David Griffiths came from a family of sailors. His Welsh grandfather, James ‘Pop’ Griffiths, ran away to sea when he was 14, and eventually became a captain. Two of James’s sons became ship’s captains as well, and served in naval convoys during the Second World War. David was always drawn to the sea. He pursued a career with Marconi and later BAE Systems but in his spare time he sailed on the Suffolk coast, heading out mostly from Pin Mill and Manningtree. He owned a distinguished series of four-berth sailing boats, including Memory, October and Tyche II. On family holidays in the Lake District he was generally found sailing on Lake Windermere. He loved the Welsh coast, especially the shining dunes at Ynyslas and Aberdovey. He retired to Tollesbury, and the salt marshes, and the North Sea where he first learned to sail.