Alan Knott
When I left the PWSTS I joined Port Line, sailing on the Port Lincoln, Port Victor and Port Chalmers. Mostly trips to New Zealand via Panama. On leaving Port Line I joined New Zealand Shipping company and sailed on the Federal Ship the Harford again to New Zealand. I then decided to go passenger and joined P&O Orsova. This was on the immigration run to Australia.
After these trips deep sea I decided to go local (and Dover). I joined the British Railways Ferries. These sailed to the French Ports. I got fed up with this and joined the Post Office Cable Ship Ariel. This ship went all round the UK and Channel Islands mending submarine telephone cable most of her work was up in Scotland.
I then got married and to be at home more I joined Trinity House Pilots. I was on the ship Pathfinder we were stationed at the Sunk light vessel (just off Harwich) where we shipped and landed pilots with our two motor boats. I was a coxswain in one of these. We did a week at sea. Five hours on five hours off, followed by a week back in Dover where we worked alongside (daywork).
My son was then born in (1969) and I joined Townsend Car Ferries. I stayed with then for 12 years, starting as an AB and then being promoted to Quarter Master, Deck Store Keeper and Assistant Bosun.
I then left the sea and worked as a Prison Officer and then went to British Railways as a Train Guard working my way up to an Instructor. I left British railways last August (2001) and happily returned to the sea. I joined the Dover Harbour Board Tugs Dauntless and Doughty as an AB. These are the biggest harbour tugs in Britain with a 52 ton bollard pull. Our main work is the ferries and we get busy when the wind exceeds 40 miles per hour. We also have cargo ships we work and cruise liners. We also work the harbour dredger David Church. This is a grab and suction dredger. We have a four man crew.