Staff Profiles

Bryce Fletcher

(Boat, Jet Ski & First Aid course trainer)

Qualifications:

Master Class 5 (Restricted to Pilotage and Sheltered waters of Queensland), Coxswain, Marine Engine Driver Grade 2, Cert IV Workplace Trainer and Assessor, Q.A.S. and Life International Senior First Aid & C.P.R. Instructor & Boatsafe authorised training provider

Maritime History:

Bryce has always been interested in boats starting from the age of 19 when he owned his first 11' tinny with a 5 h.p. outboard. He started his commercial career in the marine industry by joining Coast Guard and Volunteer Marine Rescue groups in various locations throughout Queensland taking on roles of group training officer and skipper after becoming a qualified V.M.R. Offshore skipper at Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Bryce has been a Queensland Police officer for 20 years serving the last 7 years with the Brisbane Water Police. During this time he has been a qualified state search and rescue mission co-ordinator being involved in many search and rescue operations both as co-ordinator and rescue vessel operator.

He has been involved in boat licence training part time for 5 years and has owned or operated all types of vessels from a 15 metre patrol vessel to a Jet Ski in both commercial and recreational applications. Being an active Q.A.S. First Aid instructor since 2003

Bryce is now involved in boat and jet ski licensing full time and is happy to pass on his skills and experience to future boat operators.

Chris Fletcher

(Central Booking Office Manager)

Qualifications:

Experience as retail shop Owner/Manager, Office Manager and Bookkeeper

History:

Chris's experience has mainly been in private enterprise in the areas of office management and bookkeeping, including receptionist, general office duties and retail shop management. She is the voice on the phone when you call Boat Jetski Licence with enquiries and course bookings.

Chris co-ordinates the running of courses throughout South East Queensland at various locations and Cairns Region. Chris will endeavour to choose the course and date most convenient to you, according to your needs and availability.

Chris will be happy to hear from you, so give her a call.

Graham Webb

(Boat course trainer)

Qualifications:

Master Class 4, MED 3, Cert IV Workplace Trainer and Assessor & Boatsafe authorised training provider

Maritime History:

Graham has a long and varied history in the maritime industry, both commercial and recreational, spanning over thirty five years. He has skippered many vessels commercially including tourist boats, dive boats and fast ferry services and has also taught maritime studies in the NSW TAFE system for five and a half years.

During this time Graham has owned four sailing vessels and lived aboard his blue water cruising yacht, Manera, a Swanson 42, for twenty one years.

Graham travelled over 42000 nautical miles in Manera on the east coast of Australia and the south west Pacific Ocean. He currently owns a Magnum 8.5m trailer sailer and enjoys scuba diving both professionally and recreationally as a PADI Divemaster.

Andrew Gale

(Boat & Jet Ski course trainer)

Qualifications:

Master Class 5 (Restricted to Smooth and Partially Smooth waters of Moreton Bay), Coxswain, Cert IV Workplace Trainer and Assessor & Senior First Aid Qualified

Maritime History:

Coming from a family of fishermen Andrew grew up on and around the water. His love for fishing and boating has not diminished and he very keen to help other people obtain their boat licences. Andrew has worked on commercial and charter fishing vessels and delivered a number of vessels along the Australian East Coast.

Andrew has recently retired from the Queensland Police Service having served at a number of locations throughout the state over 18 years including the Brisbane Water Police, Julia Creek and Yelarbon Police Stations. He has been an active member of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard where he was a qualified inshore skipper and as well has been a member of the Qld Fire & Rescue Service and the State Emergency Service.

Andrew lives in Warwick with his family and is proud to serve the Darling Downs and Granite Belt community delivering Marine Training and boat licence courses.

Wes Summers

(Boat & Jet Ski course trainer)

Qualifications:

Master Class 5 (Open), Coxswain, Marine Engine Driver Grade 2, Cert IV Workplace Trainer and Assessor, PADI Divemaster, Boatsafe authorised training provider.

Maritime History:

Wes has been involved in boating since a young boy whilst growing up in Cairns and spending many happy hours fishing and waterskiing with his parents. Wes started his commercial career in the maritime industry after developing a keen interest in diving and advancing to achieve PADI Divemaster, employed by several dive companies and social groups in Moreton Bay and enjoying several overseas trips expanding on this experience.

Wes was a Queensland Police Officer for 18 yrs and served the last 5 yrs with the Queensland Water Police. During this time he was involved in many inshore and offshore operations and mastered many of the vessels in the Queensland Water Police fleet.

Wes is currently employed in the maritime industry by the Australian Customs Service, Customs Marine Unit as a Watchkeeper on the 38 metre Bay Class vessels operating in Australian waters. Wes has been involved as recreational boat licence trainer under the Boatsafe scheme for the past 5 years. He has operated all types of vessels including large commercial vessels, small trailer boats and Jet Skis in both the commercial and recreational fields.

Wes has a wide range of maritime experiences, skills and knowledge which he continues to grow. Wes is only too happy to serve the Cairns community developing safe boating knowledge and skills with boat license students.

Russell Gilbert

(Boat & Jet Ski course trainer)

Qualifications:

Coxswain (Restricted to Pilotage and Sheltered waters of Queensland)Driver trainer, Cert IV Workplace Trainer and Assessor & Boatsafe authorised training provider.

Maritime History:

Russell lived on the shores of Lake Illawarra (Wollongong) where he spent most of my recreational time involved with water sports & boats. When Russell was old enough, he obtained his boat licence and bought his first ski boat. Russell has been the proud owner of a number of boats since those days.

Since moving to Queensland in 1993, Russell became the owner of a yacht and was given the opportunity to discover the wonderful playground of Moreton Bay. Over the last couple of years Russell has volunteered his services on the tall ship South Passage and with local Volunteer Marine Rescue.

In 2006 he gained his restricted coxswain and became a qualified boatsafe trainer& assessor. Russell has been working as a driver trainer for a number of years specialising in heavy vehicles. After 25 years of recreational boating, Russell is now able to help others to enjoy safe recreational boating.

Ray Clendinning

(Marine Radio course trainer)

Qualifications:

Marine radio operator grade 2, Cert IV BSZ404A train small groups, AMC Invigilator, Qualified marine radio instructor, Blue card holder.

Maritime History:

Ray is an active retiree who is committed to teaching all boat owners, the necessary competencies needed to achieve a certificate of proficiency to operate any type of marine radio in a professional manner. He became interested in radio communications after joining the Townsville Volunteer Coast Guard in 1983 and in 4 short years, whilst also being employed as a sales manager of an office furniture company, until 1987, he achieved the rank of ‘offshore skipper’ and logged more than 1,000 hours of radio duty and still holds an MROCP radio certificate.

He retired from active Coast Guard duty in Townsville in 1987 to buy into a small family business in Redcliffe, and finally sold out in 1991 to pursue a vocation as a Taxi driver until 1995, when he was involved in a motor accident that left him with some spinal injuries that kept him out of the permanent employable work force. In August 1998 he rejoined the Volunteer Coast Guard at Redcliffe as a day roster radio operator and eventually became their radio instructor logging more than 3,200 hours of radio time, and also did sea crew duty.

He has now retired from the Coast Guard and is devoting his free time to continue instruction of marine radio procedures. Ray loves to crew on sail boats at the boat club and is always looking for someone to chat to about boating.