Miklós, how did you first discover your passion for canoe building?
I have been interested in boats since I was a child. The Onedin Line was on TV at that time, I realized I had good dexterity with my hands, my grades were good, I liked math, geometry. I was born near the river Tisza, so I am quite familiar with water. I built my first boats as a kid, though those were only model ships. The first one was made of a sheet of aluminum, the second was a three-mast sailing boat made of wood, and the third was also a sailing boat, which was made of polystyrene. I made everything from the body, through the masts to the sails.
What was your happiest moment concerning your hobby?
The happiest moment was the ceremonial launching of my canoe. It happened at an amateur boat builder convention at Sarud on Lake Tisza in July 2020. On an occasion like that, builders always share with the audience the story of how they built the boat, the difficulties they faced, (I shot 1200 staples into the canoe and only one into my hand 😊), then launch the boat and hold a christening ceremony. My canoe got the name of Lutra.
We live close to the river Danube, where many great opportunities present themselves. If we do not have
any other engagements, we spend the weekends on the water by default. These are also happy
moments for me.
How does your hobby inspire you in your work?
My hobby energizes and relaxes me at the same time. My work is sometimes stressful. I work in the Technology Unit OSS and Automation Chapter. My job involves network operations and application development, too. I strive for precision; I must be precise both in my work and my hobby. You simply cannot build a canoe with a hole in it.