Family, Beatles and the Bridge: Meet Master Harry Gainer

Family, Beatles and the Bridge: Meet Master Harry Gainer

Harry Gainer is the Master of one of our newest additions to the fleet, Grampian Tay. Married to Becky and father to two daughters, Penelope (Penny), 9, and Matilda (Mattie), 7. Harry is, first and foremost, a devoted family man.

He speaks openly about the journey he and Becky took to start their family. Harry knew Becky was “the one” from the moment they met, and the couple married just nine months later. Knowing his wife, a teacher and Shakespeare enthusiast, would appreciate something special on their wedding day, so Harry surprised her with a wedding in the beautiful Shakespeare Garden in New York’s Central Park.

Starting a family had always been part of their plans, but after a year of trying to conceive, they decided to seek medical advice and opted for IVF. Thankfully, they were successful on their first attempt, welcoming Penny into the world. Not long afterwards, they tried again and were fortunate enough to conceive first time once more, completing their family with Mattie.

It’s clear Harry adores his daughters, who are both passionate performers. If you’ve been to the cinema recently, you may have spotted Mattie in the current Specsavers advert. Meanwhile, Penny is taking centre stage in Doncaster Stage Productions’ of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, where she’s playing the lead role.

When he’s not at sea, Harry enjoys spending time with his family, walking with Becky, watching rugby league and indulging in one of his biggest passions – The Beatles.

In fact, Harry’s love of the Beatles even found its way into naming his eldest daughter. He initially suggested Eleanor (after Eleanor Rigby) and Lucy (from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds), but both ideas were swiftly vetoed. Eventually, the couple agreed on Penelope Jane, with Jane chosen as a family name. Becky didn’t realise until months later that “Penny Lane” had quietly inspired Harry’s choice. We have to admit, that’s a pretty subtle way to sneak a Beatles reference into the family tree!

Seafaring is firmly in Harry’s blood. A fifth-generation seafarer from a family of engineers, he decided to break tradition by pursuing a career on deck instead and working his way up the ranks over the years.

He joined OOCL, a Hong Kong-based container shipping company, as a 16-year-old sea cadet, earning his Third Mate’s ticket before moving to Andrew Weir, where he worked on vessels chartered by the military transporting troops and cargo. He then spent five years with P&O Ferries before joining Prosafe, where he remained for 13 years.

As Harry puts it, Prosafe was where he “went from boy to man.” The role taught him the importance of customer service and leadership, describing himself as “a floating hotel manager” as much as a Master.

A day in the life

Harry’s day starts early, with a 5:00am alarm and enough time for what he describes as “a warm shower to wake up as I don’t drink coffee” before arriving on the bridge by 5:45am.

His first task is receiving a handover from the night team, covering anything significant that happened overnight. Occasionally, urgent weather or operational updates come through while he’s sleeping if they can’t wait until morning.

He then reviews the day’s weather forecast before spending time with the Dynamic Positioning Officers (DPOs) and speaking with the client to align on the day’s operations.

Once everyone is on the same page, Harry turns his attention to emails before leading the daily planning meeting with the Medic, Catering team, Chief Engineer, Client Representative and Chief Steward.

“It’s so I can hear about any issues or complaints and understand how I can help,” he explains. “It’s essentially a planning meeting to keep everything running smoothly.”

Lunch is around midday, with the afternoon split between the bridge and his office. Mid-afternoon, Harry makes a point of walking around the vessel.

“It’s important that I keep eyes on everything,” he says. “It also gives people the opportunity to stop me for a chat or raise anything while I’m passing through their area.”

After dinner at 5:30pm, he checks in with the team one final time before heading to bed early, ready for the inevitable overnight call.

“I’m trying to keep the wrinkles at bay!” he laughs.

One tradition that has evolved over the years is the Master’s daily hygiene inspection, checking public areas for cleanliness and documenting the results.

“I’m not as strict as Captains used to be,” Harry jokes. “Back in the day, if we failed cabin inspection you’d lose your shore leave. It was basically the seafaring version of being grounded!”

He also reflects on how attitudes towards Masters have changed throughout his career.

“When I first went to sea, the Captain was almost viewed as ‘Captain under God’. If you were sent to see the Captain, you knew you were in very, big trouble.”

When he’s off duty, Harry enjoys unwinding with a good book and is currently revisiting Terry Pratchett’s much-loved Discworld series.

“It’s a hilarious satirical fantasy series. Imagine a flat world shaped like a giant disc, balanced on the backs of four enormous elephants, all standing on the shell of a giant turtle swimming through space. It’s completely absurd – and that’s exactly the point!”

Building strong teams

While Harry clearly enjoys the technical side of his role, it’s the people that motivate him most.

“The best part of my job is getting to meet new people and hearing their stories. We all come from different walks of life, and I find it fascinating to hear how people ended up where they are.”

For Harry, leadership is about far more than operations.

“The most important part of my role is team building and crew relationships. The human element of the job can’t be underestimated.”

Creating an environment built on trust, collaboration and mutual respect is something he actively strives for every day.

Although Harry has only recently joined North Star, he says he’s already felt incredibly welcomed.

One of the biggest differences he’s noticed is how frequently shoreside colleagues visit the vessels while they’re alongside, helping strengthen relationships between those offshore and those onshore.

“It always makes communication easier when you can put a face to a name on an email,” he says.

Thank you, Harry, for sharing your story and giving us a glimpse into both your life at sea and at home. Your passion for people, commitment to your crew and thoughtful approach to leadership perfectly reflect the values we’re proud to have at North Star.

Stay tuned for more Meet the Team features as we continue to introduce the incredible people helping shape the future of offshore operations.

Image: The picture of Harry, his wife Becky and two daughters, was taken when they renewed their vows on their 10th anniversary.