Richard Clarke has been working for Windcat Workboats for over four years and manages the day to day activities of up to five offshore vessels for Greater Gabbard wind farm.
Before working at Greater Gabbard, Richard spent twenty years as a local fisherman working out of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. He fished from a multi-purpose vessel called the Evening Tide and later became skipper.
He joined Windcat in 2008 just as the wind farm was entering the construction phase and has remained with the team supporting the operations team at their £1.5m base on the site of Lowestoft’s old fish market.
Richard said: "When the work for Greater Gabbard arrived in Lowestoft, the fishing industry was in terrible decline. A lot of us were being forced out of the fishing industry due to fish quotas and the wind farm came along at the right time. It’s brought a lot of jobs to the area and many of the fishermen are now working as skippers for Windcat.
"I first read about the project in a local newspaper and that they’d be looking to transport workers out by boat. I thought, that’s a great job for me, out in the fresh air and out at the sea, which I love doing."
The wind farm vessels are used to transport the technicians from Lowestoft to the various turbines to carry out essential maintenance work and then back again at the end of the day. After joining the Windcat team, Richard received specialist offshore training and had to adjust to different skills and a focused approach to health and safety.
Richard said: “The wind farm vessels are completely different from what I was used to driving. There is a lot of skill required in stopping underneath a wind turbine, especially in the weather conditions we can get out here.”
Ultimately, it’s the effect the development has had on the local area that’s made a lasting impression, as Richard explains:
“It’s great to see a buzz around the old fish market area again – with lots of activity and people getting on with their jobs. Before all this came it was like a ghost town.