magic torch's cat-overboard story reminds me of when my brother and his wife took their several terriers on a houseboat holiday
The dogs liked to run the length of the boat, leap off the end and swim around for a bit.

Then they'd realise how cold and wet the water was and head for the bank, which they couldn't climb up as it was made of steep stones, leading to frantic scrabbling and yelping.

Bro would by this time have stopped the boat and sprinted down the towpath to rescue the dog. Sometimes a kindly bystander would have already dragged it out of the canal and would variously coo over the poor ikle wet doggie or lecture Bro sternly on keeping his dog under control.

This happened several times a day. After a few days of it, and heavy rain, Bro and wife admitted defeat, abandoned the holiday about 10 miles up the canal and came home.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Fri 10 May 2013, 12:11, 8 replies)

pwnd

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Fri 10 May 2013, 12:36, closed)

This is the same reason we don't take our 2 year old son on a boat.
You can't even publicly hose him down without questions being asked.
(username failed moderation, Fri 10 May 2013, 13:28, closed)

You sicken me.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Fri 10 May 2013, 13:51, closed)

Hasn't been
a completely wasted day then.
(username failed moderation, Fri 10 May 2013, 14:51, closed)

it must be said,
most of the time they exited the canal without my help - it was only the stern that was next to a sheer wall. if they fell off at the other end, the canal had silted to such an extent and the locals had disposed of so much wood and crap that they could climb out quite easily.
we'd come back to a trail of water from the catflap leading to the bedroom, a very wet duvet and a suspiciously smug looking only slightly soggy moggy.
(magictorch, Mon 13 May 2013, 15:06, closed)

Nowt
wrong with a wet pussy.
(username failed moderation, Tue 14 May 2013, 11:32, closed)

Ten miles
is quite a respectable distance on a narrow boat. He was hardly going to do a whistle-stop tour of the UK, was he?
(Rsoles, Tue 14 May 2013, 19:50, closed)

I think Bro ran most of that distance back along the towpath and back to the boat though
when he was supposed to be steering manfully and waving to admiring passers-by.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 16 May 2013, 9:39, closed)