About Us

Managing Director and Principal Surveyor

Captain Anthony Gates

Anthony’s story

He was born on the Esplanade at Henley Beach, South Australia, the next generation of a long line of seamen. As a youngster he began racing dinghies competitively, winning a junior world championship in 1989 and rating fourth in the open world championships. In 1990, as a member of Glenelg Surf Life Saving Club he patrolled beaches and raced inflatable rescue boats during the winter, placing third in the state.

Three years at university majoring in Physical Education confirmed his belief that his future lay on or in the water. He embarked on a mission to gain further skills and qualifications in myriad areas relating to the sea: first aid training; instructing qualifications in sailing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, snorkelling, surfing, windsurfing, and powerboat handling. He gained his Sailing Masters Certificate in 1992.

During the quieter winter periods at this time he travelled internationally and within Australia. While seeing the world he worked in a variety of recreational and aquatic positions, broadening his experiences and qualifications (to include SCUBA diving) whilst developing a respect for different cultures and races.

On returning to South Australia for the summer of 1993, he made the change from racing dinghies to racing yachts, combining his desire for travel and adventure with the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge for sailing the world on his own boat.  He was a member of a crew that won their division of the 1994 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, learning the importance of team work for the effective performance of a vessel.

In the winter of 1995, to gain more offshore racing and cruising experience, he joined the crew of a 39.5ft yacht for six months, sailing from Queensland to Jakarta Indonesia, before returning to Darwin. They raced from Darwin to Ambon and from Bali to Jakarta, with Anthony assigned the position of first mate and watch captain for a crew of six. He gained further valuable skills: voyage planning, provisioning, boat handling, navigation and pilotage, meteorology and vessel maintenance.

During the 1995-96 summer season in South Australia he was promoted to Senior Sailing Instructor, and also took on the position of Lake Ranger (1996-2002) patrolling West Lakes in a rescue/patrol vessel.

In the winter of 1996 he acquired a 24ft catamaran and over the next three winter seasons sailed it with friends from Sydney to Broome and then returned to Darwin in 1998 when he sold it. The rigours of life aboard such a small vessel in very remote areas only increased his love of life on the sea. In 1996 and 1997 he also studied at TAFE and completed Elements of Shipboard Safety, Restricted Radio Operators and Coxswain Certificate of Competency.

From 1998 until 2002 he worked full time as a Senior Aquatic Instructor and Lake Ranger and passed assessment as a Rescue Boat Examiner, Coastal Skipper Instructor and Offshore Racing Instructor.  In July 1999 Anthony bought an Adams 11.9m design, which he raced successfully with a crew of eleven for three years, before refitting her for shorthanded offshore cruising. In 2002, he set sail with his wife in Legs Eleven for the “Deep Blue”.

He now has well over 50,000 nm under his belt, and has sailed the Southern and South Pacific Oceans to SE Asia. Along the way, he worked as a professional skipper on Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays, Australia, as well as in Penang Malaysia with charters, regattas and yacht deliveries between Phuket, Thailand; Langkawi, Malaysia; Singapore and Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand.

He continued to hone his skills with further qualifications, gaining the Master 5 Certificate of Competency for Trading Vessels up to 24m in length for Offshore Operations in Australia. In 2006 he completed the PADI Divermaster Certificate at North Borneo Dive and Sea Sports Semporna. Deliveries later in the year included Phuket, Thailand to Darwin, Australia and Phuket to Perth, Australia.

In 2007 Anthony and his family moved to Phuket where he became Service Manager for a large International Yacht Brokerage. His vast experience with all things relating to boats was further enhanced by exposure to a wide variety of vessels and clients. As Service Manager responsible for up to 30 pleasure craft from 6m to 30m, he worked closely with a range of marine surveyors in a variety of different roles.

To further enhance his knowledge Anthony gained a Diploma in Marine Surveying with the International Institute of Marine Surveying (U.K.) and in 2012 established Andaman Marine Surveyors (AMS) with a view to providing the highest quality support for vessel owners in South East Asia.

As principal surveyor of AMS, Anthony provides clear, concise and practical information to the client in order for them to make an informed decision about their investment in a vessel.