The Balaton group, one of the SAMM boat share groups, who operate four 6 metre keel boats on the Mar Menor have a pet parrot. Unfortunately it keeps getting moved from home to home as it is awarded, from time to time, to a Balaton member who somehow messes up.
Up until recently it had a comfortable home with Dennis but then was claimed by Julian who caught the groups tender on the jetty while towing it, damaging the transom.
He only had it for a week before it was forced to move again, first to Keith for hitting the reef during the first race on a SAMM race day, then an hour later to Paddy, who hit the same reef in the second race, the same day. Luckily, because of the very light wind no damage was caused to the boat.
These incidents are few and far between so, if you are interested in enjoying sailing and racing on the Mar Menor without having to home a parrot, contact Julian via https://www.facebook.com/thebalatongroup.
Paddy is now complaining that the parrot is driving him mad by asking, every time he walks past it’s perch “Who’s a silly boy then?”
Photo: left to right, Paddy, Keith, the parrot, Julian and Dennis
