Engine Day! Yep, Friday was the day our new engine got delivered to the boat. Forecast was for sun and 60 degrees. We got rain and 45. Forecast was for calm skies. We got 15 mph winds. Wind! Good for a sailboat, right? Well, when inserting an engine into a sailboat, not so much. Because “it’s a process”. Involving a crane.
We started off getting towed down to the boat yard so the crane could get close enough to the boat. Not realizing that the lift well at the yard was fairly shallow, we arrived at low tide. That meant we couldn’t get all the way into the well. The crane arrived on time-WIN! But wait! It didn’t have a long enough arm to reach the boat. And with the wind gusts, the arm would swing too much. Hence the title of this post. An hour later, a bigger crane arrived.
This is NOT like putting a new engine in a car. We take a 633 lb. engine, hoist it 40 feet into the air, and then try to drop it into a 3 foot by 3 foot hole in a boat 20 feet below ground level. On a boat. There was some stress involved. Good news! The engine fit into the hole! On the second try-after removing the companionway hatch. And the stairs. Of course, the engine was lifted transmission-end first and it can’t sit in the boat that way, so once it was inside the boat, still suspended by the crane, we had to rotate it 90 degrees. Did I mention it weighs 633 lbs? Ratchet straps, brute force, and some swearing later however, success! We have to hand it to Drew and Daniel with Mariner Marine Services-from the moment the crane lifted the engine off the truck to when it was in the boat only took an hour. They’re pros. We got towed back to our slip-Thanks Towboat US!
So now we have an engine in the middle of the saloon. This coming week will be installation! But not, of course, without some pain. As I was looking at the engine and then at the engine compartment, I realized that this engine is taller than the old one. Which means it won’t fit down in the compartment as is. Our galley sink is in the way. So Kim and I have to disassemble and remove the galley sink this weekend. Because of course we do. I’m sure it will be fine.
January 21, 2024 at 10:50 pm
I know you two are enjoying this adventure together. I know you are both grateful for the health and blessings to do this together. I know every post is simply a part of what all sailors and boat owners experience. And finally…I know Kim is a Saint in Waiting and that she’s not the one who “curses” when another challenge shows itself! Good luck Crew of the Meraviglia!