1973 Lifeboat testing. Paint spraying, fabrication and testing of transport refrigeration
1973 – 1974 Study: Mechanical Engineering
1974 Self – employed: Car repairs and resprays
1974 – 1976 Engineer-Cadet with Cayzer-Irvine & Co Ltd, British & Commonwealth Shipping. Sponsored for part of H.N.D. Mechanical Engineering studies which included intensive academic study and practical training.
1976 Chief Engineer responsible for refit and major modification to 100 foot squaresail ketch involving up to 20 crew/shipyard craftsmen in Italy.
1976 – 1978 Continuance of self-sponsored H.N.D. Mechanical Engineering studies.
1978 – 1979 Engineer-Officer at sea responsible to senior staff for maintenance, repair and operation of all machinery aboard bulk carriers up to 76,000 tons with propulsion of up to 15,000kw sailing worldwide with up to 40 crew. Also working within the Technical Department at head office setting up an advanced computerised planned maintenance system for two fleets. Some engineering design work completed for the Line’s managed and owned fleets: Sir William Reardon-Smith & Sons
1979 – 1980 H.G.V. Class 1 training/driving and car building.
1980 Master of new steel Doggersbank 1930 motor yacht (75 tons) during final stages of completion, including problem solving, progress chasing, liaison with owners, designers and shipyard, trials and short tours. Up to 23 Dutch/German craftsmen and specialists of all calibres working at any one time. Value of contract £0.75m.
1980 Completion of car.
~1981 Drove from the UK with a caravan to donate to Italian earthquake disaster.
1981 Master of Moody 52 motorsailor. Joined vessel at Malta, left at Hamble.
1982 Buyer for Thew Engineering; a company employing 200 engaged in all types of engineering work: marine, mechanical, fabrication, welding, petro-chemical & precision work etc.
1982 Thermal Equipment Engineer for Foster-Wheeler Energy Ltd in Reading. Control of design, review and co-ordination of heat exchangers for Swedish oil refinery including 15 aircoolers and 25 shell & tube type exchangers including liaison at all levels.
1982 Deputy Chief Inspector in Quality Control for Dreamland Group including Dreamland Appliances, Monogram Electric and Alarmline Ltd. Employed in direct control of 32 staff in preparation to assume responsibility of Chief Inspector when he retired. Products based on electronic, electrical and light mechanical components including industrial linear temperature alarm systems
1982 – 1983 Property Investment: Bought first house in Reading, living in one room and letting out six further rooms. All repairs and renovations were carried out myself.
1983 Master of Posillipo Technema 65 motor yacht
1983 – 1984 Property Investment: Apr’84 secured a second house in
Southampton for the purposes of letting (6 units). Considerable renovation work carried out.
1984 – 1985 Master of Stevens 47 yacht
1985 – 1986 Property Investment: Letting & development. Bought another house in the city centre; let out as 6 units. Later totally rebuilt the house and sold to homebuyers.
1986 Master of “Gabel”, Technomarine 77 motor yacht.
1986 – 1993 Property Investment: –
Dec’86 purchased 2 houses from local Council in derelict state. Rebuilt for letting using sub-contract labour force. Let as flatlets (8 units each).
1988: After applying for planning permission to convert one house into 4 maisonettes, purchased 2 houses during the year for development into 5 bedroom executive type homes in rural locations. All plans carried out by self and plans passed by Southampton, Eastleigh and Winchester planning authorities.
1989-91: Development properties sold off during recession, reversion to letting only henceforth. Conversion of remaining let properties to completely self-contained units to aid management and income.
1992: Developed letting agency and property investment consultancy.
1993: Remaining properties sold. Letting agency and property investment consultancy set up.
1994 Bought two properties for cash as investment. Plans to make purchases at auctions and renovate to let.
1994 Spent one month leading a voluntary team to India to work on a leprosy mission hospital.
1995: Various periods of voluntary work aboard ‘Morning Star of Revelation’ – a 62-foot gaff ketch based at Chatham Dockyard.
