Engine is Back in the Boat

The engine in 2023

Almost 2 years to the day after I bought Velorum and equipment, I finally dropped the engine back in after rebuilding it.  It's not installed yet, but it's sitting in the cabin waiting for me to figure out how to get it off its stand and back onto the engine mounts.  It was a big day because I was struggling to find someone in Central NH who had the equipment (and insurance) who was willing to do it.  I could have hired a mobile diesel mechanic from the seacoast to do all the install work but they require that they do the whole job and charge a small fortune.  I just needed someone with a crane to drop the engine in.

Fortunately, Reliable Crane Service came to my rescue and the owner agreed to do the job on a Saturday so it wouldn't tie up his equipment for more lucrative jobs during the week.  So, at 7AM Dennis showed up with a HUGE crane (he said it was his small boom truck and not actually a crane) and got to work setting up.  We connected his hook to my chainfall and he picked up the engine right out of my utility trailer (without the stand because that wouldn't fit into the opening) and hoisted it 30 feet above the boat before lowering it just above the companionway hatch with me giving hand signals. 

Once it was centered over the hatch, my wife started lowering the engine using the chainfall while I guided it into the cabin.  Down below, my son made sure it was clear of any furniture and we eventually lowered it enough to put the wooden stand back on and then lowered it the rest of the way onto the cabin sole (with a plywood cover).  

All told, the lift took about 20 minutes and the rest of the time was spent chatting with Dennis and Roy (the owner of the farm where I keep the boat).  Thankfully, it was extremely uneventful and as soon as the engine landed in the cabin, a huge relief swept over me.  I had been thinking and planning about this lift for a long time and was so happy that it was done.

This morning I went over to the bolt and put all the parts I had stripped off the engine and started trying to figure out the next big step, getting the engine back on the stringers that it will live on going forward.  I'm planning on installing the lift muffler before I get the engine back in because access will be infinitely better.  I also decided that I would epoxy a few more layers of 1708 biaxial glass to the inside of the stringers followed by another coat of paint to make sure the mounts are bombproof, but that shouldn't be too bad.  For now I'm just going to bask in the glow of an almost whole boat...