Don Alexander was a mechanic who’d served in WWII, and – like most returned servicemen – all he wanted was a quiet family life and a steady job. Kerry was born in 1947 in Eastern Bays, and the Alexander family moved to Torbay and then Browns Bay in 1950.
Alexander was drawn to boats early on, and Browns Bay provided the perfect backdrop. “I spent my childhood mucking about in boats and, by age 12, had decided I wanted to become a boatbuilder.”
On his way home from school, Alexander would walk past the late Keith Atkinson’s boatbuilding shed in Browns Bay. A cheeky approach soon had him sweeping the floors for Atkinson, which in 1962 led to an official apprenticeship.
“Keith was a hard taskmaster but a very good boatbuilder. He used the best materials and trade practices but wasn’t big on sandpaper. However, it was a great place to learn a trade.”
Atkinson built all manner of boats: dinghies, yachts, fishing boats, launches and runabouts, in carvel, laminated timber and plywood. Designers were equallykeels and installing engines. In his second year, Alexander built a 5.7m Sea Scout cutter in lapstrake timber virtually singlehandedly, an honour for someone so young.
