Sail into yournext chapter.
We guide Merchant Navy officers, engineers, and crew through the move ashore: honest programme fit, funding guidance, visa support, and settlement, from application to arrival.
Pathways we guide mariners through
I spent over a decade at sea in the Merchant Navy before making the move ashore myself. When I began planning that transition, I quickly realised how hard it was to find guidance that actually understood a mariner's situation. Not generic advice built for international students in general, but guidance shaped around your Certificate of Competency, sea time, professional experience, finances, and the reality of starting over in a new country.
So I went through the process myself: choosing the right programme, preparing my application, navigating the visa process, finding accommodation, setting up banking and admin, and finally building a professional life ashore.
Life Beyond Sea grew out of that experience. It's a consultancy built specifically for seafarers making the transition from sea to shore, offering practical guidance based on lived experience, not assumptions.
And I believe in being honest about the journey. If a programme doesn't suit your profile or budget, I'll tell you. If another contract at sea makes more sense financially, I'll tell you that too. The goal isn't just to get you ashore. It's to help you make the right move for your career and your life.
You don't need another generic checklist. You need someone who's already been where you're trying to go.
- 12+ years sailing with the Merchant Navy
- Made the move ashore through the France route himself
- Guides the whole route personally, from shortlist to arrival
Aritra Chakrabarti
Founder, Life Beyond Sea
University & Programme Fit
Honest comparisons across countries and programmes, shortlisted against your CoC, your budget, and where you want to end up.
Funding & Scholarship Guidance
We compare grants, loans, and scholarships honestly, including when a programme is self-funded only, so you know the real cost before committing.
Visa & Document Support
Full document audits, SOP guidance, and complete visa processing support, handled by someone who has personally been through the exact same process.
Application Strategy
Mock interviews, deadline tracking, and a clear application timeline, so nothing gets missed between shortlisting and submission.
Post-Arrival Settlement
Accommodation search, guarantor guidance, and every piece of post-arrival paperwork (residence permit, health cover, local registrations), planned before you land.
One Point of Contact
No call centre and no rotating agents. One person, with lived maritime experience, guiding your entire transition from first call to settled.
Monthly Viewers
Years in the Merchant Navy
Person handling your case, start to finish
Countries & pathways covered
Book your consultation call
Tell us your CoC or degree, your budget, and your target country. No template pitch, just your actual profile.
Get your pathway plan
We match you honestly to the right programme and country: France, Germany, Greece, the United Kingdom, Canada, or beyond.
Apply with support
Document audits, SOP guidance, mock interviews, and full visa processing, all handled alongside you, with every fee stated up front.
Settle in, supported
Accommodation, residence permits, health cover, local registrations: we walk you through arrival too, so landing day isn't the start of your stress.
Start with what you need. We'll talk through the right tier on your first call.
Application Essentials
- Custom university & course shortlisting
- Statement of Purpose (SOP) guidance
- Application document auditing
Visa & Admission Complete
- Everything in Application Essentials
- Visa & embassy appointment booking
- Interview preparation & mock sessions
- Complete visa processing support
Complete Relocation: The Safe Harbor
- Everything in Tiers 1 & 2
- Comprehensive pre-departure briefing
- Verified accommodation search support
- Post-arrival registrations (residence permit, health cover, local admin)
- Guarantor & bank account support
9 October 2026 · 6 min read
Merchant Navy rank to shore job titles: how to translate your CV
Chief Officer means nothing to a shore recruiter reading 200 CVs. Here is how every deck and engine rank translates into the language shore employers actually hire on.
Read the article →7 October 2026 · 6 min read
Shore jobs for marine engineers and ETOs: salaries, portals and CV keywords
Six shore careers open to engineers and ETOs, with the salary data that actually exists by country, the portals where the jobs are posted, and the exact keywords to put on your CV.
Read the article →6 October 2026 · 3 min read
How to calculate your work experience as a mariner for an MBA application
Sea time and professional experience are not the same thing on an MBA application form. Four rules decide what counts, and most officers lose months on paper without realising it.
Read the article →Share a few details about your background and goals, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible with honest guidance on your options.
Your details are used only to reply to your enquiry and are never shared.
The form asks for:
- Your name and how to reach you
- Your current rank or shore profile, and years at sea
- The country you are aiming for
- Anything else you would like us to know
Opens a short Google Form in a new tab.