Tom is a Master Mariner with 20 years’ experience at sea. He started working at sea in 2006 and worked from the position of deck hand to a Chief Officer and came ashore to the role of Pilot in 2017. Whilst at sea Tom worked on private yachts, cruise ships, offshore platform supply vessels, military support vessels, anchor handling tugs, survey vessels and harbour tugs. As a pilot in the Port of Cromarty Forth, he was involved in piloting vessels up to 240m LOA including bulk carriers, tankers, cruise ships and offshore vessels. Pilotage also included towage of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units and barges. When working in port Tom was also responsible for the compliance with the Port Marine Safety Code.
In 2019 Tom started working offshore as a Tow Master, in charge of the navigation of various tows including; mobile offshore drilling units and pipeline bundles. As a tow master, He is responsible for the towed units, which include pipeline bundles up to 7.5km in length and involve a tow fleet of 4 vessels. In July 2026 Tom was responsible for towing a 6.2km pipeline bundle from Scotland to offshore Norway. An essential part of this is an awareness of errors and limitations of the equipment and vessels being used for the towing operation. Tom has also worked on several windfarm construction projects as client representative.
Since 2023 Tom has worked for Law Firms of London providing maritime advice, predominantly on cases involving maritime casualties. Tom has also worked on a several publications including providing technical advice to Witherbys publishing on their ECDIS best practise guides in 2019, 2020 and 2023. Tom is the revising author of the Oilfield Seamanship Series; Jackup Moving and Rescue Towage and currently revising the Nautical Institutes 2nd edition of Anchoring and Mooring.
Tom holds an MSc in Shipping operations, a BA in History, a BA in Professional Practise, and a certificate in psychology. Tom also maintains an up to date and valid UK MCA unlimited master mariners’ license, and is an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute, committee member for the NI Northeast Scotland branch, member of the Nautical Institute Technical Committee, supporting member of Lloyds Maritime Arbitration Association, Associate member of Chartered institute of Arbitrators.