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Jump to navigationJump to searchA Sailor's Tales by Captain William Wells (view source)
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Captain William Wells was born in New Zealand where his father ran a successful carpentry business. His , but his heart wasn't in following his father into the business family firm or in most of the lessons at school. He was an enthusiastic sportsman but what enthralled him most were the ships sailing out of Wellington harbour, which he could see from his bedroom window. Without his parentparents's knowledge he applied for a scholarship which allowed six boys each year to travel to the UK and undertake their basic nautical training. Billy Wells, who previously had only got 2% in his English exam (his name was spelled correctly) had the second highest score in the country and was soon on his way to England.
Possibly the most difficult thing for young Billy was thinking of what he was doing as work and even some half a century later his enthusiasm for what he was doing shines through. He had the aptitude and was willing to work hard so promotion followed promotion and it wasn't that long before he had his own command. Much as he loved this he felt that his future was in a different direction. He wanted to be a pilot – the man who brings ships great and small into ports all over the world. Most of the book is about Captain Wells' experiences as a pilot.
