Ray Johnston spent 22 years in the Kent County Constabulary, as a detective officer investigating major thefts and fraud. He also served on a regional crime squad specialising in organised crime involving motor vehicles, boats, including insurance frauds.

During his career within the Police Service he took an active interest in sailing and gained a considerable knowledge of yachts and small craft.

On leaving the Police Service in 1992, and having already considerable experience working with major UK Insurers and leading marine loss adjusters, he set up R.D. Johnston & Co. Marine Loss Adjusters and Investigators.

Ray graduated from the Chapman College of Seamanship in Florida, Yacht and Small Craft Surveying. He passed the qualifying examination of the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors as an Accredited Marine Surveyor (AMS).

On return to the UK he pursued his small craft surveying career in South East England and continued his studies as a member of the Yacht Designers and Surveyors Association with whom he has since qualified as an Accredited Surveyor and then a Full Surveyor Member of the Association. He continues to be an active member of the premier surveying organisation in Europe, the Yacht Designers and Surveyors Association (YDSA) and was recently awarded a Fellow of the Association. He is also a Full Member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA). He is also a Freeman of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames one of the oldest Livery Companies of the City of London and is a Freeman of the City of London.

Ray is also a Full Member of the International Institute of Marine Surveyors (MIIMS)     and is also a Full member of the Society of Consulting Marine Engineers and Ship Surveyors (SCMS). He is also a member of British Marine and Superyacht UK.

The company has recovered a number of high value stolen yachts and motor yachts across the World in such places as the Cape Verde Islands, Morocco, Tunisia, Spain, France and Norway. We have also undertaken claims assignments in the Caribbean, USA, and throughout the entire European continent and in Turkey.

In 2002, Ray Johnston set up the company Yacht Claims Ltd, later to become RJ Marine Surveys Limited trading as Yacht Claims, to specifically provide a professional service in Marine Consultancy, Loss Adjusting and Surveying to Marine Underwriters.  In addition the company are nominated surveyors of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency providing MCA Codes of Compliance Examinations, Tonnage Measurement Surveys, Investigation and Surveying.