It was during his seven years with the company he met his wife of 35 years, Junko.
"She's Japanese and she was working on a passenger ship out of Japan. I was second officer and she was the nurse," Mr Drake said.
When they returned to New Zealand, he worked as a harbour pilot at Bluff for two years, before taking up the same position in Tauranga, in June 1982. "Tauranga was the obvious place. I have a close affinity with it," he said.
Progressing to marine manager in 1992, and then operations manager in 1996, Mr Drake has seen many changes at the port.
The port has grown and so have the ships - in size and number.
When he started, Sulphur Point was "a big sandpit", the channels were narrower and shallower and ships were a good 100 metres shorter.
"When I started, the largest ships on a regular basis were 180m long. Now, the largest on a regular basis are 290m long," he said.
And the number of visiting cruise ships has grown from a couple a season, to 82 last season.
In simple terms, Mr Drake described his role of 16 years as "everything to do with getting ships safely into port", with the help of 70 people, who work in areas under his control.
On occasion - about 50 times a year - he still pilot's vessels into port himself.
He rates his involvement in the building of two tug boats and three pilot launches as the most satisfying projects of his career.
The grounding of the Rena was the most "surreal". "How on earth could that happen?" he said.
Mr Drake said his love of the sea comes from a childhood spent on small boats in Auckland and Taupo - something he plans to indulge in more in his retirement.
He has bought a 1964, 12m wooden launch which he plans to modernise, replacing his current 10.5m launch.
"I like the freedom and the fact that you're in charge. What[ever] happens, you determine it. You're your own boss out on a boat. It's the joy of being on a moving medium - the water. On a rough day it's even more interesting than a calm day. Over the years, I have experienced all sorts of weather," Mr Drake said.
" Some people are fishermen and the boat is the tool to go fishing. The way I look at it, the boat is my passion."