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| Landlocked Dream Boat |
Engineer John Melling began building his dream 30 foot Trimaran yacht in his backyard five years ago. Now, at 26 feet wide, the boat, stored in his back garden in Tywardreath, Cornwall, England, is stuck, wedged behind his fence, and he can't get it out. It has become too wide to remove.
"If I had built it on a more accessible site, it would have meant me traveling miles to get out to do work on it, instead of being able to go down to the bottom of the garden to work on it, which has been much more convenient," Melling told the Daily Mail.
"We will be taking this boat to Greece eventually, after I have retired, to spend some time in the sunshine," Melling, alongside his wife Sue, said. "I may even race it - but right now the challenge is getting it out of the garden." Melling and his wife can share good memories of the garden, though, as they were married in it.
"It's not as though I'm some idiot who got the measurements wrong and is now stuck with a boat he can't move," Melling continued. "I knew from the start that once the boat was finished I would face some problems getting it out of the garden." One idea he has hit upon is to airlift it out.
"RAF St Mawgan used to airlift boats for people in similar situations as me and used it as a training opportunity. But apparently they don't do that anymore - so I am going to have to take the fence down to get the boat out now."
Neighbors had no idea that a boat even existed in the backyard until strong winds several weeks ago ripped the polytunnel cover concealing the boat off. Rather amused by the event, they began asking Sue how her husband planned on moving it.
The new plan is to use a trailer and some friends. "It is possible to lift it onto a trailer so if anyone fancies tending a hand to help me move it I would be grateful," Melling said. "I have booked a trailer to come take it away around May 8, so it will be all hands on deck to get it out."
"Although it looks impossible, fortunately because it is so light, we should be able to get it on to the trailer."
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