Born in 1941, Patrick Taylor was reared in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. He was educated at Campbell College, Belfast and the Queen's University of Belfast--graduating in medicine in 1964. He trained as a gynaecologist, obtaining his speciality in 1969. Taylor emigrated to Canada in 1970 and has worked in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia. Taylor is the co-author of five medical texts. He retired as Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Saint Paul's Hospital and Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Medicine at UBC in 2001 to write and sail full time. In 2007 he returned to Ireland and lived in Cootehall Co. Roscommon until 1010 when he returned with his wife Dorothy to Saltspring Island BC.