In 1958 when Roy Kenneth Todd was only 11 years old his imagination was sparked listening to tales of tugboat crew member Reginald (Deckhand) Dill.

From that day on he set his sights on becoming a tugboat captain. Despite leaving school at 14 his single-mindedness and determination led him to fulfil his dream, and 40 years after joining the Department of Marine and Ports he this week shook hands with Premier Ewart Brown and received long service gifts for a lifetime of service as a tugboat man.

As Mr. Todd and 13 other Marine and Ports staff, who together have clocked up 345 years of duty collected long service awards, Dr. Brown took the opportunity to encourage young Bermudians to follow in their footsteps and maintain the high standards the Island?s Marine and Ports section has established.

He was especially pleased that all the long service award honours were for ?home-grown staff? and told them: ?We must find young people to enter the service to come behind you if we want the standards to be upheld. We have to bring on young Bermudians.?

Dr. Brown said he would dread the Island needing to seek overseas workers to fill jobs within its Marine and Ports Service.

Mr. Dill, 59, who is known by many as ?Ken,? was the longest serving employee to receive an award. He took charge of a large framed photograph showing the tugboat , which he captained at the time, escorting the Tall Ships in 1990.

Afterwards he told how it had been his ambition to become a tug boat man after hearing the stories of family friend Reginald ?Deckhand? Dill in 1958.

?He talked about his tugboat work and that was what did it for me. He invited me on the tugboats in 1965 during the weekends and I would sit up on the bridge,? explained Mr. Todd.

He joined the service on May 19, 1966 on the old steam tugboat and in September that year became a deckhand on the old boat. Between 1968 and 1969 he had ferry duties in Hamilton but returned to as a trainee under Captain Mac Burgess.

?The late deputy director Martin Hutley had faith in my ability. He required a tugboat captain and selected me, so at 22 I became the youngest tugboat captain,? he said.

From 1969 to 1980 he was in charge of and during that time helped salvage containers from the stricken ship that ran aground west of North Rock in 1978.

From mid-1980 to May 1981 he was on the tug tender before taking over the old cruise ship tender until she was sold in 1988. A short spell on shore ended in 1990 when he took over as captain on the new , of which he is still technically captain off until his official retirement date next March when he is 60.

Another memorable moment of his career occurred in 1997 when he towed the former people-smuggling freighter to its final scuttling spot in 100ft of water to the northwest of the Island.

Reflecting on his career choice, Mr. Todd said: ?I had a vision when I was a young boy. When I started here I just wanted to climb the ladder and young people today should know that even though I did not go to high school but left when I was 14, I worked hard. If you set goals and stay focused your dreams come true.?

In retirement he intends to concentrate on singing old-style jazz, playing piano and travelling, including a New York to Southampton, England, trip on the new luxury liner.

At the long service awards ceremony other recipients were Kathy Woodley and Colin Minors, with 20 years service each; Eugene Joyiens, Anthony Robinson, and Cleaston Simmons with 25 years each; and George Peets with 35 years service.

Others unable to attend were Allan Pitcher (35 years service), Keith Wade (25 years), Paula Stowe, Terry Darrell, Wendall Burchall, and Cornell Simons (20 years).