1980 was a very significant year for British Virgin Islands (BVI)-based Mike Masters. It was the year that the yacht trade boomed; and it was the year that Nautool Machine Ltd. was incorporated. Of course, the two are inextricably linked.
In 1979, having just read in Fordors that a sleepy little archipelago called the British Virgin Islands was about to become a sailing Mecca, a young Mike Masters packed all he owned into one suitcase, bought himself a ticket and set off. He thought the BVI would be a perfect place to set up a sailing school, and he envisioned a little 'put-up' outfit operating off one of Tortola's pristine beaches.
A few drinks in the Village Cay Marina Bar with one Alby Stuart of Tortola Yacht Services wiped out all ideas of his little beach-hut sailing school for good. Alby had discovered that Mike had a background in technical design and metalworking, and was convinced that these skills were going to be very much needed in Tortola's new(ish) yachting industry. He helped Mike find a workshop near his boatyard and helped him acquire some tools for his trade. It’s 25 years on and Mike has never looked back!
Today, Nautool has between 8 and 10 employees, most of them long-term, and all of them have learnt from Mike in the art of metal shaping, design and usage. His Assistant Manager, Geoffrey Marchant, has been with the company for almost seven years. He has known Mike since they served an apprenticeship together at the tender age of 15.
"We make a good team," says Mike. "Design-wise, he's the more technically minded of the two of us. I tend to be the free-hand thinker. Together, though, we have managed some fantastic projects in a variety of materials, all with very positive results." |
