Putt Putt Boats

A walk on Pune's MG Road, almost 2 decades back, would mean lots of todays Fashion Street stalls held along the pavements of the road, wider footpaths, more people walking and lesser traffic. It was so much fun to walk along MG as a kid, gazing at the shops selling toys, clothes, delicious roadside food and then stopping at the "boatwala" as I would address him - the guy sitting with a water-filled tub with a putt putt boat rotating around the rim. This very spot would make my feet stick to the ground, and as I faintly remember, mom would pull me away saying it was a waste buying it, since it would never operate at home.

The original steam putt-putt boats

The stubborn kid I was, I remember crying right there, making a scene out of it, till mom would leave me there and start walking away :) Well a couple of times I would be convinced that it wouldn't work at home, but the sight of it sailing to the rhythm was not something I would walk by so easily.

Couple of years later, when my bro would do the same, it was time for me to walk up and say "I will make it work" and alas we bought the first putt-putt boat. Celebrations time, I ran into the bathroom, filled the tub, grabbed the matchbox, lit the wax filled spoon and there it went... "clitter... clitter... clitter..." as it sped off right into the tub.... yippiee... felt like Vasco-da-gama. And then followed the melting of candles, burnt tiles with wax spots, piles of carbonized match sticks and burnt fingers. Time would fly during the weekends lying besides the tub and see the tiny hull make rounds, reloading the fuel into it and then rejoicing over the next voyage!