Chapter 16

"There's one hellofa deal on an in-between size tug out of New Jersey," Tuobro said, "Really good price."

"What is an in-between size?" I asked.

"One eighty-seven."

"What's a really good price?"

"If we pay it off before the bank gets it repossessed, we can have it for what's owed," the former Finnish Lieutenant of Aviation said.

"What's owed?"

The price was nothing short of spectacular ... too cheap to tell.

"Uhm ... sur ... uh ... wait." I thought about what was said and the way he put it ... Lightbulb Moment... "Out of New Jersey? How far out? How much is owed in dockage, fuel charges, backpay ... figuring that in ... is it still a good deal ... and what's it going to cost to move it?"

I heard him mumbling beneath his breath.

"It's not in a port ... it's at sea ... and there's a ship in tow ... but we'll have to fetch it with Big Bertha. They're out of fuel," Tuobro looked positively positive.

What the Hel ... I wasn't having much fun and it sounded like a road trip ... at the very least. I okayed it.

"Okay, what?" asked Wendy.

The longer I talked the madder she got. When I said I might as well go ... she turned sheet white.

"No!" She stamped her little foot.

"No?"

"I don't care if you blow your money on some beatup old tugboat ... if you feel the need, I'm okay with it," she said. "I'm NOT okay with you going. This baby is due within the month and I won't have you leaving me ... holding the bag ... so to speak."

"I'm staying home, Eels," I said, "Tell me something, Eels?"

"What?" He was getting upset ... good sized tugs are hard to find.

"Who owns the wreck?" I asked. I nodded my head forward, indicating the half submerged tug on the other side of the tee wharf.

"I do," he said. "Why?"

"I wanna practice on it," I said.

"Practice?"

"Yeah ... I want to see if I can raise it, repair it, and maybe use it," I explained. "It would keep me home where I can hear Wendy."

"Hel, you can have it," Eels said.

"Got a clear title?"

"Yeah ... I'll go get it," he said.

Eels left the Vellamo and walked across the long arm of the wharf to the Buttercup. He came back with the documents and said, "Let's go to the bank."

"Now wait a minute, Eels..." I said ... He had said I could have it.

"Notary Public," he said. "And we need to go by the club and pick up Elise, she has to sign too."

We all climbed into the Delahaye ... I had to help Wendy ... she Was getting huge ... and went to that decrepit building with the fancy back room. Elise loaded up and off we went to the nearest still open bank.

Banks were getting few and far between but the closest one was still closer than the Courthouse.

The Notary wanted identification ... our Passports were good enough for him.

Eels signed. Elise signed. I bullied Wendy into putting her name on the New Owner line.

"What price?" the Notary asked.

"I gave it to him," Eels said.

The Notary looked at Eels and shook his head. Then he looked at me and said, "Give him a dollar. When you get to the Courthouse, you'll pay sales tax on a dollar. If the boat is a gift, you have to pay gift tax. The boat will have to be surveyed, assessed and maybe it will be condemned ... that is ... if it is the one down at the tug wharf."