Nigel Whitton

Nigel Whitton is a traditionally trained Shipwright / Boatbuilder. On leaving school in New Zealand at 16 and wanting to find a trade that he could enjoy, and not finding any openings in Hamilton, he boarded a plane for Australia. After trying a couple of trades on for size he choose boatbuilding with a small family business, building traditional small boats.

See www.nwdesigns.co.nz

After finishing the four year apprenticeship and staying on with the firm for a further two years, the high seas beckoned. Six years working on two high profile super-yachts followed, where he maintained all the timber work on-board and worked as an engineer. His last employer then asked him and his partner to manage his private estate (6,800 m² house on 7 acres) in Florida which they did for two years before returning to New Zealand.

Nigel completed the full nine month course at the Centre for Fine Woodworking and has started his own business as a furniture maker as well as taking on contracts from super-yachts for refits and repair work in the South Pacific and teaching dinghy building at the Centre.