During a cruise to the Caribbean from Southampton on P&O’s 185,000 ton MV Iona, OP Robin Paine came across a fellow OP and First Officer and Bridge Manager of the ship, William Broom. An invitation to the bridge followed, during which Robin presented a copy of his co-authored book, On a Cushion of Air, recording the history and operation of the giant cross-Channel hovercraft, to the Captain, Andrew Wolverson.

William told Robin that, while at the College, he had rowed in the 1st VIII in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and had ended up as CCC Hesperus. What is interesting about William’s choice of career is that, as far as can be ascertained, he is probably the first OP to join the Merchant Navy since Pangbourne ceased to be a nautical college in 1969.

William said, “Driving big ships was always an ambition from a very young age. I can always remember going on the bridge of the original Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, when I was six years old and being fascinated at the size and operation of such a large moving object. Cruise holidays continued to drive this passion and going to Pangbourne, with its nautical roots, steered me towards my decision in my final year of school to pursue a career at sea.

"in 2014 I started my career as a deck cadet sponsored by P&O and Cunard. I attended Fleetwood Nautical campus and three years later achieved my Officer of the Watch license. After what is now 12 years with the company I have worked as 3rd Officer,  2nd Officer and now 1st Officer. In January 2025 I gained my Master's License meaning I now have the qualification to command. In my current role as Navigator/First Officer on board MV Iona, one of P&O’s newest and largest cruise ships, I am responsible for the voyage planning and navigation of the vessel. Every day continues to bring something new and exciting, where the buzz of being hands-on at the controls of something the size of Iona keeps me coming back for more and I continue to set my sites on being Captain one day. As you can imagine, being away for so much of the year makes life at home extra special.  Last summer I married Ellie, a former dancer on board and she often travels with me enjoying the passenger life”.