YesBut we're high and dry - Part 3

Continued from yesterday.

For YesBut’s Image posted on 12th June 2007 David McMahon suggested the caption: -

“Up the creek without a puddle”.


The photo suggested to me the following story, (continued from yesterday):

I tell you thank goodness for Pete’s quick thinking, he responded in a flash, “Annual inspection”. That seemed to satisfy the cops, but we still had the problem of re-floating the boat and returning it to its owner.

Pete thought Dave’s suggestion of digging a big hole around the boat wouldn’t work. He suggested getting a rope and a pulley. Tying the pulley to a tree on the other bank, then use the rope to pull the boat to the water.

Barry thought the pulley idea was good, but to use it to lift up the boat, rather than pull it. Though he had difficulty in coming up with a solution on what to hang the pulley. After a long discussion I said we couldn’t waste more time, we had to decide now. I went along with Dave’s plan.

So Dave and me went off to look for some shovels, while Barry and Pete decided to conserve their energies and go back on the boat for a kip. Dave and I set off to look for a building site to “borrow four shovels”. Then I had a flash of inspiration - if we were to dig a big hole we’d better first get a good full English Breakfast.

We soon came upon an old fashion “greasy spoon” café, catering mainly for workers. Big steaming mug of sweet tea, plate full of: bacon, two eggs, fried bread and tomatoes, mushrooms and a big dollop of baked beans. One word to describe the feast - mighty. We got to talk to some Irish lads, they said they knew where they could get hold of some shovels for us. They suggest, we should also take a pickaxe because the river bed could be hard. So off we went to collect the stuff.

They were a grand bunch of lads on the building site, they even lent us a wheelbarrow to transport the tools. Why do wheelbarrows have squeaky wheels?

When we got back to the river, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Who had stolen the water had been more successful in returning it, than we had in returning the boat. Now coming to think about it, we might not have been all that careful in tying up the boat, for there it was floating in midstream. Unfortunately moored next to it was the police launch. We couldn’t see whether Pete and Barry were still onboard.

I looked at my watch and told Dave, “if we are quick we could get these tools back to the lads, go home for a shower and shave; and still be not too late for work”. He agreed.