Executive Master of Tall Ship James Craig Retires

14-Feb-2012
The long-serving and highly-respected Executive Master of the Sydney Heritage Fleet’s fully restored and operational Tall Ship James Craig has elected to retire.

Master Mariner Captain Ken Edwards OAM RFD** RD FNI, winner of the Maritime Medal, runner-up in the London-based Nautical Institute Shipmaster of the Year Award in 2010 and winner of their Dedicated Service Award, voted SHF Honorary Life Member of the Fleet in 2011, and inaugural Executive Master of James Craig serving from 2000 has announced his retirement effective January 30th 2012.

Ken Edwards has spent virtually his entire adult life in and around ships and the sea. He began in 1947 as a Deck Cadet with Burns Philp, moving through Deck Officer appointments on several vessels before he was appointed Master of MV Montoro where he served from 1963 to 1966.

His sail training accomplishments include being appointed Master of barquentine New Endeavour then owned by the Australian Sail Training Association (ASTA) and was her Commodore from 1981 – 1984. In 1982/83 He was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study the latest sail training methods and programs in the UK and USA and to gain the required sea time to sit the examination for Master Class 1, Square rigged sailing ship Certificate of Competency. During this period he served as First Mate aboard the American educational barquentine Regina Maris in the North Atlantic Ocean and Greenland and Caribbean regions.

In 1984 Ken was appointed Master Designate of the sail training vessel One and All a 30m modern hermaphrodite brigantine sailing out of South Australia. In 1986 Ken was appointed Vice-Commodore of the First Fleet Re-enactment Organisation and during 1986 &1987 was master of the Bounty replica participating in the re-enactment voyage. He was her skipper on the legs from Sydney to Portsmouth and from Portsmouth to Rio de Janeiro and from Mauritius to Sydney.

In addition to his work with James Craig Ken has extensive experience as a marine consultant with Leeuwin, New Endeavour and One and All. He will be very much missed by the officers and crew of James Craig and all those who have sailed in her over the last 11 years since her recommissioning in 2001.
For more information:
www.shf.org.au