FELLOW boat enthusiast Piers Savage has paid tribute to his friend, ferryman Terry Nield.
The 58-year-old's body was found in the River Severn on April 10, close to his moored boat and home at the Lower Lode Inn, near Tewkesbury.
An initial inquest, which was adjourned to a date to be fixed, heard that the cause of death had yet to be established.
The coroner heard further tests would have to be carried out before that would be known.
Mr Nield was known for having been the ferryman at Lower Lode for the last two summer seasons, taking people from the Tewkesbury side of the river across to the pub, earning the nickname 'Terry the Ferry'.
It is a job that Mr Savage had also done for a season in the past and he said they had a shared interest in boats.
He said: "I had known Terry for about seven years. It's really sad.
"He was a very unassuming gent, though he had been a bit of a boy when he was younger.
"He was a really nice chap who never lost his temper."
He said that although his friend had family, he had been "a bit of a loner", living in the pub or a nearby touring caravan with his Rottweiler dog.
Known for being a good carpenter, he said he had made a dovecote that is outside the pub.
"I suspect there will be a plaque put there in his memory," he said.
Mr Savage, a Royal Yachting Association-qualified yachtmaster, who lives in Northway, said he had fond memories of when Mr Nield joined him on a trip to bring a boat back to Tewkesbury from France 12 months ago.
They made their way back along the River Seine and Mr Savage said: "We had a good trip, which lasted a week. Terry thoroughly enjoyed it."
Gloucestershire police are not treating Mr Nield's death as suspicious.
They found his body after he was reported missing to them on April 7.
He had last been seen the day before, sailing his boat away from the Haw Bridge Inn at Tirley, after spending the afternoon there with family and friends.
His funeral is due to take place at St Paul's Church in Cheltenham, at 2.30pm on May 2, followed by a private cremation.