ferry service since age 19.

Currently, Anthoni, from Sandys, is a trainee pilot with the Department of Marine and Ports enrolled in their Apprentice Branch Pilot programme.

Once he has completed his remaining two years of local pilot training, he'll receive the title of First Class Branch Pilot.

"In five years time I can see myself going for my Master Mariner license," Anthoni confidently forecasts, "My qualification now is equivalent to a second officer in the Merchant Navy."

Maritime clearly runs in his blood. His father, Anthoni Lightbourne Sr. was a pilot at the Department of Marine and Ports for many years and is even the current Commanding Officer for the Bermuda Sea Cadet Association.

Additionally, Anthoni's grandfather Sinclair Lightbourne was also a seaman at the department, working as a ferry pilot.

Currently, Anthoni is a trainee Branch Pilot with the Department. "In my spare time I have my own boat, a 23-footer, and I do a lot of fishing because boats are my life.

"If I'm not working I am on the water; diving, fishing, just spending time with friends."

He attended West End Primary School, followed by Sandys Secondary, before going on to CedarBridge Academy.

He then travelled overseas for a three-month seamanship course at Chapman School of Seamanship in Florida in 2000.

One of his colleagues, Rudolph Cann, 46, a senior branch pilot himself and a training officer in the Bermuda Branch Pilot Service, spoke of the interworkings of the service.

He told The Royal Gazette: "As a senior pilot we are responsible for the training of the branch pilots, such as Anthony, as well as the first class pilots seeking promotions.

"This is a hands-on understudy programme, enabling all pilots to get hands-on experience actually manoeuvring ships –– from container ships right on up to passenger ships, especially the one's that must be piloted in and out upon entry to Bermuda.

"The programme is put together by the Department of Marine and Ports and Senior Pilot Mario Thompson and myself oversee it. We select the ships the pilots train on and organise other details designed to provide experience."

Mario Thompson, who also runs the programme, explained: "I'm one of the training officers for the Bermuda Branch Pilots and we have four apprentice pilots which are considered as deck cadets.

"And they would serve on ships as well as attend nautical school in the UK or any other recognised college.

"I see to the cadets' daily needs and set up the prospects to go to schools as well as to go on ships.

"Anthoni is just one of four current cadets and is the second man that has come through this programme in five years."

Asked what a career as a seaman offers in a country dominated with more popular career choices, he emphasised it's all about diversity.

"It's all about creating job opportunities, especially in the higher ranks as officers, as engineering cadets.

"The are challenges for anyone seeking this sort of career.

"First of all you have to be dedicated and you have to have a desire to be at sea, in a totally foreign environment with people that speak different languages.

"Working in foreign places is probably the biggest challenge when you are out at sea.

"You must be willing to leave Bermuda, this lush island, where it is 'milk and honey' and go and work on a ship, do long hours and be heavily exposed to the environment and the elements around the sea."

A beneficial part of training a marine pilot in Bermuda must undergo, is spending as much time aboard vessels as possible.

That's where Dorchester Atlantic Marine Limited comes in.

The company, which is a leading ship management firm on the Island, has been teaming up with the Department of Marine and Ports to allow trainee pilots to spend time on ships they manage along with other trainees from across the globe.

Jens Alers, Managing Director, spoke of a need for more partnerships within the industry: "We can quite literally expand this programme to take care of two dozen cadets on an annual basis with 12 being onboard ships and the other 12 going to school, at any given time, with Marine and Ports, all being interned somewhere else.

"We could really expand this programme if only we had more positions onboard ships and we do know that they're other Bermudian-based ship owners with large fleets who could easily accommodate one, to three Bermudians across their very big fleet – that would really make the trick.

"One company cannot really carry this. Historically, there have only been three companies that have carried these programmes, our company, Bermuda Container Line and another."

Anthoni describes himself as a leader and a role model, one who is not afraid to go after what he wants: "My grandfather and father were ferry pilots. My father now, works in the insurance sector.

"I'm actually the first family member who has made it to branch pilot –– he is proud of me.

"I have degree in Nautical Science, which I obtained in December 2007. Basically, I do two years of college time for my degree and the sea time is basically experience to obtain my second mate's license.

"In 2000, I started with the department as a seaman on the ferries and in 2002 I was appointed a senior pilot aboard the catamaran ferries which arrived in Bermuda. I also worked under Captain Lionel Smith at Bermuda Island Cruises who heavily inspired me and has served as a mentor in my career."

Anthoni has words of encouragement for fellow Bermudians interested in maritime or who are currently training in a life at sea: "I'd say to stick with it.

"There's a lot of money in the maritime industry, I know of captains who work at BP Maritime who earn about $250,000 a year.

"This is just for being the captain of an oil tanker. It's not any easy life being away from family for five to six months at a time, if you have a wife or child, but it has its rewards, travelling around the world for free.

"So far in my experience I can say that I've never gotten homesick. I've always been a person to see different places; I have this belief that Bermuda's is here and Bermuda is going to be here today and tomorrow –– I'm going to get out and see the world.

"You name it, I've travelled around the world in the last four years training on ships."

Asked to tell of his most memorable experience at sea, he recalls exotic destinations.

"I would say, Hong Kong, Korea, I've travelled on container ships over there, also I've been to West Africa, Egypt and all over Europe and Australia on my last trip.

"I'll never forget being just south of the Solomon Islands in March last year after there was an earthquake nearby.

"There was a tsunami watch in our area, just off of the Pacific and the position of the earthquake marked where we were located –– just 24 hours prior.

"Realising this, a little bit of fear, shock, went through my mind, wondering what was going to happen.

"Seeing what happened years ago when the tsunami hit Sri Lanka, this was at the back of my mind.

"But I was calm because I understood the physics of a tsunami –– I was in deep sea so I knew I would be okay –– but if I was toward shallow waters and land, I would have been very concerned."