Calgary Journal Online

It’s unlikely that, during a ripping storm that had him hanging over the gunwales of his training vessel off the coast of Penzance in the UK last November, Rob Melita was thinking about much beyond keeping his dinner down.

Certainly, it would not have entered his mind that not six months hence, he would be half way round the world, working as First Mate on the SS Moyie at Calgary’s Heritage Park.

After having run his own paving and exterior tiling company for two years, 18 year old Melita travelled to the Isle of Wight, situated off the coast of south east England, about an hour’s journey by water from Portsmouth, where he took part in an intensive, four month training program at the United Kingdom Sailing Academy.

Training sometimes 20 hours a day, six to seven days a week with only one weekend off during the entire four months, Melita graduated in late December 2008 with a certification as Yachts Master, Offshore; a designation that qualifies him to captain private passenger vessels up to 80 feet or 200 tonnes.

Two weeks after graduating from UKSA, Melita and his family came abroad to Canada, where they spent their winter holiday with relatives, skiing the Canadian Rockies in utterly frigid temperatures. But the cold did not dampen Melita’s desire to work in western Canada, despite the obvious lack of opportunities in Alberta for someone with his naval qualifications.

Melta returned to the UK in mid January with the intention of working, making money and finding work on a private passenger yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean, Spain or south of France.

The night following his return to the UK, Melita was out to the local pub with his cousin, who became embroiled in a verbal sparring match with another pub patron. Despite trying to diffuse the altercation, Rob was punched in the face. That moment was the turning point that crystallized Melita’s pursuit of work in Canada.

He was on a plane back to Canada 10 days later for a six week holiday and job search. Visa requirements meant Melita had to return to the UK but thanks to the efforts of his mother and his Canadian aunt, and an application to the British Universities North America Club (BUNAC), and armed with a crisp new Canadian work permit, Melita returned to Canada for the third time in under four months. On May 5th, Melita joined the crew of the SS Moyie at Heritage Park.

Heritage Park often has a harder time finding qualified staff to crew the SS Moyie. The Park’s operations and Moyie departments were thrilled to have access to a young, highly qualified applicant and so are squarely on board assisting Melita in gaining the required certifications.

Rob Melita is the second child of three born in a typically tiny British town 45 minutes south west of London, midway between that city and the English coastline.

Although his family traveled often in Europe, it wasn’t until 2000, due to a bizarre twist of fate that provided Melita’s family with until-then unknown Canadian relatives. That eventuality lead to a summer house boating trip in the Shuswap in 2002 and planted the seeds of possibility for the future.

Admittedly, working on a replica 1920s sternwheeler at a Canadian theme park and museum is in not where Melita expected he would be six months following his graduation. Several of his classmates are working on large, private vessels in Europe, Turkey and in the Mediterranean. Yet, Melita recognizes the vast opportunities working in Canada will offer him, among them, international experience and several Canadian certifications via Transport Canada that may provide a long term benefit.

In addition to living and working in Calgary this year, Melita has signed up with the Calgary Non Contact Hockey League. During his visit last February 2009, Melita discovered a love and a skill for Canadian-style pond hockey, having played almost nightly and many afternoons on the outdoor rink at Stanley Park in Calgary’s south west. In fact, his only complaint about being back in Canada is that he can’t play hockey outside.

Although his job on the SS Moyie will end at Thanksgiving weekend, Melita’s work permit allows him to continue working in Canada until April 2010. As for what the future after October may bring, Melita is open to all possibilities.