Jack Gaston is a professional engineer and experienced technical author and journalist. He has been writing about the towage industry and its vessels for nearly 40 years and became a full time freelance journalist 12 years ago when his Tugs & Towage coverage became a regular monthly feature in Maritime Journal. He is also a regular contributor to Lloyds List, Port Strategy, and Ships Monthly.

Jack is the author of three books;

Tugs & Towing, Tugs Today, and The Tug Book, all of which have become industry standard works of reference.

Jack is also a sought after marine photographer whose works grace his column, his books and many a front cover of Maritime Journal.

He is regularly engaged by towage companies to provide photographic and public relations services. As his coverage of the ITS Conference in this issue will attest, he regularly attends major international towage and salvage events as a correspondent and occasionally as a participating speaker.

On receiving the award, Jack Gaston said, 'I am surprised, grateful and honoured to receive this award from an organisation that now includes so many old friends. Without their help and cooperation I could not do the work that I do or represent the industry in the manner it deserves.

One of the reasons I am so surprised is that over the years I have consistently pestered members for the information I needed to the extent I felt the last thing they would want to do was give me an award.'

Speaking later he added, 'As a writer and engineer my intention is always to try to identify features of a vessel that are perhaps different and of particular interest to our readers. Where possible I try to be even-handed, giving space to multinationals and independent owners alike.

'My approach tends to be hands on and where possible I prefer to see tugs personally, take my own pictures and get a feel for the engineering, talk to the crews and get a feel for how well the boat works.

'Over the years I have developed enormous respect for tug masters and crews, who not only show off their skills on nice summer days but are out there day and night in the depths of winter, carrying out tricky towage operations unseen by the general public.'

MJInformation No: 21992