One issue that we knew we’d have to deal with when we bought Sonrisa was her 30 year old engine that would only start after we’d had an electric heater aimed at it for 15 minutes, and then only if we were lucky.

So, although neither of us are mechanics, and we had no idea what we were doing, we set out to replace the engine. We did most of the work at the dock. We disconnected everything, moved the old engine out of the engine compartment and, with the help of a few friends and a chain hoist on the boom, lifted it out and onto the dock. We then reversed the process to get the new engine in, this time with just the two of us. We also replaced most of the auxiliary systems which were one of a) worn out, b) custom for the old engine, or c) non-existent. Also, instead of a transmission the old engine had a variable pitch propeller, to reverse you simply rotated the propeller blades! Genius, but not compatible with a new engine so we towed the boat to the yard to haul it and replace the propeller and shaft. That’s where the real fun began. We discovered that the old shaft log was integral to the shaft and propeller assembly. So a three day haulout stretched into ten while we found and fit a new shaft log. Finally on July 1 we were ready to roll (float?). I assume all the fireworks that night were for us.

The old Beast

Out she goes

In goes the new engine

And it fits!

Hooking stuff up

Oh dear, no shaft log

ten days later

It all works!