HISTORIC MILESTONE AS FIRST HERITAGE ENGINEERING MARINE TECHNICIANS QUALIFY
Pioneer Sailing Trust has announced a landmark achievement for heritage marine engineering, as three apprentices - Jacob Beak, Dan Brown, and Dylan Watson - have successfully completed their Level 3 Heritage Engineering Marine Technician apprenticeships, becoming the first fully qualified Heritage Engineering Marine Technicians in the country.
After over two years of travelling for a week each month from their employers' boatyards to Harker’s Yard in Brightlingsea where they completed rigorous training, gained hands-on experience and life-skills, and displayed unwavering dedication, their success represents a significant step forward in the preservation and advancement of traditional marine engineering skills. This historic qualification not only recognises their individual commitment and technical excellence, but also marks an important moment for the future of heritage marine engineering nationwide.
Their achievement highlights the value of apprenticeship pathways in safeguarding specialist skills and passing vital knowledge on to future generations. Pioneer Sailing Trust is immensely proud of Jacob, Dan, and Dylan and looks forward to seeing the impact they will make as their careers progress.
Congratulations to Jacob, Dan, and Dylan on making history.
Source: Pioneer Sailing Trust, February 2026.
Photo: Jacob, Dan and Dylan with two other apprentices and National Historic Ships UK's Hannah Cunliffe and Luis Vicente, with their certificates from NHS-UK's Training Workshop on Statements of Significance, July 2025.
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