That is why he is looking for a new owner who will treat the space with the same love and pride he has given it over the years.
Mr McIndoe said although the little yard was no more than a slip, a shed and a wharf, it had meant a great deal to him.
It had seen countless boats over the years, many of which he had worked on himself.
The yard was a magnet for local boaters and they would always come and chat when there was a boat being worked on at the yard, he said.
He wanted the buyer to be someone who would keep up the legacy of using it practically and as a place where boaters could come down and have a chat whenever work was being done.
The yard was built in the 1850s and was one of the first places that a boat could be lifted out of the Otago Harbour, which was done with a winch, powered either by horse or by hand.
It had changed hands many times before coming into his possession in the mid-1970s.
He had the wharf built in 1986 to better accommodate his vessels.
He poured a lot of love into the shipyard over the years and continued to do so.
"I still have the lawns cut every week," he said.
Mr McIndoe had a rich history of sailing, having joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1946.
He eventually became a navigating officer on a New Zealand frigate during the Korean War, before moving on after eight years of service.
He has sailed around the world with his wife Margaret on their yacht, but this year decided it was time to give up the sails and stay on land.
As the months went on he found it had been the right choice and it was time to sell the little shipyard, he said.
"I can’t take it with me, otherwise I would."
