A Little Boat Gets a Lift

 We were tardy putting our sailing boat, Titanic 2*,  into the water this summer. Prolonged travels followed by days of monsoon-like weather, followed by necessary repairs to our tow vehicle, my trusty  but old 4 wheel drive, which proved to be unnecessary repairs,  meant we didn't get cracking until last week. But this year we had a new and exciting experience. After years of struggling with masts, winches, ramps and the like, we decided to call in professional help in the shape of the lads at the Buffalo boatyard. And they produced a wondrous machine.

A massive, wheeled contraption with a sling for the boat (nicely padded) which could be towed anywhere and everywhere.
  While they tinkered with getting Titanic 2 comfortable, I took some snaps of the romantic Buffalo waterfront....

...with its fabled grain elevators, a legacy of the days when the produce of the prairies steamed across Lake Erie to Buffalo, making it one of America's most prosperous cities. . Now they're the last word in post-industrial chic, fringed by small boat marinas and  intrepid kayakers.

It's all supposed to be in a much-lauded process of regeneration, though I'd still say it has a way to go. At least one of the grain elevators is in use to this day. This one for General Mills, which produces that American  breakfast staple, Cheerios. If the wind's in the right direction, you can smell them.

So here's the mighty machine on its way. Possibly Titanic 2, unlike her hapless namesake, is the smallest boat they've ever had to deal with.

 And there she goes, down into the water. How about that!

It beats backing the car, boat and trailer gingerly down a perilous ramp any day. Thank you lads!

*(Author's note: For the benefit of new readers, not her real name. At my first encounter hubby assured me she had been marketed as unsinkable. I said I'd heard that one before.)