In 1954, fresh off a solo trip across the Atlantic, Ian Nicolson spent two weeks writing his first book.

Sea Saint documented the building and maiden voyage of the yacht he made the journey in, Saint Elizabeth.

Now, 68 years on, the 94-year-old Cove resident is still writing, still sailing, and still working.

His latest book, Introduction to Yacht Design, is number 27 in his collection, and he has no plans to slow down yet.

The release is a rewrite of a book Ian published 20 years ago, reflecting changes in the industry since the original version.

The naval architect first starting writing as a young apprentice during World War II. On a wage of £1.25 per week, he began penning articles as an extra source of income.

Unable to type himself, he bought chocolates for a young typist who helped him write up his first article – and so a lifelong love was born.

“I had a favourite author who had written eight books,” said Ian.

“His name was Calahan. He wrote very good books and I was openly jealous.

“I thought it would be great to write nine books. I never thought I would get to this number. If you live long enough, that’s what happens.”

Ian’s string of titles was born after he emigrated to Canada in a sailing boat at the age of 22.

On a 45ft yacht, he travelled to Lisbon and Barbados, through the Panama Canal to San Francisco, and then on to Vancouver.

Just ten minutes after arriving in the Canadian city, he was offered work as a naval architect.

Eventually, Ian decided to return to Britain, but given the high cost of flight prices at the time, he chose to travel home on the water.

Near Halifax in Nova Scotia, he built Saint Elizabeth – a family name which was usually bestowed upon the eldest daughter.

He said: “Canada is 4,000 miles across and the Atlantic is 3,500 miles across. I would have had to buy two airline tickets, one across Canada and one across the Atlantic.

“I hitchhiked across Canada wearing a NacNab tartan jacket – that’s my middle name. Everybody stopped to give me a lift – it worked a treat.

“On the east coast, with the help of a shipbuilder, I built myself a yacht and I sailed to Britain singlehanded.

“It was hard work building the boat because I only had the spring and beginning of summer to do it. I had to cross before the winter and the bad weather.”

After catching measles from his baby nephew upon his return, Ian wrote Sea Spirit in his room using the logbook he kept during his journey across the ocean.

Since then, he put his name to various books and thousands of articles. He also continues to write and draw for Water Craft, a boat design magazine which is published six times per year.

Over the years, Ian has built up a wealth of knowledge and experience in all things boat-related.

Originally from Ealing in London, he moved from Glasgow to Cove with late wife Morag in 1972 before designing and opening a sail loft in Rosneath the following year.

He said: “When I saw it I thought, ‘that’s not a bad building’.

“When we started it off with Dick Hughes, a man came to the office and said we didn’t want to go for a brick building.

“He said they could offer us a much cheaper wooden one that would last 20 years. We wanted the building to be handed down the family, so we turned down the wooden one and built in brick.”

Ian went on to sell the sail loft eventually, but it is still operating today under Murray Caldwell and Karen Hall.

He also built another yacht in Helensburgh with Morag in 1960, Saint Mary, which was designed as “a floating nursery” to raise their children in.

The keen writer is currently working on a further two books, one of which is an autobiography.

Introduction to Yacht Design will be available from book retailers from October 18.