Folios 264-265: William Shepheard, 12 North Street, Portsea. He comments on the heavy...

Folios 264-265: William Shepheard, 12 North Street, Portsea. He comments on the heavy losses the Navy had suffered in the North Sea and the Baltic in the past year which he attributes to poor pilotage. He suggests ways and methods which might encourage the recruitment and retention of better pilots. He suggests that a way to pay for this would be to halve the present beer or spirits allowance presently given to the boys on board Navy ships and use the money saved to set up a fund. He thinks this would raise about £20,500. He writes, at some length, of the benefits this would bring to all sailors and ships and suggests an annual salary for the pilots of £400, which is double their present pay in order to encourage high quality men. These pilots would form part of the Royal Navy and be designated Royal Naval Pilots. He suggests that in the event they were not needed to escort Naval vessels they could perform a pilot service for merchant vessels with half the pilotage payable by the merchant vessels paid to the pilot and the other half to go into the fund. He further suggests that if this system, if adopted, worked well in the North Sea and the Baltic that the idea be used more widely.

Topics

Trade and commerce

Pay and pensions

Food and drink

Navy

Armed Forces (General Administration)