May – August: S V ‘Silvery Light’ 1884 making a film about Sperm whales for the BBC in association with ‘National Geographic’. Direct Employer: David Redhead & Caroline Robins. S Y ‘Silvery Light’ 1884. c/o T. Nielson & Co, The Repair Yard, Gloucester Historic Dockyard, Gloucester. Fax: + 44 1452 410056. Owner: Mr Les Alderman, Warleigh Manor School, Bathford, Bath BA1 8EE. Sailed aboard T S ‘Royalist’ as relief. Direct Employer: Capt John Paling c/o Mrs Barbara Hoyle, Offshore Commanders Office, Sea Cadet Corps, Fort Blockhouse, Gosport, Hants. PO12 2AB Fax + 44 23 9252 7224. Skippered ‘Eagles Wings’ and ‘Jehovah Jirah’.
1996 – 1999 Full time voluntary work on skippering and maintenance for Mr Tim Millward, ‘Morning Star Trust’, Crew Quarters Offices, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TZ Tel/Fax + 44 1634 403890 Email: [email protected]
1999 Relief on 163-foot triple water-jet yacht ‘Thunder A’. Reference: Peter Oddie. Mobile Tel +44 7771 900 851 Sat Tel 871 323 209 710
1999 – 2004 Bought 6 properties at auctions as investment.
1999 – 2000 Responsible for all HVAC in Kosovo including district central heating system, supply and installation of generators, advising on existing buildings, proposed new builds and all technical matters relating to rebuilding the country. Reference: Mr Patrick O’Connell, Organisation for Security & Co-operation in Europe, United Nations Mission in Kosovo. Mobile Tel +389 70 250 537 Satellite Tel 871 762 009 950
2001 – 2002 Ran 2 ex-pilot boats engaged in firing range safety control, surveys and water sampling work. SBE Engineering, Whitehaven, Cumbria.
2002 – 2004 Ran 93-foot gaff schooner ‘Genevieve Challenge’ in the Northern Aegean, Greece. Reference: Mr Theodore Goutzios. Tel/Fax +30 6973 317166 [email protected]
2005 Organised delivery of S.Y. ‘Four Sisters’ for ex-international rugby player with a terminal brain tumour. The yacht required extraction from Morocco where the yacht was being held, considerable repairs and final delivery to Ireland via Wales. Arranged permanent loan of vessel to sail-training trust and sail-training trips.
2006 Renovating, developing and selling properties. Short trips on sail training vessels. Providing support for a new Christian Retreat Centre in Wales and a number of other charities by email and fax worldwide.
2007 Captain of S.Y. ‘Sh’khinah’ in conjunction with YWAM from New Zealand and cruising the Fiji islands.
2009 Captain of S.Y. ‘Southern Cross’ – a Maxi 88 in Turkey.
2010 Captain of S.Y. ‘Seahawk’ – a 1969 Hood 53 used for outreach around the South Pacific including, Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu. We sailed with a total crew of 7 many of whom changed during the year covering approximately 4000 miles. I worked for the trustee Roger Bolam who was on board most of the time.
2011 Captain of ‘Soteria’ – 74ft Danish 1932 gaff schooner.
2014 Captain of ‘Next Wave’ – 137ft gaff ketch with up to 46 crew.
2016 Captain of ‘Ruach’ – 121ft gaff schooner with up to 26 crew
2017 Captain of ‘Lady of Avenel’ 102ft Brigantine
2018 Captain of ‘Royal Helena’ 178ft Barquentine
2019 Owner of TS ‘Britta’ 104ft gaff ketch

GENERAL

Wide range of in-depth technical qualifications and experience.
Major engineering thesis completed entitled: ‘Piston Ring Analysis’.
Marine Studies projects on: ‘Sea Survival’ and ‘Collisions at Sea’.
Shipping company study on ‘RSL Planned Maintenance System’.
Automotive engineering: complete knowledge and experience on all aspects, possess compressor & paint spraying equipment, own gas and arc welding equipment. Built own car.
Light & medium marine engineering (small vessels): handling of all types of vessels up to 137 feet under sail and 163 feet under power. Heavy marine engineering (deep sea): full Chief Engineer D.T.I. 1st Class Certificate of Competency exemptions.
Basic languages include French, Italian, Dutch, German & Portuguese.
Computer literate. Non-smoker.
Sailed as Captain or Captain/Engineer on motor and sailing yachts of both high speed and heavy displacement types built of steel, wood, GRP, aluminium, composite construction, Kevlar and ferro-cement. Have also extensively sailed traditionally rigged vessels and been involved in supervising and coordinating new builds and major refits.