The Early Years - Fishing off Bedok

same type sampan, different outboard

It was on a hot & windy Sunday afternoon in 1976 on the beach off Marine Parade, that I decided that I would pursue boating and fishing as my hobby. It fascinated me, to see the local fishermen bring in their catch, comprising huge jumping prawns and hundreds of Selar Kuning. All in a day's catch. My curiosity boosted my courage to ask them many questions on fishing. Soon I became a volunteer deck hand, helping a Mr Lim man the nets and haul in catch after catch of prawns & small fish on his 20 foot locally built wooden sampan fitted with a Johnson 6hp outboard. I went fishing with him on weekend nights as I was still schooling. We caught lots of  giant prawns and small fish. Life was simple, carefree & fun then. It wasn't until 1977, a year prior to joining the Navy that I got my own boat, a wooden sampan with a Johnson 4Hp. It was to be the start of a life-long passion for the sea and a love for boats. It soon became an obsession, one that would not ever go away... I loved everything about boats and the sea and would spend long hours at the boat park gathering information and helping the fishermen haul-in their boats back up the beach. Everything was done manually. There were no winches and no tractors, it was all hands on deck. I got along well with the local fishermen. They were simple folks and always willing to share their knowledge and stories with anyone who cared to listen.

What's left of those sampans at the East Coast Park today