Slow boat

The company's "speedboat". Wooden, heavy and not fast. The boat's name is on the tip of my tongue but I can't remember it now 50+ years later. I think it started with "F" or "K" something like Fastfisher or Kingfisher.

In the photo, the boatsman at the helm and I think Jim Porter giving directions to one of us children about to waterski. As I have written elsewhere the boat struggled with us children getting larger each year and eventually a second outboard was added.

The male adults would spend hours out fishing with the boatsman who knew the very tricky waters. Occasionally we children made the mistake of joining them. Two types of fishing - either anchored off an island and then very long handlines, a heavy lead weight and a "paternoster" with six or so baited hooks. Or "trolling", fishing rod with a baited line pulled behind the boat, one rod each side of the boat. (and where the modern - 2018 - Internet Troll comes from).

I at least and I think most of us young ones always seemed to be haningover the side being sick. Firstly it wasn't long before the fish bait started to stink in the heat. It had to be taken out of the insulated boxes to make room for the fresh fish. Secondly, the boat with its short length would be rocked from side to side when anchored or be bumped up and down when trolling.

Was though fascinating to often seen the manta rays which were prolific out in deeper waters. For us children swimming, the only thing we feared were barracudas. Very occasionally was one spotted at the jetty but never knew of anyone being attacked. Sharks were not an issue, the only ones we occasionally saw were small sand sharks which tended to be on the bottom. More dangerous and feared were the jellyfish which from memory were mainly around in the "dry season" ie December to March time.  Sometimes while out water skiing you would go over a mass of jellyfish and simply pray you stayed upright!