Retired chief engineer Roy Ferguson credits the Dreadnought Medical Service for saving his life and career

Retired chief engineer and longstanding Nautilus member Roy Ferguson has had an eventful 43-year career, forged out of a chance meeting at a bar, but he will always be most grateful to the Dreadnought Medical Service for saving his life after a bowel cancer diagnosis. Interview by Deborah McPherson

What originally attracted you to seafaring?

Nobody in my family had ever gone to sea, but fate directed me there via a chance meeting with a barmaid whose brother had just come home from a few months away with Shell Tankers. He told me about the job and the places he had been. This is where I first got the idea.

After a few false starts I joined my first ship, the MV Willowbank, in Liverpool on 1 April 1975.

 

How did your career progress?

From 1978 to 1981 I worked for British Rail on the Belfast to Heysham route. Up until 1978 I was working onboard deep sea vessels with companies including Bank Line, Stag Line, SSM and Headlam & Son. From 1982 to 1992 I was also working mostly on deep sea vessels and also on the P&O Ferries Larne-Cairnryan route. My last deep sea ship was the tanker Knock Adoon, on her maiden Voyage from H&W Belfast.

On 1 April 1993, I switched industry and worked for 25 years with Cory Towage on the large tugs in Belfast, before an accident onboard meant I had to retire on medical grounds in November 2018.

Tell us some of your career highlights

Seeing 76 countries around the world, and being appointed as one of the youngest chief engineers in 1998.

Being a liaison officer for Nautilus in Belfast was also great. I helped get a new contract sorted and better conditions, so that was very satisfying.

What have been some of your biggest career challenges?

The biggest challenge happened in 2007, when I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. It was quite the journey to return to work.

Luckily, as a working seafarer at the time I had access via the UK National Health Service to the *Dreadnought scheme. I had an operation to remove the tumor on 20 May 2007. I survived several complications and nearly died twice. Then in 2011 the cancer returned, and I had 25 radiotherapy sessions to shrink the tumor, before finally being able to go back to work. It was tough, but my company was great, as were my work mates.

I owe my life to the *Dreadnought service. The team were brilliant, and my surgeon and his team were also brilliant; they saved my life twice.

[*Find out more about the Dreadnought Medical Service and how Nautilus is tackling some of the current service disruptions for seafarers in Scotland and Northern Ireland.]

How long have you been a member of Nautilus?

I joined the MNAOA, a Nautilus predecessor union, in November 1975. I found out about the Union while looking into joining the Merchant Navy.

Tell us one thing people may not know about you.

I helped get a Merchant Navy plaque set up at the Whiteabbey War Memorial in Antrim and Newtownabbey, for Northern Ireland's centenary year in 2021.