BEING at sea is not an unusual thing for the family of Caerleon’s Rod McDonald – with four generations all serving in the Merchant Navy.

Mr McDonald, 63, his late father Bob, late grandfather James and his son Alexander, 29, have all dedicated their careers to the Merchant Navy over the past century.

Now to add to their achievements, Rod has just been awarded a Merchant Navy medal for his services to ship safety management and the Merchant Navy Association in South Wales.

The medal is only awarded to 15 people throughout the UK every year.

He was also recently admitted as a Freeman of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners Mr McDonald, who is a national councillor of the Merchant Navy Association and a member and past vice-chairman of the city of Newport branch of the Merchant Navy Association, said: “I’m very proud to have received the medal.”

The grandfather-of-one has served in the Merchant Navy for 47 years, spending 12 years as a master of deep sea cargo with Cardiff company Graig Shipping.

He is now a fleet inspector with James Fisher shipping services in Barrow-in-Furness and his career has seen him travel all over the world including Australia, South America and Africa.

His father, Bob, who died five years ago aged 85, served from around 1936 until 1950 as a seafarer.

His grandfather, James, served as a steamfitter until just after the Second World War. Mr McDonald is not certain for how many years his grandfather, who died in 1947, served.

Mr McDonald’s son Alexander, who currently lives in Brazil with fiancée Grazi and 20-monthold daughter Kimberly, is a chief officer for Norwegian company Odfjell.

Mr McDonald, who lives with his wife Jackie, and has an elder son, James, who didn’t chose a Merchant Navy career, said: “Being in the Merchant Navy is something I always wanted to do.”