Following a college education at the School of Navigation in Warsash, in the early 1960s Richard completed four years sea time apprenticeship with Royal Mail Lines.

He went on to work for Townsend Thoreson Car Ferries as Third Officer between Southampton and Cherbourg, and eventually joined Wightlink Ferries in 1990.

He started with Wightlink by working on the early Catamarans, later transferring to the vehicle ferries, initially as the Chief Officer and then Skipper for about over a decade between Fishbourne and Portsmouth.