ROYAL Marine Grahame Forshaw MBE has been appointed as Lyme’s new harbourmaster in his first posting at a working harbour.

Mr Forshaw will take over from Mike Poupard, who is retiring in September after 14 years in the role.

Currently a Warrant Officer in the Royal Marines, Mr Forshaw is retiring from the military after 30 years of service, during which time he served in major conflicts including the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and Bosnia, as well as spending time in Belize and the Far East.

But the 50-year-old does not come to the job without an expert knowledge of the sea – he is the Royal Navy’s chief sailing coach, responsible for all 13 Royal Navy Sailing Centres worldwide reporting to the Admiralty Board.

He also ran the Royal Navy/Royal Marine Sail Training Centre in Plymouth.

Mr Forshaw said his new job in Lyme Regis is a ‘natural end’ to his service career. “I have always wanted to be a harbourmaster,” he said. “I fortunately saw this post and was lucky enough to get an interview. I am thrilled with the appointment and really keen to get started with it.

“I think what appeals to me is being closer to the hub of the community and certainly pivotal in the operations within the harbour. Also getting to know as many people that use the harbour as possible, and forging links in the community.”

Mr Forshaw will take up the post in March, working alongside Mr Poupard until his retirement. “Mike is keen to ease me in but will let go as soon as he feels he has done enough to pass the knowledge on,” said Mr Forshaw.

“I have no plans for any major development because I don’t know the job yet. In my experience, it is always best to learn the ropes first, find out what is going on and make tweaks where necessary. I intend to build on Mike’s good work.”

Mr Forshaw, who is single and currently living in Portsmouth, also works with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) as an advance trainer and is co-author of the association’s Safety Boat Handbook and Advanced Sailing Handbook.

He is advisor to the Hong Kong Sailing Association, and was awarded his MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2001.

West Dorset District Council’s technical services manager Steve Woollard said: “Grahame is looking forward to joining the Lyme Regis harbour team in March and hopes to enhance the harbour for the benefit of the users, visitors and the local community and I am sure he will be a great asset to the team.”