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Mike's always been keen on sailing. From a young age he sailed dinghies andΜύ ended up in the water more times than he would have liked but his enthusiasm never waned. Although not a trawler-man, he had a land based position connected with the fishing industry, he was able to go on a number of trawlers making trips into the Atlantic.

He says it's one of the most rewarding hobbies that people can have. Sailors have to work hard and sailing great distances means that safety is paramount. People have to be fit, competent to operate the equipment and have the mental agility to cope with some of the technical aspects of sailing a craft from place to place. He says that despite new technology, people still need to be able to plot a course using traditional methods in case the GPS fails.

As people progress through sailing, and Mike knows what's involved because he's a full Royal Yachting Association instructor and has been a Yachtmaster since 1988, he says they become part of a community which is tight-knit but not exclusive and it's a fun and rewarding hobby.

Sailing out of Brough and Grimsby, Mike organises trips aboard his yacht, 'White Tiger' regularly travelling along the coast and across the North Sea taking small groups of people to increase the sea miles they need to progress their skills.

He says the sailing is demanding. On a recent visit to the Netherlands, some of the equipment was damaged by sand, whipped up from the Dutch coast and thrown out to sea. To make good repairs, one of his recruits was hoisted some forty feet into the air to fix the anemometer, which measures wind direction and speed.