I have an activity that will change your life!
This one is a ripper because for me it ticks a lot of boxes. Firstly - I am a shipping geek. This means I like big ships.
Most summers I rent the same eco friendly tiny house house in Gibraltar, put on my ships captain hat, wheel out a deck chair and with binoculars in hand (18 hours per day) I watch bulk carriers enter and leave the channel.
I like watching them in the morning, in the afternoon and evening because the light is different.
I make sure I have a freezer full of organic chicken wings, bbq sauce and Eastern European beer. I might take a probiotic to help with my stomach.
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| Im sitting at the tip - you need to squint |
So with shipping geek credentials verified I have a hobby that is 'next level'. This one we can do from our own homes (tick), this one we get to actually perform a physical function instead of tapping on a computer (tick), this one has a meditative element important for the wondering mind of chartering people everywhere (wellness tick), and this one we can do 'even' while negotiating (improve performance - bloody big tick).
SHIPBUILDING!
Not big ships - small ships. Some of you may already be converts.
These guys are the best in the business Premiership models
Entry level
As a lockdown activity this is a no brainer. Buy an elite model and you will be at it for months - maybe years..
If you are still an office goer - think of this scenario. Big day at work, 9 pm in the evening, you are sick of watching tv, Netflix, trolling the Net, speaking to your loved ones....and..... they may in fact be sick of talking to you (been there!). Plus you may be working on a deal.
Your mind cannot switch off. Go to the liquor cabinet poor a glass of Red (or a lemon lime and bitters) and slowly move toward your home office.....close the door (lock if necessary). Laid out in front of you is an amazing labour of love. A 'slow hobby' to get you back on track.
Advanced
I have done an extensive search (for myself) and even contacted a few for a chat.
These guys have the best product. High variety, High quality models kits.
I had a chat to the owner Rashid Lalloo who is a super nice guy. The business itself has a great story and after becoming interested I found this press release https://www.pr.com/press-release/785529. Well done to them.
Send Rashid an email rashid@premiershipmodels.com and if you tell him 'the virtual shipbroker sent you' - he will look after you. I told him ship chartering people always look for deals..its in our DNA
https://premiershipmodels.co.uk/contact-us/
Happy Living / Happy Fixing
VS
(ps - leave a message and say hello)
Everything is perfect in this story - sea, ships, beer and bbq.
ReplyDeleteOnce I had a chance to dive into ship modeling. I was 22 and had 1 month of pre-diploma practice at prosecutor’s office in my home town. After the very first day I realized that it is not mine, completely. Instead of going there every morning I started to build a model in my parents' new apartment which was under frozen repair so nobody could disturb me there.
The model was from MAMOLI and brought from Italy by my father who planned to start over her after leaving his sea service. It was famous HMS Bounty, quite similar to some of those 1:50 available at premiershipmodels.
With no experience in ship modeling but with a strong desire to complete her within 1 month I started to read the plans. And the further I progressed with building, the more exciting I found the background of the model. Some ships have biography and fan clubs and building their models may feel like traveling to 18th century. A kind of a spiritualism and some people believe every ship has a soul (Does a ship have a Buddha-nature or not?) And yes, I have to admit that this activity can be quite meditative especially with Red.
I didn’t managed to complete her thereat - I had to return to the university, then it was summer and then I was drafted for the army service. Only two years later I eventually made the last rigging line fast on her. She used to decorate my room at my parent’s house until become a wreck being dropped from the shelf by the cat.