Pilots

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Mark Griffey

unknown to 1969

His grandson is Paul Fryer who was a pilot here in 1976.

John Williams

unknown to 1969

Replaced by George Woollard.

Ron Morgan

1941 to 1983

Came from tankers and was a young pilot. Was a long time pilot and had a reputation for running the other pilots!

Les Spiers

1958 to 1988

Arthur Tytherleigh

1961 to 1988

Served time at sea then worked on the tugs before becoming a pilot.

Doug Griffey

1962 to 1988

Working on Harkers tankers and had to be persuaded to join the pilotage service. It is thought that he is Mark Griffey’s nephew.

Peter Tippet

1966 to 1996

Served an apprenticeship on the Eastern Station at Portishead.

John Morgan

1971 to unknown

This was the second time he was a Gloucester Pilot. He left sometime in the 1950s after he grounded the Ramasees II on Lydney Sands

Robert Case

1964 to 1992

Ex Gloucester apprentice.

Brian Richards

1969 to 1995

Was a Bristol Pilot apprentice.

Keith Hadley

1969 to 03-05

A Gloucester apprentice, served time with Strick Line. Introduced George Woollard

George Woollard

1971 to 11-98

Grandfather was Maintenance Manager at Sharpness and father was pilot. Went to work on tankers running between Swansea and Worcester. Went to sea with Strick Line, came back to work on tugs then ashore to work at Oldbury power station. Approached by Keith and asked to join Gloucester Pilots.

Ken Higgs

1972 to 06-09

Ken was a Gloucester apprentice 1965-1970, then served with the Hungry Goose Line (Trinder Anderson) until he was licenced the day after his 23rd  birthday in 1972. Piloting has been in his family for well over 130 years. His Grandmother told him that Sharpness was short of Pilots those years ago and so her family moved up from South Wales.

John Hopkins

1973 to 1985

He was a sand dredger man who originally came from Bideford. He served his time with Reardon Smith. He campaigned for a review of the pay structure in view of the increase in size of ships. When he left he returned to Bideford as Harbourmaster/Pilot.

Paul Fryer

1976 to 1988

Gloucester apprentice then to sea with Bowrings. When trade reduced he relocated to Jeddah and latterly to Portsmouth. He has now retired from piloting.

Clive Wilton

1979 to 1991

Ex SE Wales apprentice, became Cardiff Pilot.

Dave Bainbridge

1979 to 1991

Prior to acceptance as a pilot at Sharpness, had been Harbour Master/Pilot at Scrabster, the port of Thurso in North Scotland after which  continued seafaring career as Master on Chemical Tankers, before becoming a Sharpness pilot in 1979, transferring to the South East Wales pilotage in 1991. Retired from piloting in 2002 and took up command of Sail Training Square rigged Tall ships in the Caribbean, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, continued as Master under sail until 2017. Retired after 57 years seafaring. Highlight of career was setting up the Sharpness Coastguard and SARA rescue service in 1985.

Dave Moore

09-98 to 12-02

Came from Bowker and Kings and then was a Dock Pilot

 Bill Payne

1999 to 06-17

Bill completed his apprenticeship with the Bristol Pilotage Authority in 1975. He then sailed deep sea as a junior officer for five years, much of this time on a round the world general cargo service before entering the coastal trade. Here he sailed as master in both coastal tankers and marine aggregates dredgers, finally completing his seagoing career with two summer seasons as master of the coastal passenger vessel Balmoral. During this time Bill gained pilot exemption certificates for the ports of Milford Haven, Swansea, Barry, Cardiff, Newport, River Avon, Southampton, the Medway, London, and Harwich. Bill has a grown up family with two grand children and lives with his partner Suzette in Wanswell, a short walk from the port of Sharpness. Hobbies include renovating his old house, and exercising an active Cocker Spaniel. Prior to becoming a pilot in 1999 Bill was a dinghy sailor on the river for over 20 years.

Rick Davies

2008 to 06-18

Originally Rick served on a variety of deep-sea vessel types with P&O then in the North Sea Offshore Support industry. In 1984 he gained an honours degree in Nautical Studies and worked ashore for Racal Marine as a Systems Engineer before taking up a position as Assistant Harbourmaster at the Port of Boston. There, he was mainly responsible for hydrographic surveying and Port Control before becoming authorised as a pilot in 1990. After 11 years there he moved to Fowey but in 2007, due to a down turn in trade, was forced to move to SE Wales. In 2008, whilst working there, he was fortunate to be accepted as a replacement for Ken Higgs who retired the following year. He is married with a son and a daughter. In 2018 he celebrated 28 years as a pilot.

Brendan Richardson

2017 to 2020

Since the mid 1980’s Brendan has enjoyed a varied seagoing career on coastal bulk carriers, offshore anchor handling ships , a period in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the command of two small bulk carriers and a super yacht. Previously a Tees and Hartlepool Pilot for 20 years, he transferred to Gloucester Pilots in the early part of 2017, where he continued to enjoy his career. Unfortunately, Brendan had to retire due to ill health in the Summer of 2020. He lives close to the River Severn with his wife Davina and has two grown up children.