Category: Boating

I’m starting to think that ready-meals targeted towards people who live on boats is a bad investment. The only reason I even went for this idea in the first place is because I know a couple, they just move into a house-boat and they said it’s a nightmare trying to cook healthy meals every night. My mind immediately sprung to them living in one of those little fishing boats with a little hut in the middle. So enough room for MAYBE a blow-up bed, and they just kept their clothes in boxes around the rest of the boat, hoping every day that it didn’t rain.

Then they had me over and it turns out that a house-boat is literally…a boat on a house. That’s generally what it means in Melbourne. Outboard motor services are around for when you want to take your HOUSE and move it a bit. That sounds absolutely mad. Why isn’t everyone jumping on this whole ‘house with an outboard motor’ idea??

Also, my friends were actually talking about how work stops them from getting back at the same times, which means that it’s always one person cooking for themselves and they’re not sure how to make it work. So…right. I mean, that’s fine. I do now have ten-thousand ready-meals, targeted at people who traverse the high seas and don’t have the ability to cook. They’re mostly made from dried vegetables and a special type of plant found in Albajeria that can be seasoned to taste like anything, almost. Basically, you just scoop a bit of saltwater into it and the meal cooks itself.

I wonder if anyone will still go for it? Melbourne marine anchor winches and such are pretty booming. People are on the ocean all the time, so perhaps they need some of my saltwater vittles. I could still be onto something! Just…not something for anyone with an actual kitchen.

-Kyle

Fishing trips can be fun. Fishing competitions? I really don’t see the point. The entire thing about fishing is that you have to relax, go with the flow and not work all that hard unless you’re reeling in a shark. I try not to reel in sharks, so that leaves my fishing trips pretty chill.

So why did I let Pete talk me into Victoria’s largest fishing competition? Guess he works pretty high up in sales, so he can talk anyone into anything, really. Still, can’t believe I’m sacrificing a weekend of good, private fishing for some mass event where everyone is an expert in installing bait boards and nothing less than a two-metre whopper will count for anything. Most of the ones I catch are tiddlers that have to be thrown back, and you know what? I’m okay with that.

Heck, I don’t even OWN a boat; I wouldn’t be able to get myself into this competition at all if Pete wasn’t teaming up with me. He’s got the latest bit of equipment, of course…he actually takes fishing pretty seriously, unlike me. Got all the trophies, got the shiny boat, all the fishing buddies who all seem to have the same name. Like, you would not BELIEVE how many people who like fishing are called Jim. It’s got to be at least 50% of the fishing community. Pete is always going fishing with some guy called Jim, and if he’s not available then it’s the other Jim, or Jim’s friend Jim.

So I guess the guys who sell snapper racks have a solid system upon which to base their sales strategy. A guy comes into your shop looking for plate alloy boats, and his name is Jim? He probably needs your plate alloy boat best suited for fishing.

That’s my entire Saturday now: hanging out in a bunch of boats with really competitive people. And most of them are called Jim.

-Tim

I was cleaning tables at a local café. Today, I’m learning how to tie sailing knots. It’s funny how life works out, I guess. Not that I disliked my job, or anything. I was about to do a barista course and learn how to make the perfect foamy cappuccino, but I guess this is good too.

Yeah, anyway…site where you’re supposed to share your experiences and get advice and whatnot. My Uncle wants to start a business, doing…I don’t know, something to do with marine trailer repair. And Mum said ‘hey, why don’t you quit that café job and go and do that, because it’s a career and family and stuff’. I forget exactly what she said. Then Dad chimes in and says that it’d be a great opportunity for me to get some sea air, since I spend too much time in my room.

I guess I do spend a lot of time in my room, but it’s important stuff. I just sank to bronze ranking on Over-Botch, which means I’m one of the worst players in the game, which means I’m one of the BEST players in the game because that’s how it works. And then yesterday I had my first day on the job. Bit of a klutz, and I don’t even think my Uncle knows one end of a ship from the other. He’s a real opportunist type, always starting new businesses and then when they tank, he comes to family gatherings and says it’s because ‘the niche closed’ and it was all according to plan. Yeah, sure. Everyone’s just swallowing that.

Last year it was selling juice machines that also had a deep-fryer function: ‘for fitness nuts who need more cheat days than most’. I like juice, I like deep-fried things, so I didn’t think it was a bad idea. I think he sold, like, five in the end.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure Melbourne anchor winch and whatever services are already covered. There are loads of people here at the docks who seem to know what they’re doing way more than us. But thanks, parents…thanks for tying me to a terrible business from the start. It’s really great family bonding time.

-Ryan