Chris Wallis
Chris Wallis - Riverlink
Chris Wallis - Skipper for Riverlink
What do you do?
I skipper the pleasure boat cruise trips up and down the River Dart mostly on the ‘Cardiff Castle’, River Link people carrier ship.
How long have you been doing this and what did you do before?
I have been working here full time since 1990. Previous to this I was working the summer seasons here to help out when it was busy. Before that I was a steward junior at the Naval College for 18 months and took a full time job here as soon as there was one available.
What training do you need to do this job?
I have my skipper licence, Sea survival, First Aid, Radio licence etc.
Being a skipper of a boat over a certain size and weight you are supposed to have a Harbour Pilot licence but you need to have been working at sea for several years amongst many other requirements. As its hard to come by people with this much nautical experience in Dartmouth. The Harbour Master has made an exception, and provides a pilotage exemption licence which is renewed annually.
Whereabouts do you run the cruises to and from?
We run from Dartmouth to Totnes via pleasure boat but Riverlink also specialise with coach and train trips so you can visit more than just the River Dart. The Round Robin trips run from Paignton, Totnes, Dartmouth & Kingswear by using Boat, Steam Train, River Car ferry and open top bus.
What is a typical day for you?
Well its all tide dependant but on a long day we could leave Dartmouth for Totnes at 8am, disembark, clean the boat, and do several more trips throughout the day like this. Sometimes we do not finish until 8.15pm.
How many pleasure boats do Riverlink have?
M.V. Dart Explorer is our flagship, built in 1991, Our people carrier M.V. Cardiff Castle, M.V. Dart Venturer, & The M.V. Dittisham.
Do you incur any problems during the Regatta?
Nothing major as yet but the only thing I can really think of is that when there are so many people on the river, especially when the red arrows are doing their air display everyone stops to watch, it can prove difficult to do our job and get trough the crowds considering we have to work with the tides.
Riverlink: Tel: 01803 834488
www.riverlink.co.uk