• Marine

48-years at sea for Captain Ahmad

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Captain Mir Ahmad is going into retirement at the age of 70 after 48 years at sea – 25 of them with the James Fisher group!

In February he was presented with a ship's bell by James Fisher ship manager, Andy Milling in recognition of his many years of dedicated service.

Mir's career at sea started in June 1971 with a four-year year trip on a cargo vessel called Rustom which belonged to the East and West Shipping fleet of Pakistan. He  explains:

'I didn't choose this career,' my father took me along to see a friend who owned a shipping company when I was 19!'

On his return, Mir travelled around his native Pakistan on his Triumph Tiger motorcycle before returning to sea to work in the scrapping industry on ships moored off the coast of Karachi.

'I was always a bit of a wanderer'

Mir says.

However, after completing his ships exams in the UK he moved to European trade working as chief officer on bulk cargo ships, until a back injury put him out of action for a while.

'I was advised to completely change careers and so I studied law, but in the end I got my back fixed and returned to the world of shipping, I'd have hated office life and there are enough lawyers in my family already anyway!'

In 1990 at the age of 40, Mir landed a chief officer position with Rowbotham Tankships before joining FT Everard & Sons in 1995 (now JF Everard) and he spent the last 17 years as master.

'Mir has been an extremely collaborative individual and a great member of the team for an impressive number of years, we wish him well in his retirement.'

Says Tony Kirk, operations procurement manager for James Fisher Everard.

'The last few years were definitely my best years, I've had a great run on the ships and I've travelled all around the world. But it's good to have the chance to spend more time at home now.'

Concludes Mir.