Richard Thompson - Boatshed Grand Union

Richard started working with Boatshed Grand Union in 2016.

His working life started in a factory building cranes, some of which he still sees in boatyards (watch out for NCK Rapier cast into the counter weight). From there he felt a calling to the church and he worked as a vicar in Southend on Sea and then Ipswich before 20 years as a prison chaplain. Richard felt he needed a change so he brought forward his plans to work with boats and contacted Boatshed. The rest as they say is history!

Richard had a great trip sailing from South Brittany to Southampton which is his furthest trip so far, unless you count the trip to St Petersburg on a cruise ship! He mentions his worst experience on a boat was sailing from the River Orwell to Ostend through the night in a force 7 with no sleep. They hadn't intended to stop in Belgium but were too exhausted to carry on to the Netherlands. He loves to sail around the Scottish Islands.

When he's not busy selling boats Richard loves to go sailing or hill
walking comes a fairly close second (it must be something to do with being wet, cold and uncomfortable).

Fun Facts about Richard...

  • He loves to eat a great burger and will avoid peanut butter at all costs!
  • He likes to enjoy a cold beer on a hot day
  • He doesn't really have a favourite colour
  • His first pet was a cat called Wellington Galoshes Boots (Boots for short) because of his white paws

If Richard travelled to a desert island he would arrive on a large motor
yacht (probably a super yacht) - not his preferred type of boat but it might
be useful as he tries to survive! He'd take a few books to read such as 'How to survive on a desert island, including how to catch and kill food without feeling bad about it', and a good story like Les Miserables. He'd take along something uplifting to listen to so he could sing along as there'd be no-one there to suffer his off-key notes, a good rock compilation so that he could play along with his improvised hollowed-out tree trunk and something from Bach to show that he is civilised!

Hopefully when travel restrictions are eased, Richard will be off to Australia to see his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren who he's not seen for a couple of years.