RETIRING Weymouth harbourmaster Keith Howorth has done a ‘first class job’ during his seven years in the role according to harbours committee chairman Mark Roberts.

His comments came during Mr Howorth’s last meeting of the committee prior to retirement at the end of October.

Cllr Roberts said that over the years the harbourmaster had ensured the harbour was well run and complied with all the regulations.

Mr Howorth joined the team in April 2013 after almost 32 years’ service in the Royal Navy. He has lived in Weymouth since 1988 and is a keen leisure sailor.

His successor, Jamie Joyce, takes over the role on November 2 after a week’s handover with Mr Howorth.

In his last report to the committee, the harbourmaster outlined the drop in visiting vessels to the harbour because of Covid and said that, despite some ‘challenges’ in working out Government advice, the harbour had remained open, welcoming leisure boats back in the first week of July.

“It has been a very different summer,” he said. “We would have expected it to quieten down by now but with the recent good weather it has remained busy.”