I was born in 1958 near Herne Bay, on the north coast of Kent—a location that may well explain my lifelong fascination with the sea and ships.

In 1969, my family relocated to Cheltenham, with a brief stop in Aylesbury along the way.

From September 1974 to December 1977, I attended Brunel Technical College in Bristol, where I earned the Marine Radiocommunication General Certificate (the successor to PMG1) and completed the Department of Transport’s Radar Maintenance course. I was a company-sponsored cadet during this time.

My maritime career began on January 3rd, 1978, when I joined my first ship—the m.v. Clan MacIver (GXBX), operated by British & Commonwealth / Cayzer Irvine Shipping—at Tilbury. The vessel ran general cargo routes alternating between the UK, East Africa, and India. I spent five and a half years with Cayzer, serving on various ships.

In 1982, I returned to Brunel Tech and obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Marine Electronics.

Afterward, I joined Christian Salvesen Shipping, working aboard coastal vessels transporting coal from the northeast of England to power stations along the Thames. A memorable second trip involved spending eight weeks at anchor off Southend Pier during the miners’ strike.

In 1983, I transitioned to the North European Fleet of Chevron Shipping Company, whose manning office was then based in Copenhagen. I spent seven and a half years with Chevron before “swallowing the anchor” in 1991.

Since then, I’ve worked in IT for a major American multinational IT outsourcing company.

I’m also a licensed radio amateur, operating under the callsign G4FUJ.