This week has seen continued work on our engine installation.  After living for a VERY cold weekend with the engine in the middle of the salon, having to climb on said engine plus a step stool with the bottom stairs out- we are very glad to have the engine safely in the engine bay and our entry/exit to the boat restored. We did however have to remove the sink and surrounding teak trim on Sunday in order to accomplish this.  As Meraviglia projects go,  the sink actually came out easier than expected with minimal damage to the trim- what a nice surprise!! But then the sink had to live for three days on the salon table that was still out of place and perched on the settee – it has been a giant game of Tetris! Also living without a kitchen sink for a few days was a bit of a challenge since our bathroom sinks are a bit small but we managed. 

 

Stepstool to engine to stairs and then climb out of the boat- a bit of work considering how many times we go in and out each day!
Sink removed!

On Monday, Drew and Daniel were here to get the engine installed in the engine bay. Moving a 633 pound engine forward and down into the engine bay took a lot of planning, tools, a trip to the fabricator to have our engine beds altered, our trusty basketball, and muscle by Drew, Daniel, and Bob. But by the end of the day the engine was safely in the compartment! 

On Tuesday, we had the altered engine beds back from the fabricator so the day was spent getting those installed and bolted in which was not an easy task.  It required Bob and Daniel to maneuver into some challenging positions and use the right angle drill but all was able to be completed.  Drew helped us troubleshoot why the newly renovated refrigerator wasn’t maintaining its temperature – fortunately it was a loose fitting so after tightening and recharging with refrigerant,  all seems to be working well.  Drew also taught us how to polish fuel as we had a bit of water that needed to be removed. After the guys left for the day, Bob and I worked to get our sink reinstalled so we could make dinner and not have to take dishes up to the club sink- big win!

Wednesday was a great day- it was finally WARM- 68 degrees!! We could open the windows and enjoy some sunshine while we worked. Now that the engine was in place, there were a number of things that needed to be reinstalled in the engine bay including our fire suppression system, manual bilge pump, and G wind box reconnected. We also got our table back in the salon- no more balancing meals on our laps- woo hoo! 

Reinstalled fire suppression system
Reinstalled manual bilge pump

On a lighter note, I have started an iPhone photography class on Skillshare to be able to share better pictures with you all of our journey.  It has been a fun side project and I have been impressed with the classes available on Skillshare.

Practicing my Skillshare photography class lessons

So as another Thursday starts, where are we??? Well there is still a fair bit of work to do to have a functioning engine including installing the new coupler and a variety of other connections.  Once that is completed,  we will definitely be doing sea trials with the new engine.  We want to try and minimize our need to return to the marina and fully feel confident in Meraviglia.  It feels like we are still a few weeks away from a departure so with that now begins trying to decide what route is feasible given the weather and start of Atlantic hurricane season on June 1. Do we stick with our original plan to head south towards the Caribbean, knowing we need to be south of the hurricane zone by June or do we go to the Bahamas and then return to the East Coast this summer/fall before then heading south again next November? The weather and hurricane seasons dictate a lot of sailing so we will be researching our route options and talking with our mentors to figure out the best path forward for us.  Until then we will continue dreaming about the warm waters of the Caribbean and sailing adventures!