On 11/30/23, CAYUGA went for a swim. She dipped her toes in the water, found it suitable after a minor adjustment, and enjoyed a few hours of floating next to the dock where she was put through her paces by her coach, watched by her ward, and admired by a few new fans from afar.
All in all, it was not the day we had hoped for, but in retrospect, it went better than might have been expected given the time everything has been out of the water not doing anything.
Why should it be an early happy birthday for me? Well, it was just a day from my birthday month of December.
On 12/1/23, what hadn't gone to plan the day before was sorted out and CAYUGA performed admirably. About midday, Bryon, her coach, called and said her idling was so perfect I could go crabbing. I guess if I lived on the Eastern Shore and were a fishing/crabbing person, that would make a lot more sense.
So, I'll take the happy results of much work and finger-crossing as the best birthday present I could get for 2023, maybe ever in some respects.
It's just a thing, I have to remind myself. It is not Holly, that is, it's not me. It is a boat. It is, though, a connection, a feeling, a desire, or even a need to connect to water and every joy water has and has had for me with family and friends. So, maybe yes, it is Holly, but I had to do the mind contortions to get to that because it's not really just a thing.
Here's to CAYUGA, thanks for the present of a working pair of beautifully restored engines and transmissions.
And then... it's working!
Every day that passes toward the 2024 season is one less in the way of realizing the dream that CAYUGA has been for me since I first saw her, in spite of the ILY meandering journey it's been.
Congratulations on a long process. But I’m sure now at the end it was worth every argument delay cost over run more waiting more making up. Love you guys. Kitt