About Alasdair Babber Shah
Experienced Crew Member and Deckhand
Alasdair Babber Shah, who is pursuing a career in the yachting industry, is an experienced crew member and deckhand. As well as the RYA Day Skipper licence, Alasdair has successfully undertaken a range of other nautical licences and certifications, including RYA Powerboat Level 2, Competent Crew and AEC 1. The latter was granted by the Allabroad Maritime Academy and covers topics including how a diesel engine works, engine maintenance, and diagnosing and troubleshooting engine problems.
Alasdair also successfully completed the Certificação STCW (from the Allabroad Maritime Academy) in 2023, which covers personal survival techniques, security awareness, fire prevention and firefighting, personal safety and social responsibility, elementary first aid, and security awareness. Also in 2023, Alasdair was granted the Seafarer Medical Certificate by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which ensures that certificate-holders are fit for their seafaring job both day to day and in the event of an emergency. To this end, a medical examination is carried out to ensure that the individual does not have a health condition that may result in the need for urgent treatment or put passengers’ or fellow crew members’ lives at risk.
Career History & Education
In July and August 2024, for five weeks, Alasdair served as First Mate on board Questina, a 33-foot sailing yacht that sailed from Lagos, Portugal, to Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Alasdair relished the challenges presented to him on this trip, including dealing with difficult crew members, malfunctioning equipment, 4-metre swells and 70-knot winds, among others. The experience gained on this – his first offshore voyage of some 1,100 nautical miles, in a position of considerable responsibility – is invaluable and will stand him in good stead for the rest of his sailing career.
In mid-August 2024 Alasdair joined the crew of Escapado, a 41-foot sail-racing boat, sailing from Southampton to St. Tropez – an 1,800-nautical-mile sail stopping in at various ports along the Bay of Biscay, the west and southern coast of Portugal and the Mediterranean Sea. The initial part of the trip took them through the thick of what is increasingly becoming known as ‘Orca Alley’, with an increasing number of interactions being reported where orcas end up damaging or sinking sailing yachts. Thankfully, they made it past Gibraltar and into safety with only one orca alert just off La Coruña. Except for an emergency off Lagos that involved a mayday call after a severed diesel pipe gushed fuel out onto an exhaust manifold, the trip has so far largely been smooth sailing, with the boat last tracked going past Mallorca en route to Barcelona.
In 2023, Alasdair Shah joined the crew of a yacht in Portugal as a deckhand, where his excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work quickly and stay focused under pressure served him well. During his time aboard he was responsible for the onboard bar, promoting and selling party cruise tickets, and preparing the boat including loading supplies.
Alasdair grew up in Uganda and regularly went on safaris with his family from a young age. He attended Pembroke House School in Kenya where, in his final year of studies, he climbed the second-highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kenya. From 2015 to 2020 Alasdair attended Culford School in Suffolk, and during his time there as a student he served as a house prefect and spent two years in the Combined Cadet Force.
Hobbies & Interests
In his free time, Alasdair enjoys scuba diving and is a PADI-licensed open water diver. This license indicates that he can dive skilfully and with confidence and is able to manage buoyance, use scuba gear, handle common problems and approach marine life respectfully. Alasdair is passionate about wildlife conservation and supports the work of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. He is a keen photographer and enjoys listening to music (particularly the band the Red Hot Chili Peppers), playing tennis and watching professional surfing, Formula One racing, football and tennis. He is a longtime Arsenal FC supporter.