Full Ahead : the podcast about ships and shipping

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 captu...

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 o...

“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...

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 bonu...

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 channe l 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 podcas...

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 wha...

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 ,...

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 di...

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...

When we started this podcast we said we were keen to share the stories of people working in the maritime industry and this edition does just that. There can't be many people who've worked at sea for over five decades and enjoyed the variety of roles as our guest this month has. Tony Cowell went to see when he was just 3! A Fleetwood fisherman for many years, he followed his father and gran...

If you live in the UK and are in need of a TV entertainment suggestion for the festive season why not try C oastguard: Search and Rescue SOS a hit Channel 5 documentary series? The documentary follows first-hand the lifesaving work carried out across the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) from rescues way out in the Atlantic to cliff-top recoveries. Stories are told from the perspective of helic...

We're back in the UK after our trip to the Ferry Shipping Summit in Sweden (enjoy five episodes from there!) and for this episode of the podcast we hear from from two very different ports. While we were in Malmo we spoke to Andrew Williamson, the Head of Cruise and Ferry at Portsmouth International Port . Next year the port marks its 50th birthday and is very much part of the community in an area...

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 Henr...

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...

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...

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 mur...

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...

Why and how are ships arrested? Can you avoid legal issues by simply sailing away? The Full Ahead podcast is shining a spotlight on all maritime matters, some of which you might be surprised to hear about, and this episode is no exception! Alistair and Nigel have been in Liverpool this week where the Mersey Maritime team are gearing up for their annual awards event. It’s not just a celebration; it...

Today (Thurs 18th Sept) saw the arrival of the first of a new type of hybrid ferry in Heysham Port in Lancashire and we were there to witness it. The 147-metre Stena Futura will operate 12 sailings per week providing additional freight capacity on the popular route between north west England and Belfast. Once operational, Stena Futura and sister ship Stena Connecta, which is currently under constr...

We're always keen to go aboard as we shine a spotlight on ships and shipping and this month hosts Alistair Eagles and Nigel Thompson have enjoyed a blast from the past. Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated team, the Daniel Adamson - The Danny - is a familiar sight on the Mersey, Manchester Ship Canal and River Weaver. Built in 1903 at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, The Danny once towed...

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...

Welcome to Full Ahead ! Your hosts have been on their travels in recent weeks but have reconvened to bring you a new edition of the podcast about ships and shipping. Alistair tells us how he made use of some of the CalMac ferries during a cycling tour of western Scotland to enjoy some stunning scenery. Nigel's travels this month took him to Suffolk and the port of Felixstowe, Britain's biggest con...

We promised this podcast series would shine a light on some of the unsung heroes of the maritime industry and hope you agree that this episode certainly does! He goes to work on a launch, several miles out to sea will scale the side of a ship to work with a captain and crew he may never have met before; Andy Bradbury is one of the team of maritime pilots working around the UK. In this episode he e...

Full Ahead has been behind the scenes of the world's oldest ferry company as it gets ready to transport some of the fastest people on the planet. If you're listening to this on the day of release (Friday 30th May) then spare a thought for the crew and staff working for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Because today is the busiest day of their year. Well over 40,000 motorcycling fans are trans...

Nigel escaped the Full Ahead shed to attend the inaugural Mersey Maritime Innovation Summit (20th May) at the Liverpool John Moores University Student Life Building, bringing together industry leaders, academics, and innovators to explore the future of maritime innovation in the Liverpool City Region.  It’s a busy time in maritime and there’s lots happening in the north west.  It was great to hear...