Vinal was born in South Scituate (now Norwell) to William Raymond and Mary Ellen Farrar who worked a farm.

His ancestors included William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth Colony and Captain Peter Sears (1753–1821).

During vacations he worked on a variety of jobs including selling ice-cream, transporting vegetables and milking cows.

[2][3] In 1910 he moved to State Normal School, Salem and in 1911 to the Rhode Island College of Education, Providence.

[4] He served as a biologist for the Massachusetts Fish and Game Commission for many summers and also ran Camp Chequasset for nautical training for girls in Cape Cod from 1914 to 1926 and became more familiarly known as "Cap'n Bill", a name he used in many of his educational pamphlets.