Page 32 - My Memoirs - Max Kurz

man’s sport. You had to own a boat and belong to a club, all of which was expensive.
It was not long before I had 3 offers to join a boat. I was invited to meet with the skippers and decide accordingly.
I met with only 2 of the boat owners,
one was a German guy who owned a
big game boat 46 feet, and the other
was an Aussie guy in his early fifties.
His name was Albert Thomas, his
boat was named the Snowgoose, a
24-foot timber boat, again with only
one petrol engine painted in naval
grey. He was dressed in navy
coloured overalls as was his crew
hand Stan Doherty. It contravened
every expectation I had of rich boat
owners engaged in game fishing.
There was absolutely nothing
I decided to go with Albert or Alf as he was known. There was something about him that I liked. Notwithstanding his matter of fact manner, straight to the point, no nonsense attitude and say it as it is. He had a wicked sense of humour, was a cynic and as I discovered later, was also a “walking encyclopedia”. He knew a lot about fishing, boating, engines, and most of all flying. Alf lived alone separated from his family when his Mum died, never married, and served in the RAAF prior to and during the second World War for a total of 32 years, firstly as a fitter and turner, then armaments, as a flying instructor and finally in defence as an air traffic controller.
extravagant about this boat owner or boat, it was as basic and as rudimentary as it gets.
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