「我好自豪,可以喺度做咗16年水手。天星小輪有超過120年歷史,陪伴過好多代香港人。我每一日都係咁來回尖沙咀同中環,幫手修理同清理隻船,埋岸,亦會幫助乘客上落船。填海填咗咁多年,個船程都愈縮愈短。每隻船都梗會有七個船員嘅,船長啦、副船長、四個水手同埋 機 械師 。著住藍色制服嗰啲就係水手,我哋會喺隻船埋岸嗰陣,拋啲纜繩上岸,啲繩起碼二三十磅重,所以你要夠大力夠壯㗎﹗我鍾意每日喺海邊㗎,試問有咩辦公室比得上呢個咁靚咁獨特嘅維港?」
「我同個海好有緣份。我屋企係水上人,喺銅鑼灣避風塘住咗好多年。我阿爸份工係幫啲大班打理遊艇。細個嗰陣,佢哋會帶埋我出海,請我食西餅,嗰時嚟講,呢啲嘢好名貴好奢侈
㗎喇,我有機會見識到另一個世界,幾鬼開心。我仲喺嗰度學識游水,
就咁掉我落海
㗎咋,一係就游,一係就浸囉﹗我仲記得第一次搭天星小輪。我嗰時應該係五歲到,過咗九龍,可能係探親戚。我突然間好掛住阿爸,好想返過海搵佢。我就係咁自己一個上咗船,又好神奇喎,我由碼頭一路行到去避風塘,真係見到佢。嗰次好難忘。香港而家嘅海景同以前一樣,都係咁迷人。」
“As sailors, we need to be prepared to save lives. I’ve jumped into the sea on three occasions to rescue people - sometimes it’s drunk people, sometimes it’s a careless accident. Just like in any job, you can come across some pretty interesting characters - there are people who take over the benches and sleep for hours, people who board with lit incense sticks, as if they are visiting a temple, people who jump into the sea because they just “want to have a swim”...each to their own! I love coming in to work and there is great camaraderie amongst my colleagues. I’m head of our “social committee” and we organise big team dinners every month or so - it is always good fun. Back in 2006, when it was announced that the old Central pier would be demolished - I remember feeling so touched by the overwhelming number of HongKongers who got emotional about the prospect of losing this iconic landmark. People were flooding in to take photos with us. I do miss the regular chiming of the old Central pier clock tower though; there is something very beautiful and nostalgic about that sound.”
「身為水手,我哋隨時都要準備去救人。我試過跳落海三次去救人,有時係因為有人飲醉酒,有時係意外。同其他工一樣,你有時會見到啲幾有趣嘅人,例如有人會霸住船上成張長櫈喺度訓幾個鐘,有人會拎住幾枝香上船,好似拜神咁,有人會無啦啦跳落海,話想游吓水喎……個個都有自己嘅故事﹗我好鍾意返嚟開工,同班同事好好感情。我係康樂組組長,間唔中會搞下聚餐,好開心 㗎。2006年嗰時,佢哋宣布話拆舊天星碼頭, 我記得見到咁多香港人對小輪同碼頭咁有感情,真係好感動。大家都好唔捨得呢個咁經典嘅地標。啲人湧到入嚟同我哋影相。不過我都好懷念中環舊碼頭鐘樓嘅鐘聲,嗰隻聲音好靚,好有味道。」