Visiting the boatyard where his father worked, was Donald’s first exposure to boat building. His father, a professional Yachtsman, did boat building and repairs in the off season.

Working with him, Donald picked up the skills to build and make repairs to boats. When young he worked on boats that were mostly under 30-foot-long. They used the ‘moulded’ technique, using thin strips of wooden Afrormosia veneer.

At Unity Hall in Wootton, at the peak, they were building up to 12 boats a year, the two of them. They later used to fit out ‘Albacore’ dinghies.