One morning I had just woken up, sipping some tea, staring out of the window, when a neighbour walked past with two branches of thorny bush. Seconds later the beach smelled like wood fire and his beautiful wooden boat was ablast.

"I don't like it", he said. "It's too heavy. 500 kilos. My plastic boat is better."

The yachties from the catamaran in the harbour were a bit startled...