College Catch Up: Ashley Redwood

When Ashley Redwood left school at 16, he wasn’t interested in A-levels or traditional education. “I’d had enough of school,” he says plainly. “I just wanted to be outside, on the water, doing something practical.”

Instead, Ashley followed a different path—one that led him from Rockley College to superyachts, international waters, and now to a thriving career in yacht operations.

Ashley first found Rockley through family friends and started doing courses at the centre before committing to the full-time college programme. He came in with a background in racing and a strong love of watersports, but Rockley gave him something more.

“Rockley didn’t feel like school,” he says. “It felt like a team. There was structure, but you weren’t boxed in. You had responsibility and freedom at the same time.”

He admits he wasn’t always the most punctual student—“I was probably late every day”—but that never held him back. “They never made you feel like a failure. They just found a way to get the best out of you.”

During his two years at Rockley, Ashley gained a raft of qualifications, from instructor tickets to powerboat certifications. But it was the people and the teaching style that left a lasting impression.

“John McMaster, Mr. Brown—those guys made a huge impact,” he says. “They made learning feel human. You could have a laugh, but they also knew how to get you focused when it mattered.”

Ashley also reflects on how the environment shaped his outlook. “I learned how to teach, how to handle pressure, how to talk to people. Honestly, a lot of what I use now in my job came from that time. The people skills especially—you don’t realise how important they are until you’re dealing with clients or crews.”

After Rockley, Ashley continued his training with UKSA and then headed straight into the yachting world. He spent the next nine years working on deck on superyachts, travelling extensively and gaining real-world experience.

“I thought I’d just be fitting air-conditioning units in houses or something,” he laughs. “I never expected I’d end up travelling the world, working on multi-million-pound boats.”

Now back in the UK, Ashley works in yacht operations and training, overseeing boat movements, running sea trials, and even training RNLI crew members. “It’s a mix of logistics, hands-on boat work, and training—it keeps things interesting.”

Fifteen years later, Ashley still feels connected to the Rockley community. “I still bump into people I met there. There’s this shared experience—it stays with you.”

He’s grateful for how Rockley set him up for long-term success. “The setup at Rockley gives you qualifications, confidence, and direction. It teaches you to trust yourself, even when you don’t know all the answers yet.”