John sets sail for retirement after a working life all at sea
A VETERAN of Isle of Sark Shipping and sailing in general has retired after giving 45 years to the company – and even more to life on the ocean.
John Bougourd’s long seafaring career started out in the 1960s on the Herm Express Ferries and it ended last Friday after years with Sark Shipping.
Mr Bougourd has spent all his working life at sea and said he had never considered doing anything else.
‘It is different to be retiring, it will be a bit of a wrench to get me away from it, but it is time to go,’ he said.
‘I have dozens and dozens of highlights – I remember how much of a privilege it was to take on the Bon Marin [the ship Mr Bougourd was most recently skipper of] when it was new.’
Mr Bougourd also reflected on particular journeys he had to make. ‘I remember, during strong north-east winds, transporting a heavily pregnant woman to Guernsey, praying we would be there in time – the baby was delivered not long after arriving at the PEH and he now skippers the company vessels’.
That man was Alex Williams.
In 1972, Mr Bougourd joined Sark Shipping as a crewman on the Ile de Serk.
A year later he was a mate on the La Dame de Serk and three years after that he obtained his pilotage licence and was made skipper of L’Etoile de Serk.
Mr Bougourd stayed aboard that ship until 1983, when he picked up the Bon Marin de Serk, of which he has been skipper ever since.
During that time he has also given 21 years to the lifeboat, being coxswain before retiring in 2007, and has been awarded a BEM for his services to Sark and the RNLI, as well as several crewman’s medals for his involvement in rescues.
‘I have got my own boat, so will certainly be out on that now,’ Mr Bougourd said.
‘It will be good to set aside some time for friends and family, because they have been very understanding while I worked.
‘My thanks must go to Mr Peter Drake, for initially employing me, and to present employers, to have had a profession I have loved and cherished.
‘But mostly, sincere thanks to the people of Sark, past and present, who have sailed with me.’
