Rodney, I , and a Fleetline Saphire

When we were 17 years old my mate Rodney and I hired a Fleetline Saphire runabout from a chap on Tauranga Harbours edge at sulphur point complete with a full tank of gas and a set of wooden seaflite water skis.

Unbeknown to the chap hiring out his boat we had no boating skills at all, we had no knowledge of sandbars, tidal or sea conditions or water safety rules and least of all wore no life jackets.

We convinced him we were mature and trustworthy and came from sound boating families then signed our life away together with about $80 for a mornings hire.

We picked up Rodney's young neighbour Quentin who had cycled home to get a tyre tube then headed up Hunters Creek (an arm of Tauranga Harbour) to have a crack at Water Skiing and boating fun.

It's fare to say we had a hell of a lot of fun dragging each other around the Harbour learning how to drive a boat, waterski, half drown each other on the tube all between dodging on coming traffic and taking an inch or so off the skeg as we drove over shallow water.

Each time I see these great little boats I'm reminded of my entry into boating and still scratch my head why the hell this guy hired a motorboat to three mischievous teenagers who had no idea what they were doing.

Great times.