Categories
Welding

A Fishing Mishap

‘Hoo-boy!’ came a the crowing from the deck above me. ‘She’s a big one!’

‘What’ve you got, Davies?’ I called ahead of me as I threw myself up the short staircase.

‘A big one, sir!’ he yelled back.

‘Yeah, I heard that bit,’ I mumbled to myself as I stepped onto the deck proper. Davies, my first (and only) mate, stood next to the side of the ship, a bending fishing pole in hand, and a stupid grin on his face.

‘What type of fish is she?’ I asked him.

‘A whale, sir!’ he cackled, then threw all of his focus back into hanging on for dear life. I peered over the side of the ship, trying to see through the foaming waves to see what his line was connected to.

‘May I suggest, Captain,’ Davies grunted, face red with exertion, we invest in durable fishing rod holders for our next voyage?’

‘Why?’ I asked, stepping backwards and clapping him on the back. ‘I’m not the one that has to do the fishing!’

He laughed with me for a moment, then frowned as he realised what I’d said.

‘But, sir—’

‘Sorry, Davies,’ I shook my head. ‘Not in the budget.’

Not if I’m gonna get that new DVD player, at least.

‘Aye, sir,’ he said glumly. Another yank on the line quickly pulled him out of his stupor.

‘Captain!’ he cried. ‘She’s fighting back hard!’

‘Then fight back harder!’ I told him. ‘It’s just a stupid fish!’

Almost on cue, a giant whale shark, the biggest I’ve ever seen, leapt from the ocean in front of us with a seismic splash of water – just long enough for us to see Davies’ hook lodged in its mouth.

‘Hey, Davies,’ I whispered once it disappeared from view.

‘Yeah?’ he asked, petrified.

‘You remember that time I didn’t get that quality marine fabrication work near Melbourne because it, uh, wasn’t in the budget?’

‘Yeah,’ he whispered back.

‘Pray,’ I told him. ‘Just… just start praying.’

We both let out shrieks of terror as the boat started to rock underneath us.

So much for the DVD player.

Categories
Welding

Proud Boat Owner

I would call myself a pretty experienced sailor. I grew up on the water, since my family owned several boats and fishing has been part of my family for decades. Each summer we would go out onto the water and enjoy a few beers while watching the sun go down. It was total bliss.

Now that I’m old enough to have bought my own boat, I’ve started noticing just how important it is to keep it in good shape. I spent a lot of money buying the boat, a bit like an investment. It only makes sense that I ensure my investment is in the best possible condition at all times. One of the ways I did this was by hiring an expert to complete a boat catch installation. These are nifty little contraptions that have really become quite popular over the past few years due to their ability to streamline the launching and docking processes of boats. All it takes is the click of a button, and my boat is launched faster and easier than I could ever hope to do myself. It saves so much time and hassle, and it was ultimately a very affordable way to upgrade my boat.

It was much cheaper than hiring one of the best marine fabrication companies Melbourne has to offer and getting them to undertake a full refit of the boat. While that would have been a brilliant option, it was costly and time-consuming, and I really don’t enjoy being away from my boat for too long – especially when I can’t see where it is. I know they’re experts, but this boat really is like my baby, and I want to ensure whoever is with it is taking good care of it. The boat is almost a decade old now and it’s still working perfectly. I attribute that to my careful eye and passion for taking care of my boat. Maybe soon I’ll even do a repaint of the boat!