Captain William Wells…… a seafaring man with a lifetime of fascinating stories to tell.
Most of us have come into contact with John Masefield’s poem, Sea Fever, probably as part of an English Literature lesson during our formative years at school. However for Master Mariner, Captain William Wells, Masefield’s words have a particular poignant meaning and beautifully reflect his passion for what he amusingly refers to as ‘his mistress, the sea’.
Born in 1941, in Wellington, New Zealand, William’s nautical career began soon after his sixteenth birthday, when having won a scholarship he travelled to the UK to begin his basic officer training. He then embarked on a nautical career including service in both the British Merchant Navy and the Royal Naval Reserve.
In 1964, William married and six years later, after being promoted to the rank of Captain, became a licensed Trinity House river pilot in the Port of London. After working the busy River Thames between Gravesend and London Bridge, he took his young family to the Middle East. There he served for 10 years as a harbour pilot, followed by four years in Freeport, the Bahamas, after which the Wells family returned to the more temperate climate of good old Blighty.
Two years as a licensed Trinity House Deep Sea Pilot then followed, operating in the English Channel, Dover Straits and North Sea, which are generally accepted as some of the busiest and most dangerous waterways in the world.
During a further period with the Port of London, ending up as the senior river pilot, William married his second wife and four years later, in 2005, his active nautical career came to its inevitable close. It had spanned one year and 110 days short of half a century, brought him into contact with over 5000 different vessels, including many of the world’s largest ships and left him with a unique collection of amusing and interesting anecdotes and unforgettable memories.
Being the kind of man that he is, there was no way that retirement was going to be a period of enforced idleness for the energetic Captain Wells! Even before he had hung up his pilot’s hat he was in demand as a paid public speaker and enthralling audiences on BBC radio, cruise ships and at conferences, seminars and a wide variety of learned bodies and different organisations throughout the UK and Continent, with his varied and interesting maritime topics. In fact, his talks are always so highly reviewed that he was invited to be the principle speaker on the world famous QE2 when she embarked on her final voyage.
Having led such a full and fascinating life, William’s decision to write a book came as no surprise to those who know him. Published in June 2009, “A Sailor’s Tales” is a highly readable account of his time at sea, punctuated with interesting and often amusing anecdotes. It gives everyone a chance to experience William’s half century relationship with his mistress, the sea and gain a real insight into just what makes this charming Master Mariner tick.
“A Sailor’s Tales” is available at: [email protected] and can also be obtained from www.waterstones.com.
