I’ve loved the thought of pirates and massive ships for as long as I can remember. When I was little, just like every young girl, I would spend hours per day pretending I was a pirate and imagining my life on the sea. When I turned twelve I got my marine license after learning on my dad’s boat and when I turned sixteen I bought my first (extremely small) boat.
I’d be lying if I said the boat I bought when I was sixteen was anything special. For a long while, the boat actually turned me off spending time at sea. The upkeep of it was just a nightmare. I wasn’t aware of how much upkeep it took to own a boat. It was never my responsibility to look after my dad’s boat, but I remember wishing at the time that he had made it known how much of an effort owning a boat was.
The first part of m
y boat that needed repairs were the rod holders. I didn’t even particularly like fishing at the time, so it wouldn’t have bothered me too much if they didn’t get fixed. My dad however, insisted that they were repaired. I just wanted to spend my time in the water near my local Melbourne beach and pretend that I wasn’t a normal school student, but in fact the captain of a pirate ship on the high seas. Instead, I spent a lot of my time getting my small boat fixed.
I almost gave up and sold my boat when I was found out what’s involved in marine stainless steel fabrication. Near Melbourne, it can be tricky to find someone up for the task. I didn’t even know what it was but it sounded way too complicated and expensive and it wasn’t exactly a sixteen-year-old’s idea of fun. I actually didn’t get in my boat for months after that. I gave up on my idea of being a pirate and accepted a life of mediocrity. Thankfully, I am no longer mediocre…