Boat builder, wood carver and understated all round good guy, Derek has been contributing pictures to this site since it started. His winter trips, with Mary, to far flung and warmer places have given us some of the most interesting photos during the "closed season" during those cold winter months.

He is also a great Heron sailor, he built his own and has helped patch up countless others. He is probably the last pipe smoker I know since my father gave it up and in the nicest possible way you can often smell him before you can see him.

Now I have said so many nice things about him I wonder if he will help me plug the leak in my boat.