Travel Reference
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'Why don't we try to blag a boat for the night?' suggested Ben, coming to a stop by the
gate.
'Surely the boats in the marina will be full of people? Let's just head into the town and
try and find somewhere there,' I said.
'Oh go on, it's worth a try. There might be some empty boats.'
'Alright,' I sighed.
Therewereseveralboatstiedupinthemarinabutnosignoflifeeitheronlandorwater.
Ben knocked on the door of a house that seemed to double as the marina's office.
'There's nobody in. Let's go,' I said.
'Hang on. Give them a chance. Look, someone's coming.'
A small man with a trimmed silver beard and cropped grey hair answered the door. He
looked identical to Mr Hankey - my GCSE Media Studies teacher. What? You mean you
don'tknowwhatMrHankeylookslike?That'sashame,becausethismancouldhavebeen
his twin brother.
'Hello?' he said questioningly.
'Hello. Sorry to bother you, but are you in charge of the marina here?' asked Ben.
'Uh huh,' he nodded.
'Great. We're cycling the length of the country without spending any money at all, and
we were wondering if there is any chance of us sleeping in a boat tonight.'
'Why do you want to sleep in a boat?'
'That's what I asked him,' I said.
'Well we've been going for nine days now and we've slept in B&Bs, people's houses,
barns, all kind of places. When we saw this place we thought it might be fun to sleep on a
boat.'
The man screwed up his face and pressed his palms against his forehead.
'Lads, lads, lads. It's nearly 8pm. I'm just having dinner and settling down in front of
the telly and then you two scruffy buggers turn up on my doorstep.'
'I know, we're really sorry. We'll try our luck in town. Sorry for bothering you,' I said.
'No, no, no, it's ok. I do want to help you guys out,' he said, looking slightly less miser-
able. 'I'm just working out how I can.'
He paused for a moment.
'Alright. I think I can sort you out with a boat for the night.'
The sun was setting as Neil - the marina manager - walked us along the bank of the
marina. It was a really beautiful moment. The perfectly still water reflecting a perfect or-
ange sky, and we were being given our own boat for the night. Ben had raised the bar yet
again.
'Climb aboard!' said Neil. 'I'm going to have to drive her back to the other end so I can
hook you up to the mains.'
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