Page 31 - My Memoirs - Max Kurz

1963-1995 Another side to Life – Boating, Fishing and Alf Thomas
My way of destressing was recreational fishing. I became a keen fisherman in my teens, sneaking off on my bike fishing whenever I could, mainly from jetties. Work and married life created more restrictions, nevertheless I occasionally went late night rock fishing, the solitude and quiet offered respite. I would often fall asleep lying on the rocks only to be woken by rats trying to take my bait.
My interest in fishing grew and I wanted to fish out to sea which required boat ownership. I read all that I could to acquaint me with the information and knowledge that was needed. We had friends John Parthenis and Annette Spellson, daughter of the Spellson family famously known for a high-end restaurant and nightclub. They were newlyweds living close by and John owned a service station and was a mechanic by trade.
John and I decided to buy a boat, a 24-foot timber cabin cruiser with one petrol engine. We called it the “Renette” and attempted to go fishing outside on the open sea. Ignorance is bliss so they say, with absolutely no experience other than what I learnt from being hands on. In hindsight we were lucky; knowing what I know now, who would ever put to sea in a one petrol engine 24- foot timber cruiser? John was repeatedly seasick; the sea and fishing took its toll on him. I just
revelled in the whole thing, loving the sea and fishing. Eventually we sold the boat and went our separate ways.
However, I was hooked and wanted to go back to sea. I searched for an opportunity to join a game boat, boats designed to catch game fish, marlin, tuna, sharks etc. I was inspired by Peter Goadby’s book Big Fish Blue Water which I read from cover to cover. I wrote to the Sydney Game Fishing Club located at Watson’s Bay to see if there were any crew vacancies. Game fishing in those days was a rich
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