David Cheslin, founder of Coastlink and doyen of shipping public relations, has died after a short illness.
He went into PR in 1978 after working as a shipping journalist, and set up his own company, Dunelm PR, in 1981 with Taiwanese shipping line Evergreen as his first client. He also worked with Rickmers Linie, OT Africa Line, the TT Club and lately with UK P&I.
In 2004 he set up the Coastlink Network in conjunction with Gavin Roser to promote short sea and feeder container shipping as an integral element in a competitive supply chain.
Coastlink went on to host a series of conferences. Gavin Roser said: “Everyone who knew David and Coastlink say without hesitation that David will be missed by so many people in the ports sector, shipping lines and shippers and even the regulators many of whom used Coastlink as a sounding board for an effective industry perspective.
“The fact that Coastlink really made a difference thrilled David and it is a testament to his vision and drive that Coastlink has had an impact on the industry throughout European waters.”
