Sometimes you learn from an unexpected source. When I lived in Grand Cayman, I came to know one of the older boat builders, an interesting man named Ira Walton. Mister Ira – I always called him that – was a master at the traditional Caymanian cat boat (the name comes from the type of sailing rig) and he was rebuilding one at the time. I was at his yard one day gaffing with him in his boat shed.