Back in the mid seventies when I was five years old, my Dad built a 36ft Vindex on the front lawn. I used to go out and help him on the weekends, this was the start of things to come.
As time moved on I refurbished dinghys, runabouts and a small 25ft launch. My Dad, who is a marine engineer by trade and a very accomplished boatbuilder taught me a hell of a lot back then to give me a head start, before I started my apprenticeship in 1988 at McGaffin Boatbuilders. There I spent 4.5 years building big custom launches and yachts. Unfortunately, the company went broke 6 months before my apprenticeship was completed, so I finished my time working for Dad on his second Vindex project on the front lawn. During that time I made a decision to start working for myself doing repairs and maintenance out of the back of my ute around marina’s and hardstands. This went very well until Auckland’s weather got the better of me. So, with help from Dad we purchased Boatshed No.10 on Ngapipi Road in 1997. This made life so much easier, hauling boats in and out for full refits or smaller maintenance jobs.
Other hobbies and sports I got into over the years were jet boat marathon racing and thundercat racing, in which I competed at a high level for 10 years.
We still operate out of the boatshed 24 years on and from a modest facility at Okahu Bay. Boats have always been in my blood and I have a huge passion for them. Particularly the old wooden classics. Our success to this day is due in large part to family support, a strong work ethic and a lifelong dedication to craftsmanship. While any boat is in our care, we treat it like it’s our own – which is results in a win, win, win – a win for us, for the owner and most importantly, for the boat itself.