Richard Gyles

I was born in Kenya and when the family came back to the UK in 1964 it was not by conventional method but by road. It was a case of 5 children and dog accompanying Mum and Dad in their Land Rover across Africa! It was the third time we had all done the trip - the first return trip was 1960/1. So adventure, you could say, is in the blood. (Maybe this is also why Carol Jenkinson my twin sister is also with this project)!

From the age of 12 to 16 I spent most of my spare time sailing the family folk boat, and later a larger racing yacht, racing in 'JOG' including single handed races (so I can understand the buzz the young adults will get). I also spent two months as Bosun on the sail training ship 'Winston Churchill'.

Since then, I have spent most of my working life at Sea: 6 months working as a commercial diver around the Solent; 6 months as crew on 'Butchers' tug boats out of Ports; 12 months working for 'Shell Mex BP' on the coastal tankers; 6 months with German Merchant Navy and 30 years as a Deep Sea Fisherman, starting as a deck hand and ending up as Skipper with my own company and boat. I am well known by most Fisherman around Britain as 'Bosun'. I still do some work in the marine industry but now design and machine metal work. (And yes, this has included making a few of the parts required for the modifications to Lively Lady!)

I have now come ashore, after selling my fishing company, and now am a sole trader selling goods that I import from Indonesia at country shows, French markets and special events.

I had the privilege of sailing on the leg from Singapore to Phuket with Alan Priddy, Natasha Bellamy and Harry McCarthy. It was a totally amazing adventure that I would not have missed for the world so,
"Thank you Mr Priddy".

If it was special for me then it must have been even more special for the young adults, as I am no stranger to that part of the world and have spent all of my adult life at sea, unlike them.

The passage was brilliant; I have never seen so many flying fish. The electrical storms at night were stunning and the sea snakes swimming on the surface alongside the boat unnerving.

My only regret is that I could not afford the time to do more.

<< back