Ullrich boards aluminium mono hull boat project with George and Timmy Turtle

Three years ago George Lousick and his wife, Krissy, were completely captivated watching a YouTube video of a young man, known as Timmy Turtle, toiling away building his first little wooden skiff.

George is a highly skilled master boat builder, owner of NQ Mono Hulls, builds aluminium Samurai Plate Boats from scratch and has a heart of gold. He meticulously hand cuts and crafts every single part of each boat, so he really knows what it takes to produce a quality boat.

George saw something special in the way Timmy presented his boating and fishing videos. He turned to Krissy and said, “One day I’m gonna put that young fella in one of my boats! I’m going to go out of my way to get him into something decent.”

Meanwhile, Timmy Turtle kept making videos and has become a boating and fishing social media star with hundreds of thousands of views on his entertaining, informative and hysterically honest YouTube videos.

He’s been teaching himself to build boats and fish with lures to ‘trick the big monsters of the deep’. There are epic failures as well as triumphs and challenges along the way.

Timmy quit his full-time job on the Gold Coast two years ago. He packed himself up into his old Commodore (yes he’s living in his car!) and headed ‘where most people don’t go’ with his boat in tow. To combat the sometimes loneliness of his journey, Timmy adopted his adorable kelpie cross cattle dog. Subscribers and followers have fallen in love with Millie almost as much as Timmy!

On a Mono Hull Mission

Fate stepped in on a fishing trip in Yamba when local marine mechanic, Alex – known as AJ, met Timmy. They instantly formed a great friendship, like brothers from another mother. AJ’s brother-in-law just happens to be… George!

AJ put George in touch with Timmy as he was heading north of George’s hometown of Ingham – Mission Beach. Except Timmy hasn’t quite made it to Mission Beach yet – he’s detoured to a more exciting mission in Ingham…

True to George’s word, two and a half years ago, his dream of getting Timmy into one of his awesome aluminium monohull boats is becoming a reality with the generous support of sponsors. They’ve just started to build a 6.2m aluminium monohull boat and a massive off-road custom trailer.

All Aboard!

In a time where fires, droughts, floods and Covid have swamped our lives, not only is Timmy Turtle bringing back some joy. He’s sharing remote parts of the beautiful country we live in and adding previously unknown destinations to people’s bucket lists. The boat-building project took less than a week to launch. And Ullrich was one of the first supporters to jump on board this meaningful mission.

George has been an Ullrich client for ten years. George says he feels more like part of the Ullrich family than a customer. George explains, “Ullrich has been extremely supportive over the years. They’ve stood by me in the tough times and supported me while I got back on my feet. I’m 100% loyal to Ullrich. I love their products and I’ve met the two Ullrich brothers and their father, who has even come into my workshop. I have great chats with Aaron at the Townsville office. He’s like a brother to me.”

Aaron Heathcote, legendary Sales Representative at the Ullrich Aluminium Townsville branch. Aaron has coordinated the donation of about $17,000 worth of Ullrich aluminium and welding wire to build the boat, trailer and signage. This got the ball well and truly rolling as other supporters have also leapt on board without hesitation.

Other supporters include:

• NQ Mono Hulls – entire aluminium monohull boat and trailer build.
• Significant Signs – full custom wrap on the boat and all signage.
• Sam Allen Wholesale  – boat fit-out (radio, pumps, hinging, etc.)
• L&R Boat Latch – boat latch.
• PPG – Makers of Taubmans – penetrol and cleaning products.
• Snap On Tools – rechargeable 12-volt lights and emergency/break down tool kit.
• Trailers Parts & Repairs – parts for trailer.
• Goodyear in Ingham – rims and tyres.

The boys are still looking for more sponsors because the boat won’t go anywhere without an engine! The boat and trailer will be finished before Christmas and they’d love to get even a part sponsorship for an outboard motor as they cost about $40,000 retail.

Under the Wing

In the meantime, George has taken Timmy under his wing. Together they’ve been on what George describes as a ‘joy ride’, working on building the boat and trailer weeknights after he’s already done a full days’ work and also on Saturdays.

In the short amount of time that George, his wife Krissy and their two young children have known Timmy, they’ve all grown close to him. George says, “Krissy has been fantastic, cooking us dinner while we work and my young kids have grown really attached to him. He’s such a nice young lad. I personally would like to see him go so far with what he’s doing. So many other YouTubers out there have big sponsors or have had money behind them to do what they do. Timmy has come from nothing and is still working on making a decent living out of it but he’s got what it takes and has a great following. He’s heading in the right direction.”

George continues, saying the day they reveal the finished boat and trailer, “… is going to be an epic day at my workshop! We’ll have a big celebration with a BBQ for all the sponsors.”

Join the Aluminium Mono Hull Boat Joy Ride

Ullrich is excited to be a part of Timmy Turtle’s Australian fishing adventures. It started out as a solo quest, but the backbone of the journey has really become all about mateship.  Sponsors get more than exposure to thousands of subscribers with their name on the boat – they get the knowledge that they’ve helped create an Aussie icon.

Timmy Turtle is the quintessential Aussie kid who craves adventure; bravely leaving all home comforts behind and is inspiring others with his passion for fishing. Hopefully soon with the help of others, he’ll have a much more comfortable boat and trailer to continue his adventures for many years to come.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on this awesome project. And if you’d like to join the joy ride and become a sponsor too, simply contact George on 0488 486 640.

To get in touch with Ullrich Aluminium send us a message.

Posted at 11 October 21