You are originally from England. how did you end up coming to Australia?
I’ve been in Australia for about 10 years now. I’m a dual national; I naturalised a few years ago and am happily settled. I have no intentions of leaving now. Before Australia I was in the Middle East and I spent three or four years in Muscat, Oman working for the Royal Yacht Squadron for the Sultan. We enjoyed the good weather and sunshine and didn’t really want to go back to the UK, so it was a logical choice to carry on going east. We settled on Sydney initially. I worked for a little while in the offshore industry here, out of Western Australia, before going back to the UK briefly, where I spent a bit of time piloting small ships in the UK to break into the industry.
Tell us a bit about your role – how did you find yourself in pilotage?
I’m a marine pilot in Newcastle. I’m also the deputy president of the Australasian Marine Pilots Institute. I was quite young entering pilotage; I started at 30 years old, which is a fairly young age to pilot. We do see pilots in their early 30s, but it’s not so common. The average age people tend to transition from seagoing to pilotage is around 35 to 40. My way of doing it was to pilot little ships in the UK on a complicated tidal river called the Humber. I then moved back with experience good enough to secure a job here.
You started your maritime career with the merchant navy in 2003. What attracted you to pursue that?
I think I wanted to get away and travel. I wasn’t totally sure on career choices. In the UK it’s a lot easier to go to sea because it’s fully sponsored by the government, whereas one of the challenges here, to train Australians, is that there are very limited opportunities. I started off on cargo ships as a cadet, and then worked on cruise ships travelling around the world, from the Arctic to the Antarctic and then on to super yachts. It was an absolute sense of adventure when you’re in your early 20s, travelling around the world exploring and getting paid to do it; visiting every continent and going to places many people will never have an opportunity to visit. I also met my wife working on a cruise ship, which was even better. She has an understanding of the life and the lifestyle challenges, which has always been good for us.
What is something interesting you can share about your family, being a family with a maritime background?
My wife is actually from the Philippines. Once you go to sea your whole mind opens up and you meet people of different nationalities, and it becomes about meeting people that have a similar mindset for adventure and wanting to explore. The challenge in the family life is being away; when I was younger it never really bothered me but once I got young children, the challenge of leaving them behind as they’re crying at the airport becomes harder. The interesting thing about moving ashore is that, in the years prior to becoming a pilot, when I was away I was working, and when I was home I was on holiday. When I became a pilot, I could be home but not on holiday. That was challenging initially because it was a real change to the dynamic we’d had many years before, but it’s something you work through.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years’ time?
I’m 40 this year, so 20 years puts me at 60. I absolutely love piloting, but I also don’t see myself climbing pilot ladders at 60 years old, and I hope that I’d be able to put myself in a position to retire a little bit early, and then focus on other things at that age.
What do you do outside of work?
I have a private pilot’s licence and absolutely love flying. It’s a great hobby. I’ve had some amazing highlights from flying in Australia, like flying into the outback. During covid I took a plane, myself and my son, and we landed at Mascot airport; it was absolutely incredible. I find it a completely different way of enjoying my time and seeing Australia from a different view.
Can you describe your taste in music and movies?
My children would probably complain about my taste in music. I enjoy a wide variety. “Small Town Boy” by Bronski Beat is probably my most played song at the moment. Also “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood. As for movies, “Dune” has been a good series – I just wish they weren’t so far apart!
What’s one of the most unusual experiences you’ve had as a pilot?
Once a captain poured me a glass of wine on the bridge, and seemed very confused when I refused it.
This article appeared in the August | September edition of DCN Magazine
