March 3, 1947, in association with the NYS Apprenticeship Council -- which still has a boat building category Doug Westin became an apprentice boat builder to Sam Jorgensen in West Sayville. He had worked for Hercules Powder Co from 1942-5 before his work as a (New York & southern New England) traveling salesman for Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation. March 1948, Doug announced his yacht brokerage [see card image]. In late 1949, Doug purchased property on the corner of Terry St. and River Rd. that abutted Karl Pausewang. Dave DeGraff worked with Doug building his first boat there -- Westin Sports 19 [see picture with Doug at the wheel]. In August of the summer of 1949, the GSBYRA "Queen of the Bay" race was held, and Doug had built two Narrasketucks --- #103 his "Little Moose" and #109 "Cheemaun" for Harry Thornbury [see picture]. Rudy Sittler, who is working on a history of the 'Tuck' class, says that #109 was built in May 1949. These two sailboats were built in Captain Mark Lahamadeau's shop on Terry Street, According to Dave DeGraff. Doug's Terry Street shop was built using an $8000 loan (December 1949) and was ready by March 1950. From at least August 1964 until he sold the Terry Street lot and building in 1969, it was rented for $150 per month, perhaps to the Maritime Canvas Co that rented space at the same rate from October 1958 to September 1960 at the River Rd location. It was on April 4, 1951, when Doug purchased the River Road yard "Gerry's Boat Basin" from Joseph Gerry and changed the name to Doug Westin's Boat Shop. (an agreement for $22,000 was paid monthly for over 15 years) This name change was acknowledged by the NYS apprentice training program for a boat builder. There had been a house on the property between the basin and River Rd, that was used by the Sayville Yacht Club in the 1930s. It later became the summer home for Doug and his family, until it was moved to Fire Island in the spring of 1962. In the fall of 1952, a large wooden quonset-hut shaped storage shed was built near River Rd south of the boat basin. In December 1955, the business was incorporated. Jim March, who worked at both of the locations, remembers that the Terry St shop was where they built the smaller 'kit' boats (Highlanders & Thistles) and their masts. The River Rd location was for larger projects plus hauling and storage. There was a railway for the "launching and hauling". In November 1957, Doug bought the property to the south of the marine railway on River Rd, to Brown's River Rd. from Ernest Mukelwitz. This created the present yard of just under 2 acres. In late 1957, Stephen Olko, a consulting engineer, put together a "report on expansion of facilities" for the River Rd business. This report outlined seven possible expansions with sketches and cost estimates for future planning. Some aspects -- moving and removing the railway for use of a travel lift, construction of a large storage building near River Rd -- were incorporated as the yard grew. In 1958 a hauling slip and travel lift replaced the railway and the office was moved to its present location in the fall of the following year. In January 1968, the expansion of the basin berth area to the south was done after a fire that destroyed the large (1957) storage building along with several boats including the R-boat, "Ellen". In 1969, A large steel work building by Shenango was added after the fire damage was either repaired or cleaned up. In 1992, the two underground fuel storage tanks were removed and two above ground tanks with containment were installed for the diesel and gasoline sold. In 2005 permits for dredging and bulkheading the basin and Brown's River area of the yard were obtained. New bulkheads with electric and water pods were installed, except on the north side of the basin, and all areas were dredged.