Salvaging the ship

Remember the frat boat I told you about a couple of posts ago? The one that went down in Herengracht? I was sure that its owners would leave it where it was, after rescuing some essentials, but I was wrong. Dead wrong, as it turned out.

A tough little boat

Yesterday they returned, the frat boys, and they didn’t come unprepared. They had hired the Klusjesboot – which is Dutch for The Handyman Boat, I guess – and with that I owe them an apology, as I was convinced they would leave the barge where it went down, floating below the water surface and making it a hazard for everyone cruising by.

The Klusjesboot-man went to work with zeal, attaching bands and ropes and scaffolding-poles and I watched, intrigued for I knew how large that frat boat was: not a match at all for this little Klusjesboot, no matter how tough it looked, no matter how supportive the audience was.

A tough little man

This time I was right. It took him about half a day to admit defeat and call in the troops. An hour or so later a large flatboat arrived. Together they went to work with even more zeal. The flatboat captain had brought junior along, a sturdy little fellow that oozed not only energy but also the confidence that he could raise the frat boat all by himself.

Slowly but surely they raised the barge from the dead. The frat boys were stunned when both the Klusjesboat Man and the flatboat captain and his wee helper diagnosed its wreckage caused by the rain and not some irresponsible drunk captain who’d supposedly hit and sank their ship.
It’s back in all its splendor, waiting for the next glorious day to take the frat boys and their girls out boating. Until that time I hope the everlasting Dutch rain will show mercy.

Frat boat back to glory