Dream come true for aspiring young boat builder

Coomera, QLD, Australia:   A letter written to ‘Mr Riviera’ in the hand of a six-year-old boy called for immediate action at the headquarters of Australia’s largest and most awarded luxury boat builder.

 

Budding shipwright, Coby Wales explained how much he loved boats and how he wanted to be a boat builder when he grew up.

 

He wrote:

“This picture of a Riviera I did all by myself for you.  Would you mind if I could come and have a look at how you build boats?  I am from Sydney and I will be in Queensland for a holiday in February.”

 

This touched the heart strings of Riviera CEO Wes Moxey who was once a budding shipwright just like Coby.  Mr Moxey organised an exclusive factory tour for Coby and his family.

 

When little Coby sent ‘Mr Riviera’ the letter, he didn’t expect to be standing in front of his dream boat two weeks later.

 

Wearing his safety glasses, closed in shoes and Riviera VIP pass, little Coby Wales was ready for his exclusive Riviera Factory Tour – a dream come true for the pint size shipwright.

 

Coby was joined by his sister, Charli (8), his mum, Jane, and his dad, Michael, as they took a tour through Riviera’s 14-hectare state-of-the-art facility.  Beginning in the lamination department, Coby and his family were taken through each stage of the boat building process.  They saw the hull and deck being joined in stage one before moving onto engineering, the timber shop, stainless shop, upholstery, and stage two where they watched the final fitout stages of the boat.  The tour concluded down at the waterfront where they had the chance to step aboard a finished boat.

 

“It was so cool.  I really want to work here,” exclaimed Coby after the tour.

 

As his big blue eyes widened with excitement, Coby described his experience and what he liked most about the Riviera factory tour.

“The mould was like a big skate board bowl (and the finished boat) is like a house.  I was amazed,” he said.

 

Sitting at the helm alongside his sister, Coby said, “The steering wheel is so big, two people can steer.”

 

Coby’s father, Michael, said he was impressed with the Riviera facility and the whole experience.

 

“The cleanliness of the factory was remarkable and very organised,” he said.

 

“I thought it would be a production line but now I can see that a lot of customisation goes into each and every boat.  The finishes, the layout, the quality – it is just sensational.”

 

Coby has grown up around boats with the family owning ski boats and more recently a 29 foot fishing boat, so it is little wonder he has developed a passion for the boating lifestyle.

 

Michael said that Coby decided he wanted to be a boat builder about 12 months ago and reads all the boating magazines.

 

Following their ‘behind the scenes’ tour of Riviera, Coby and Charli were each given a Riviera gift bag full of goodies including an I Love Riv teddy, Riv Kids cap, T-shirt and other memorabilia to remind them of their experience.