Page 174 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK TWO "BOSTON 1960 TO 1970"

allow us plenty of time to undertake the lift before the tide
dropped too low to become dangerous.

Fosdyke bridge on the main A17 to Norfolk in 1969.

We had arrived at the allotted time, the boat was there
waiting close to the quay and breasting the current as the tide
began to fall and there was no sign of a mobile crane. There
was no reply when we phoned Belton’s office either. Thinking
it was on its way we gave it another half an hour. The tide
continued to fall and we began to think of alternatives. As soon
as the tide fell beyond a certain level the boat could not get
back to its last home berth and would be at the mercy of the
river and its obstructions.
The quay we had chosen was used by the local drainage
authority as their loading and unloading point for barges filled
with rock that they used to protect the banks from tidal
erosion. Just to one side of the quay was an old tracked
dragline excavator with a bucket for moving the stone. We had
lifting straps with us to use with the crane that should have

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