Can boats fly?

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Sometimes they do. This particularly patient boat travelled 3 times by land and 7 times by air before finally getting her bottom wet.

On a summer day in 2006 Melodeon took a 1/4 mile jaunt by crane and flatbed trailer to her first launch site in a nearby canal. Throughout the tense 10 hour day we watched the crane shift it's weights and inch forward like a protective dinosaur moving a precious egg. The entire operation was conducted with mummered conversations, in the slow motion of precision and skill.

In the middle of the day there was some notable action as Melodeon was escorted down the road. A crew swung down the lane fore and aft, clearing branches, supporting telephone lines and greeting neighbours as the truck rolled steadily forward. Compared to the torturously slow ritual of lifting, this part seemed to be over in minutes.

By late afternoon and a thousand more tai-chi style adjustments of crane and weights, the pinnacle event of the day began. In a carefully controlled final lift, Melodeon rose up majestically once more into the sky, flew a graceful arc over the trees and dropped silently down to take her first jubilant dip in the stream. Years of anticipation could not have prepared us for this moment. We had stowed away on board, treating ourselves to our own Disneyworld ride of a lifetime. We skurried around checking for leaks and preparing to throw ropes to secure our lady-ship.

Then the three masts were lifted on board, set in place and hammered into secure positions. This part seemed to be trickier than the actual boat lift, perhaps because of our rubber knees.

After a small ceremony to thank our many helpers, Melodeon had an environmentally friendly dedication, with the champagne being reserved to pour over the giddy guests and very capable crew.

At last Melodeon had broken her strange habit of walking and flying; finally swimming as the proper yacht she is.

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