“I was born in Pakuranga [Auckland], the youngest of three brothers, but honestly, I think I was a bit of a mistake.”
Mistake or not, after Tim’s dad moved out, his mother, Doreen, had no choice but to bring up her youngest son solo. Tim’s introduction to boats came early on when Doreen bought a Sea Nymph 14.6 runabout, which she towed behind her Holden Torana. Although Tim didn’t realise it then, cars and boats would be two constants in his life.
At age 15, Tim became passionate about windsurfing and owned several, including a Comet, a Mistral and a Superstar.
“I bet most people will be surprised to think of my interest in yachts. I was never very interested in fishing.” [Editor’s note: tut tut…]
After gaining his UE, Tim began an accountancy course at Manukau Polytech.
“It wasn’t me, so I left after six months and got an administration
