Townsville veteran pilots his last

TOWNSVILLE’s Captain Gerard de Silva is piloting his final vessel today, at Abbot Point, after more than 40 years at sea and 18 years at the Port of Townsville.

The port says Capt de Silva has guided more than 23,000 vessels around the globe during a career that began at the age of 20 in Sri Lanka where he was one of the first cadets to be taken into the country’s merchant navy. 

He joined the Port of Townsville’s pilotage team in 2007 and his last job in the port, a bulk carrier, was celebrated on 14 August 2025 when attending tugs performed a water cannon salute. 

Capt de Silva, who has piloted every type of vessel from cruise ships to fishing vessels, container ships and submarines, reflected fondly on some of his most memorable moments throughout his career. 

“Handling some of the famous ships like Queen Elizabeth II, I handled in Colombo before I came to North Queensland,” he said. “As a ship’s Captain I’ve been to Europe, UK, Middle East and so many countries.” 

Port of Townsville GM Operations, Project Delivery and Safety David McLoughlin said Capt de Silva was one of the Port’s longest serving pilots and he will be missed. “Gerard has been doing this for 40 years and been working at the Port (of Townsville) for 18 years,” he said. “Overall, he’s climbed about 100 kilometres of vertical ladders. We thank him very much for his service and dedication to our industry.” 

In his retirement Captain de Silva plans to keep busy by spending more time with his family including his eight grandchildren.