Aug 6, 2026 – 5.00amProfessional ship’s captain Dan Oatley is also a champion yachtsman and former Australian ski racing representative. He works alongside his father making extra virgin olive oil and has a business designing carbon-fibre speedboats.Your life has centred a lot around the water …Yes, I’ve definitely gotten pretty salty over the years. I’ve been a navigation officer on the Queen Mary 2, raced in seven Sydney to Hobarts and won two of them, and I collect and restore wooden boats, including a 102-year-old Huon pine Couta boat. I also have a 40-ton trawler, a traditional Australian, 79-year-old carvel-planked canoe stern built from spotted gum. She worked as a commercial fishing vessel along Australia’s southern coast and has now been refurbished as a pleasure boat but carries all the character, craftsmanship and history of her working days. I’ve always loved things on land too. Restoring old cars and motorbikes has been a passion since I was a teenager.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Tony DavisMotoring writerTony Davis writes on lifestyle specialising in cars.Fetching latest articles