Shipyard. John Jenkins grew up in Victoria and became involved with boats and commerical marine operations at an early age. He started working for Hill Marine and then went on to become a journeyman boat builder.In 1964 John incorporated his own business, Jenkins Marine. Using a shop on a hilltop in View Royal he began manufacturing Thunderbird sailboats. The company has expanded over the years into one of the largest and most stable marine repair companies in Victoria.