Thanks to young David Twaddle, Kesiah, John, Fred and Cleveland a plan was hatched to catch the thieves.
Our last day on Palm Beach was marred by the theft of our tender boat.
While visiting with Ronald the Chemist, a group of little rascals had time to empty the dinghy of all its contents including anchor , oars and life jackets and drag it to the water and start the troubled motor and skedaddle.
Combined weight of 5 boys and two girls no more than 180kg, the tender was on the plane and full of laughter in no time.
We were not so happy and it was explained by various witnesses to the pirating of the rubber ducky that the boat would be thrashed about until it ran out of fuel and then abandoned and they would all swim ashore.
Iris called to a bunch of kids on the point who were watching the fun and they said if we hide they could get the boat back.
We hid among rocks and trees and when the joy riders spun past our position the other kids waved and shouted to them to show them what it was they were playing with.
Slowing down and exchanging insults the boys and girls got close enough to catch a line.
All of sudden they all shout come on out Miss
Sure enough out we come and bingo all pirate rascals abandon ship and disappear into the water, the rocks and the trees.
But we had the rubber duck back and a new crew of kids.
To thank these kids we took them for a joy ride and a visit to the museum ship HB.
The formerly troubled Yamaha Outboard was surprisingly no longer troubled , a positive outcome of the thrashing it took, in this act of pleasure pirating, on our last day among the Great Palm Islands.
