Sea Feather History
1964
Paul Dolton Goes Sailing
A young Paul Dolton joins the Navy and is given a chance to race on a yacht called “Sea Feather” from Harwich to Ostend in a Force 8 and in his own words “was hooked”.
1982
Paul Builds His First Boat
Paul built his first boat in 1982, a Cape Ann Dory, rigged with the junk rig.
1996
Itchy fingers
In 1998 Paul bought a Signet 20 and had the time to start experimenting with self steering gears.
1998
Things started happening!
By 1998 Paul bought a Kingfisher 20+, Touchwood. He built around six different prototype Sea Feathers, people heard about his design, word got out and people bought them from him.
2003
Paul Sells His First Sea Feather
The design works, people start asking Paul for a Sea Feather and Paul makes his first official sale!
2006
Business boomed!
Paul met Bill Churchouse and was introduced to the Jester Challenge. Practical Boat Owner (PBO) published it’s first article about the Sea Feather written by Jake Kavanagh.
2014
Time to go sailing
In 2014 and over 200 Sea Feathers been built Paul decides to sell Sea Feather to take the time to go sailing.
2015
Lee & Gemma Rogers buy Sea Feather
Lee and Gemma buys Sea Feather to run alongside their established rigging company based on the Dart. Paul is stays involved in the manufacturing, assembily and setting up of each Sea Feather without the worry of running the company. Lee draws each component up in 3D CAD to “standardise” production. This means replacement parts are a like for like and assembly is simplified.
2022
Lee and Gemma Rogers Decide To Sell Sea Feather
Lee and Gemma make the difficult decision to put Sea Feather up for sale to concentrate on their primary business.
2023
Sea Feather Marine Ltd buy “Sea Feather”
Tom and Louise, Directors of Sea Feather Marine Ltd buy the “Assets” from Lee and Gemma (Sea Feather Ltd) fulfilling an ambition to run and build a small business together. The opportunity of taking on a proven product whilst keeping it available to likeminded sailors was something we had to make happen or else we would regret it. “We both understand windvanes are a niche product and will need to be run as a cottage industry but believe other like minded single and shorthanded sailors would not benefit from the hard work previous people have put in to developing Sea Feather. It would be a detriment to the yachting world should Sea Feather disappear.” Lee, Gemma and Paul are on hand to help with the change over.