published in 2005, Donald's seagoing memoirs recounted a life at sea beginning in South Shields as a trainee merchant seamen during WW2 and the Atlantic convoys
until the time he handed over the last of the family boats, the netter and liner Ben Loyal to his son John Turtle. Donald was a firm believer in conservation and fished with longlines for many years, even after most other boats in the fleet had long since ceased. Other boats in the family over the years were the Bonny Mary and the Mayflower - sadly, the Through the Gaps archive is missing photos of these.