Navigating a new course

The Maritime Oracle sets sail

While some may have been surprised at the move that saw Montes resign from her position as Senior Maritime Instructor and Manager of  Survival Centre at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), others will have noticed some subtle references she has made on social media platforms about being the Maritime Oracle.

“I often feel as if I am the go-to person for some very specific maritime questions. People would phone me and ask; can you help with this?” she says explaining how the moniker of Maritime Oracle came about.

Timing, she says, was key. “I knew it was time to move on. I had outgrown the position and the impact I could make there. My goal is to stay deeply involved in seafarer development and training in South Africa—but in a way that’s more flexible and innovative.”

Montes has always been plugged into both local and international forums, absorbing industry intelligence and generously sharing insights. Now, through her newly launched consultancy, Maritime Oracle Consulting, she plans to harness this knowledge to benefit clients with expert safety training, compliance guidance, and strategic risk analysis.

“Sitting on the board of the  International Association for Safety and Survival Training (IASST) as chair, I have become well-grounded in both local and international regulations and can also draw on a network of experts to ensure that I can provide clients with the latest innovations and requirements,” she adds, explaining that it is particularly important to address the gaps in training available to seafarers.

“I approach everything from a risk analysis perspective and work with clients to contain these when establishing their training resources.”

With long-term visions that may include an international client base, Montes says that the current plan, however, is to concentrate on the national needs for seafarer safety training and development.

“There is a much broader scope of services that can be provided to the seafarer when it comes to survival training and I will be engaging with some of my international connections to bring a more holistic set of resources to the local market,” she says hinting at several innovative ideas that she hopes to introduce to the South African training space in the near future.

But it’s still early days, and Montes understands the value of establishing a solid as well as credible base in the industry before expanding. “The intention is to collaborate with companies and consultants that offer synergies,” she says, adding that she has already been approached to assist STC-SA at their Cape Town facilities and is looking forward to expanding this relationship in future.

‘’I have always been employed and never worked for myself. It is scary and one needs to have self-discipline,” she says, acknowledging the enormity of the step towards independence. “But you know I’m not a quitter and I have made this decision very consciously,” she says setting the tone for a determined mindset for a successful business.

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