D'Arcy Whiting caught the sailing bug in his youth. Photo / Supplied

D'Arcy Whiting caught the sailing bug in his youth. Photo / Supplied

D'Arcy Whiting, sailor, businessman, artist. Died aged 90.

D'Arcy Whiting was best known as a yachtie, and the book Coastal Cruising Handbook, which he co-authored, and which remains an essential part of any cruising yacht's gear. He was always keen to share his knowledge and love of sailing, helping novices learn their way around boats, often using anecdotes to illustrate a point.

But his own first boat was a canoe - briefly.

Each year the Whiting family camped at Sharks Bay, near Kauri Point on Auckland's North Shore. They caught the ferry and then loaded the camping equipment on to a cart and pushed it to the site.

Whiting and his mate Bing Hodder decided it would be easier to transport the tents and all the gear by water from Herne Bay.

They built a papier mache Canadian-style canoe with laminates of lacquered paper, but one crossing convinced them there had to be a better way. With the help of one of Mrs Whiting's bed sheets and a hinged centreboard, the canoe became a yacht, and a lifetime's love of sailing had begun.

Small yachts became larger ones, with the building of Aloha and Enterprise.

Whiting's first major yacht was the John Lidgard-designed Coruba in the mid-1960s. Coruba was built by Whiting himself, his son Paul, and Lidgard, in Whiting's factory in Carr Rd. In Coruba, Whiting took part in the Auckland to Noumea race with Paul and Penny, his elder daughter and well-known Auckland sailor, in just one of several ocean races Whiting enjoyed.

Coruba was followed by Tequila, a 47-footer designed by Paul and built in the front yard of the family home.

In 1974, having sold his business, Whiting loaded up the family and set off on an extended cruise on Tequila, taking in Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii and Midway Island before setting course for the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, California and Mexico.

He also ran a charter sailing business, and, with an all-woman crew, won the Coastal Classic yacht race between Auckland and the Bay of Islands.

He was a member of all the yacht clubs in Westhaven, and a life member of the RAYC.

D'Arcy Whiting was born in Auckland, and after leaving school at 13 with a Certificate of Proficiency, attended Seddon Technical College night school for five years, studying art, English, signwriting, engineering and cabinet-making. During the day he worked as a delivery boy on a bicycle.