Step Forward Peds!

Alex Pedley, or ‘Peds’ as we all know him, has been a River Officer at Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority for over a year. We’re pretty sure you’ve seen his smile beaming around the River Dart!

The smile is a reflection of Peds’ personality, but it’s also because, in his words, he loves his job!

“It’s a very eclectic job – you get involved in everything. In the summer it’s meeting and greeting visitors, taking payments, helping with logistics of events and rallies and dealing with cruise ships.

“It’s also making sure everyone, including myself, abides by the bylaws.”

Based in our Hoodown workshop, Peds outlines what a ‘normal’ day looks like – although he acknowledges there is no ‘normal’.

“We do a 12-hour shift in the summer – three days on, three days off – and at least eight of those hours I’m afloat on the water.

“If it’s a rare quiet day I help out in the yard. In the winter we go on the barges and look after the moorings – it’s highly-skilled work and it’s good fun!”

The recurring theme with our river crew is that they have a strong background in boating – and Peds is no exception.

“My background has mostly been on boats, from ferries and tugs to pilot boats and fishing boats. I previously worked for Torbay Harbour Authority for 12 years in a very similar role, so my skills acquired there were very transferrable to this role.

“I’ve also done a few land-based jobs – maintenance, landscaping, scaffolding – so I have brought some aspects of those jobs to my current job.”

Since working at Dart Harbour, Peds has added to his skillset, having completed two hydraulic crane competency courses – barge mounted and quayside mounted – as well as keeping his commercial endorsement tickets, such as firefighting and sea survival, up to date.

And he’s not done yet.

“I want to do a ‘working at height’ course and a chainsaw course at some point. You’re never too old to learn something new!” he said.

 

Progression and personal development is always high on the agenda at Dart Harbour and Peds knows the organisation is doing a great job of bringing new young blood into the industry: “I have never been in a job before where there are so many opportunities for young people, especially school leavers, to do work experience.

“And the apprenticeships are good – I would have liked to do an apprenticeship in this industry when I was younger but there wasn’t anything available.

“The fact that you can do an apprenticeship and finish with lots of qualifications that can further your progression through the industry is great. I like both teaching the younger guys in our team and learning from them.”

There is no denying that Peds thrives on hard work – and there is also no denying that he loves fun and laughs too!

“The first Dartmouth Regatta I worked in 2025 was good fun – I took part in the raft race as a member of the Dart Harbour team and we won!”

Whilst the Dart Harbour team wasn’t quite as victorious this year in the raft race, Peds helped to make it memorable – many of you will have seen the photo of him doing a backflip from the raft into the water, complete with his port and starboard socks!

Being a member of a team is clearly an important aspect of the job for Peds: “All my colleagues have been helpful from the first day I started, including great support from managers, Assistant Harbourmasters and the Harbourmaster.

“There’s also a lot of trust involved in getting the work done, which is good. I enjoy everything about the job – there’s nothing I don’t enjoy!

“I would be interested in any future promotion or new roles that become available, such as a team leader position. I definitely want to stay working within the marine and maritime industry – all my family have boats and it’s the way I’ve been brought up.”

Whilst his working life is busy, Peds still manages to find time for volunteering and hobbies in his spare time: “I’m part of Torbay Coastguard team which keeps me very busy. As do my two children! I also enjoy anything which gets me on the water – kayaking, paddleboarding and surfing.”

Peds acknowledges that “part of my job is to make sure everyone is happy” and we’re pretty sure he’s achieving that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

View more news