Five Minutes with Daniel Bibby, a Marine Customer Service Officer
Published on
Friday, June 25, 2021
Our wonderful crew members are a talented bunch, so we thought we’d introduce you to Daniel Bibby, one of our Marine Customer Service Officers who is also an accomplished musician, singer and songwriter.
Daniel, how long have you worked for Mersey Ferries?
Just over a year, but I was a temporary member of staff in 2016 in the same role.
What are your responsibilities as a Marine Customer Service Officer?
On a morning shift I start work at 6:30am and the first thing I do is have a handover meeting with the night crew. After this, the morning crew walk around the ferry and carry out our safety checks. We also clean the ferry, so she is ready for our passengers and begin the Commuter Service, which runs continually until 09:50am.
The crew are responsible for the gangway, and the mooring lines which secure the vessel when she is alongside the landing stages (so you may see me throwing the ropes to my colleagues on the landing stages). We also ensure that all passengers embark/disembark the ferry safely.
After the Commuter Service finishes, we welcome passengers on board for our River Explorer Cruises from 10am, and work on the ferry until the end of our shift at 1:30pm. We then hand the vessel over to the late shift crew.
What is the best part of your job as a Marine Customer Service Officer?
The summer months stand out for me; a flat, calm, sunny day on the Mersey is one of the best environments to work in. In general, though it’s a very varied role, despite the preconception that we just go back and forth. The river is very dynamic, with tides and weather affecting the ferry, no two days are the same.
When did you start playing music?
I started playing guitar when I was ten years old. I taught myself and I’ve since taught myself how to play the bass, drums, harmonica, piano, ukulele, and banjo. I’m really passionate about music and song writing.
Where do you get the inspiration to write your songs?
I’m really a big fan of the craft of writing a song and a lot of the stuff I write is from first-hand experience, although I am branching out and using other techniques. I put myself in other people’s shoes and try to pen what I think they would say.
I went a step further with “Don’t Break Me Up” as I delved into the realms of anthropomorphism- a song from a ship’s perspective, on the way to the breakers yard. I have songs about space dogs, and even one called “Storm on the Mersey Blues” which I came up with after working a night shift on the ferry.
We noticed a few crew members took part in the video for your song “Back to Haunt me”- what was that like?
It was a brilliant day, a few of my colleagues pitched in and helped, and it was a laugh. We all suggested our ideas and put them into a story board and recorded it in a couple of hours. Having the boat and the backdrop in the music video was great.
Where can we find out more about your music and your debut album Greenwich Mean Times?
My page on Linktree has links to my latest music, and some reviews from local music magazines. I’m also on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter under the name bibbymusic.
Daniel’s new single Evelyn, Farewell, inspired by his Grandparents, has just been released. Daniel has also released a charity single called Don’t Break Me Up. All of the money raised from that single will be donated to The Mission to Seafarers, as prior to coming back to Mersey Ferries, Daniel was a Navigation Officer in the Merchant Navy.