The British Tugowners Association was delighted to award Captain William (Bill) Evans its Tug Personality of the Year Award for 2026 at a Technical Committee meeting hosted at BMT in Fareham.
Tom Woolley, the BTA’s Honorary President, presented Bill will the award and offered the following citation:
The award is given by the BTA, to honour someone who has made an outstanding contribution, in particular to safety and efficiency. The person could work within or out with the industry, which sets the bar at its highest level.
This year we wish to honour a person who fits that completely, in as much as Bill Evans’ career as a lead investigator within the MAIB has made a conspicuous contributiontowards making harbour towage a safer place to work.
Leadership in the military requires constant appraisal of peoples’ ability, motives and results: it requires leaders to act decisively, as well as sensitively, whilst expressing themselves clearly.
Bill’s naval career in command, and as a Designated Person in all naval ports at home and overseas, required huge attention to detail, and was an excellent foundation for his second career as a lead investigator in the MAIB, given that the human element is intrinsic in all marine accidents. These attributes have been clearly demonstrated in the quality of Bill’s investigations and reports, especially when fatalities are involved. They are conspicuously demonstrated in the Biter incident report, which dealt in depth with science and facts, as well as peoples’ motives, whilst getting to the root causes precisely, yet sensitively.
Bill’s depth of research combined with quality of reporting will undoubtedly result in limiting/reducing/preventing loss of lives in harbour towage in the future.
Prepared by Captain Tom Woolley RD VR MNM
Honorary President
British Tugowners Association
April 2026
After the award, the then BTA Chairman Michael Paterson and Bill sat down for an informal chat about key safety lessons, reflecting upon ones career, and lasting impressions. Watch it here on YouTube.
For any comments or queries, please contact the BTA Secretary.
