I had a friend called Den who spent time now and then working on his boat.

Eventually he felt he’d done enough and declared she’s shipshape and his boat would float.

Ahoy there he cried come with me we’ll give it its first trip.

So on the next weekend into Walton backwater my dingy we did slip.

Merrily I rowed us out the boat was gently tugging at its mooring.

We clambered aboard and made the dingy fast to the mooring buoy.

We hoisted sails and off a sailing we did go.

Den was looking proud his years of work was sailing now we wouldn’t have to row.

But as we approached the first bend in the river the rudder floated up and promptly fell off.

Don’t worry Den said I I’ll attach the outboard motor and you take down all the sail.

I’m not sure but I think I heard an anguished wail.

I clamped the ancient seagull to its bracket, I should have put it on with nails.

We wound the starting cord and gave it an almighty tug the ancient engine spluttered into life.

It pushed us along and a kindly passing yachtsman grabbed our wayward rudder.

We had to turn around go back to from whence we came we had lost the rudder and didn’t have another.

I pushed the ancient engines tiller so we could retrace our course and then we had more strife.

The engine didn’t fit the bracket and started to come off this was turning into a day I would remember all my life.

It worked but only wanted to go straight ahead.

With luck and lots of care we got the old boat round but we could really only go straight ahead.

We saw my dingy sitting there we were nearly home and dry.

It was when we got so very near that things again went awry.

I couldn’t stop the engine I don’t remember why.

Now my dingy was on the bottom and anything but dry.

I had run my own dingy under over the painter we did fly.

Old Den had spoiled the ship for a ha’porth of tar, actually a five pence split pin would have kept the rudder on.

As far as I recall Den never sailed her any more he sold his old boat on.

He should have known maiden voyages can be fraught.

In school about Titanic he was surely taught.