And now for something completely different …
After more than 40 years in the pressure-cooker environment of B.C. courtrooms, criminal lawyer Dennis Murray walked away this summer to begin a second career as a Victoria Harbour Ferry captain.
“I really made myself a promise some years ago that I would hang them up while I could still skate and I would do it definitely, definitely, before I reached the age of 70,” said Murray, 69.
About three years ago, he started to muse about what he might do post-law.
“I thought about being a guy who helps people figure out things at Home Depot because they have people working part time and I’m a bit of a MacGyver guy and I had the harbour ferries in the back of my head,” Murray said.
The latter seemed a natural fit, he said.
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“I love the water. I’ve been on the water since I was a kid with my dad and I like people. I knew it would be so completely different than anything I’d done in my law career, so I decided to give it a stab. My big fear was I wouldn’t be able to pass the commercial passenger operator exams at my age.”
In June, Murray pulled the plug. He farmed out all his files among colleagues and closed his law practice.
He loves the change.
“What’s not to love? I absolutely love kibitzing with the people who get on board from all over the world — you wouldn’t believe it. It’s just amazing. And the second thing I enjoy is the people [I work with]. Many of the guys are retired navy guys. They’re all just fantastic people.”
There’s never any shortage of resumés from people wanting to drive a harbour ferry, said Barry Hobbis, a company partner and vice-president of operations.
Most of the people who sign on “have been walking along the harbour and they see a harbour ferry scooting along. They’re either about to retire or they’re retired and they basically come to the conclusion: ‘Gee, I’d like to do that,’ ” Hobbis said.
Those who are really interested are prepared to take the next step, which involves completing more than $1,000 worth of certification courses before coming back for a job interview.
“Having boating skills is not at the top of the list in terms of what we’re looking for,” Hobbis said. “Really, what’s at the top of the list is, do they like to work with people? Are they happy when they’re sitting on a boat and they’ve got 12 people from all over the world? And can they interact with them? And do they like it? That’s the primary objective.”
The job attracts an eclectic bunch, Hobbis said. Over the years, harbour ferry captains have included retired military personnel, among them a retired rear admiral and several navy captains; a medical doctor, a 747 pilot, Telus linemen and two local mayors — former Victoria mayor Bob Cross and former Oak Bay mayor Christopher Causton.
Causton started with the harbour ferries after retiring from office three years ago.
“It’s always busy. You’ve got kayaks, you’ve got boats, you’ve got planes. So every day is an interesting day. A busy day,” Causton said.
Like Murray, he loves the interaction with the passengers. And his background in the hospitality field and in local politics serves him well in explaining points of interest.
“You’re actually talking about a city you like, or in my case, you love. You’re talking about the good side of the city and you try to tend away from some of the bad things. Most of the time I don’t talk about sewage,” Causton said.
Causton bought an annual pass over the last couple of years he was mayor, so he could spend a lot of time on the ferries and get a better understanding of the job.
Both Causton and Murray also cite the camaraderie among the team as a highlight of the job.
Hobbis, meanwhile, gets a chuckle out of the expression on the newbies’ faces when they realize for the first time a more tangible expression of a job well done.
“The first time they go out on a water taxi or they do a Gorge tour and people get off the boat and they turn around to their empty boat and they go, ‘What? What the heck?’ They realize their tip cup is full of money. They just kind of go, ‘Wow!’ That’s immediate reward for immediate results. It just cracks me up every time I see it.”
The Victoria Harbour Ferry operation
- Fleet: Victoria Harbour Ferry has 16 vessels
- Routes: 18 ferry stops around the Inner and Upper harbours from Ogden Point to the Tillicum Bridge
- Cost: Water taxi ride from one stop to another averages $5. Harbour tours and Gorge cruises range from $22 to $26 for adults. Pickle Pub Crawls are $15 per person.
- Crew: Victoria Harbour Ferry employs as many as 70 staff, with 45 to 50 captains in peak season
- Season: The season usually begins in late February with the Be a Tourist in Your Hometown event and closes the middle of October.