The Great British Seaside: A harbour tour

On Tuesday 27th November I went to interview the skipper of a harbour tour boat at Gunwharf Quays. The company Solent and Wight Line Cruises kindly agreed to let me interview Dan Mahoney who was on one of their smaller boats the Jenny R.

Dan Mahoney and the harbour tour boat the Jenny R

I met three members of the company that day; Kev who sold the tickets on the quayside, Dan who skippered the boat and Matt who crewed the boat with Dan on the daily tours. Dan explained how the tours operated all year round but from March onwards to the summer months, it got steadily got busier and busier. The tour boats are based on the Isle of Wight but it has to be really bad weather for them not to come across.

I couldn't help wondering who could possibly want to take a harbour boat trip on a freezing cold late November day but sure enough, on the first tour of the day eight passengers boarded the Jenny R for a fifty minute tour around the harbour. I have to admit that I don't really travel well on boats, but the fun, lighthearted but informative commentary from Matt and the general atmosphere on the boat was a delight to experience.

It was evident that Dan really loved his job. He explained how although the basic routine of every day was essentially the same, the weather conditions, tourists and ever changing vessels in the harbour meant that every day varied. He explained how he could come over in the morning and it could be glorious sunshine and travel home at night in thick fog. Equally, he told me that eight boats could leave Portsmouth harbour overnight which meant a whole new commentary would have to be put together at short notice the following day.

Explaining how "it's not just another job, it's a way of life" he summed up how lucky he felt by saying "Sometimes I have to stop the boat to let a seal go by. Where are you gonna get that on the M25?"

I thoroughly enjoyed my harbour tour; not only did I get to meet the lovely crew but I also got to see some of the various types of vessels that pass through Portsmouth Harbour each day. Thanks to the in-depth knowledge of Dan and Matt I also learn't several interesting facts about life in the harbour. Overall a great experience despite the chilly November weather.