How the obsession with the maritime and underwater world began........

My father was a Merchant Seaman and Chief Engineer aboard the famous Harrison line fleet of steamships, so I guess there was already saltwater in the blood. Our family also has strong links with the Lifeboat service, we even had a distant relative who was aboard HMS AFRICA during the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. His eye witness account and documentation of the battle is preserved at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.

I grew up in the small fishing town of St.Ives in Cornwall and this area is well known for its treacherous coastline. This prominent and hazardous land mass separates both the Bristol Channel and the English Channel. The area was feared by sailors for centuries before the invention of accurate satellite navigation systems. Cornwall is famous for shipwrecks and these ships were often blown off course by ferocious storms only to sink or be driven ashore onto the rocks. A thick sea fog often obscures the Cornish coastline making it an invisible danger to shipping. The unseen U-Boats also patrolled this area during both Wold War’s and they torpedoed and sank a huge amount of ships.

My fascination with shipwrecks, maritime antiques and nautical brass began when I was thirteen, a school project about a local shipwreck disaster and the heroic lifeboat rescue sparked a curious interest in maritime history. The remains of this shipwreck are a distinctive feature on a local beach, so I went to investigate it with my mask and snorkel. The remains of the steamship lie in shallow water and the structure of the ship, bow, boilers, engine and stern are easily recognisable. The remains of the wreck are quite dark and spooky with the water movement also producing some very eerie noises, however it is strangely addictive. One day I visited the shipwreck site and found some SCUBA divers were under the water and investigating the remains of the wreck, I observed them from the surface as they explored and also removed brass portholes from the wreck.

I was now hooked on shipwrecks, underwater exploration and nautical brass treasure. I had to wait several years until I was old enough to start SCUBA training, but diving magazines and shipwreck books kept my interest alive. When I turned sixteen I joined the local SCUBA diving club and started my underwater training, the walls of the clubhouse were also decorated with brass artefacts recovered from local shipwrecks. Even the local pubs were all decorated with nautical artefacts and brass, the ‘brass fever’ had now taken hold of me and I started collecting maritime antiques and nautical collectibles.

Twelve months later and my novice diver training was complete so I was now able to explore the local shipwrecks, as my diving experience grew so did my interest in maritime history and shipwreck research. In fact I spent most of my spare time diving or researching shipwrecks. Several years later on I turned my hobby and passion into my career and opened up a SCUBA diving store. A chance encounter whilst working in this store presented me with a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity and I was offered a position as a trainee crew member aboard a traditional square rigged sailing ship. This was also the same type of sailing ship as many of my favourite shipwreck sites so I jumped at the chance.

We sailed from the UK to the Caribbean on a three month voyage, learning the square rig seamanship skills required. Following this adventure I decided to make this my new career and I spent several years working aboard square rigged sailing ships in the positions of Deck Hand, Ordinary Seaman, Able Seaman, Sailmaker and Boatswain. I sailed the world’s oceans aboard many of the famous traditional square rigged sailing ships, logging a distance sailed of over 98,000 nautical miles.

After giving up an exciting but nomadic life at sea, I returned home to dry land and rekindled my passion for shipwreck research, hunting for wrecks, then locating and diving on them. It wasn’t long before the sea was calling my name once again, so I joined the UK’s Maritime Rescue service (R.N.L.I - Royal National Lifeboat Service ) as a volunteer crew member and put my seamanship skills to good use. After 15 years as a volunteer I applied for a full time position, I now work for the R.N.L.I. full time at the St.Ives Lifeboat station where I maintain and operate the lifeboats and equipment. I have completed 25 years service with the Lifeboats.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse