It was bound to happen at some point. We’ve always lived close to the ocean and dad’s been fishing for as long as I can remember, although mum insists that he took it up when I was seven (who knows – maybe he was doing it in secret before then). Anyway, now that he’s retired, he’s starting to get serious about cobbling some kind of custom water-faring vehicle together.
We all think he should just buy one, seeing as he has zero mechanical experience, but dad claims it’s in his Viking blood to create one from scratch. I really feel strongly that he should at least consult with a professional marine fabrication specialist in Melbourne next time he can tear himself away from his beloved shack on the coast. This thing needs to be seaworthy!
Honestly, I think the real reason dad is so keen to create this thing himself is that there’s a bunch of custom features he wants, and he’s concerned that he won’t get all of them if he buys a boat ‘off the rack’. I’m talking things like bait boards, snapper racks and bow rails – it’s all completely alien to me (I’ve never been interested in fishing), but he’s super pumped about it.
What dad doesn’t seem to realise is that a professional boat fabricator will obviously be capable of putting together a custom fishing rod holder. The other thing he doesn’t seem to be acknowledging is that he doesn’t know how to weld. Not to say that he couldn’t learn – I have no doubt he could pick it up in due course – but I’m just not sure that a seafaring boat should be his first DIY project.
Having said all that, it’s great that dad has such an ambitious hobby to get fired up about. I wasn’t sure how he’d go when he retired from finance three years ago, but he’s proven himself to be quite the fisherman. Maybe I should trust him on this. Still, I think some support from a pro wouldn’t go astray.