Dan Patten has been working on performance boats and sailboats since 1975. He started with fiberglass, by making kayaks. In '76, he was working in a small fiberglass shop making precision parts for Boeing. Looking for more of a challenge, he took a job in Milwaukee at Ski Boats of Wisconsin making low-profile 19-ft. Gofast boats. In '77, he went to work at LBI. Here he learned to color gelcoat, sp
ray both colors, change 26 ft boat to 30 ft, and change all its molds to new sizes and shapes. Discovering that he thoroughly enjoyed restoration, Dan began working for a successful boat repair, restore, and repainting company at Noank shipyard in 1981. From there, he made trips to work on maxi racers in Largo, Florida, and 12-meter boats in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Isle of Wight, UK (this boat was an English entry in an American cup). After that, Dan worked many years at River Landing Marina. During that time Hurricane Gloria (1985) hit the large marina, and they had to put dozens of boats back together. He worked 6 days a week for a year and a half with crew to repair Gloria's damage. In '89, the last recession of the '80s hit. Dan, along with many other workers, was laid off. He then worked at a small glass shop setting up mobile repair while he was there. In 1995, after years of repairing and fabrications, he went to work for himself, and started Dan’s Marine Fiberglass.
