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John Marshall

John belongs to: Souter Lighthouse

John was born in South Shields. He is the fifth generation of Tyne pilots in his family.

John was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 12 April 2006. The interview took place at Discovery Museum and lasted 28 minutes and 26 seconds.

Photograph of John Marshall on the pilot cutter

Relationship between pilots and masters

"Yes, it’s, it’s always a, something that people who aren’t involved in the marine industry always find a bit difficult"

Yes, it’s, it’s always a, something that people who aren’t involved in the marine industry always find a bit difficult, but the relationship between masters and pilots, is, in my experience extremely good. If you can imagine that a master of a ship who may be from somewhere on the other side of the world, and he’s never been to the Tyne, or to the North Sea or maybe not even to Europe and he brings his ship right across the world and then at four o’clock on a winter’s morning, a complete stranger climbs up a pilot ladder onto the bridge of his ship, shakes hands with him and then takes control of his ship, so there’s got to be a certain understanding between masters and pilots and I think the, on a professional level, masters and pilots have a very good understanding of each other, and a trust, because pilots, in the main, have been to sea before, have been masters on ships and understand what it’s like to do the master’s job. And of course, masters expect that a pilot will have a qualification similar to his, so that is what really cements the relationship and makes it work.

John has 24 memories in the memorynet:

John's memories with a The North East theme:

•  The Bonga
•  The future for piloting on the Tyne
•  The Tertia
•  Pilots and cobles
•  The Bonga
•  Pilot's notebook

John's other memories:

•  Growing up in a family of pilots
•  Pilot apprenticeship
•  Sea time
•  Routines and changes
•  Role of the pilot
•  The pilot cutter
•  Boarding the ship
•  Climbing the pilot ladder
•  The pilot uniform
•  Relationship between pilots and masters
•  The pilot ladder
•  Car carriers
•  Boarding a ship by helicopter
•  Master's Certificate
•  Pilot's certificates
•  The pilot ladder
•  John's father
•  Pilot's Handbook

This memory has these themes:
Relationships | Roles and Routines | Work

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