Based in Cardiff, the Trust, Registered Charity No.11 04019, gives grants to young people through working directly with providers of recognised nautical or maritime courses. These relate to shipping, maritime law and commerce, navigation, sailing, oceanography and marine related environmental issues, in particular those which afford the individual first hand practical experience of being at sea, whether such courses are offered within the United Kingdom or abroad.

The Reardon Smith Nautical Trust continues a family sea faring tradition stretching back over 300 years. More recently, though still over 100 years ago in 1905, Mr William Reardon Smith ventured into shipowning with the ordering of his first ship, the City of Cardiff, building up a fleet of nine modern tramp steamers by 1914.

Elevated to a baronetcy in 1920 in recognition of his contribution to the 1914-18 war effort, Sir William Feardon Smith decided, with the decline of the South Wales coal trade, to concentrate the activities of his fleet in the world-wide tramping trades. By 1922 he controlled 39 ships and in 1928 commenced a cargo liner service to the North American Pacific Ports. The Reardon Smith Shipping Line operated until 1985.

Sir William and his wife were generous benefactors to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff in good and difficult times before his death in 1935 and in recognition the museum’s Reardon Smith Lecture Theatre is named after him. In 1922 Sir William and others established the Smith Nautical School, in Cardiff, to train young people for entry to the merchant navy. This subsequently became the Reardon Smith Nautical College, an institution through whose doors many seamen passed over the years until its closure in the 1990s.

In succession to thle above, in 2004 Sir William’s grandsons, Mr John and Mr Richard Reardon Smith, together with their cousin Mr Simon Davies, established the Reardon Smith Nautical Trust, continuing their family’s tradition of nautical training.

On 7th of December 2022, Cyber-MAR project was presented by UoP colleague Mr Juan Palbar Misas.

His presentation entitled “Future of Maritime Autonomy” can be bound here.