The Repowering Project begins...
Day 1 (Wednesday)
We sat in the RYCT for 3 weeks waiting patiently for someone to come and look at the Perkins (see the previous post), but it wasn't until we returned to Melbourne that we received a call from someone who was interested enough to want to do so. After a very hectic week in Melbourne and a late flight to Hobart, we were still in our PJs this morning when first Keith Smith, who is going to do the changeover, then Vic Belbin, hopefully a prospective buyer, came knocking at Nahani.
Keith and colleague Jason spent some time looking over the engine compartment and discussing how best to manage the changeover while the captain talked to Vic about Perkins engines. Vic has one of his own, and is principally interested because he would like to swap our gearbox for his current one, as it rotates the drive shaft the other way. He may also consider taking the engine as well, as it gives him a complete collection of spare parts, or even a complete spare engine, should his fail or need a major rework. We're hopeful.
Vic and Peter then talked about Perkins engines and boats in general over coffee until it was close to lunchtime. The cook went ashore for provisions, the engineer started on the interesting, and at times challenging, task of disconnecting everything attached to the engine. On a marine engine, this is no simple task. Not only are there obvious things like exhaust systems and cooling systems, but there are heat exchangers to heat the hot water, connections to and from the battery banks that provide the boat with power when not on 240v, etc. The cooling system itself is more complex than a non-marine engine as the salt water used to cool the engine doesn't actually circulate through it, but cools a sealed freshwater system via a heat exchanger. So there are many, many pipes, wires, pumps and fittings to be unscrewed and unbolted and cleared out of the way. The mate had the less glamorous jobs of cleaning up the residual oil in the drip tray, emptying buckets of water drained from the cooling systems, etc.
By 7pm the companionway steps which sit in front of the engine compartment were back in place, and the cook was able to get the dinner. Somehow the engineer has found some more things to undo since then, and is back in the shed with spanners and screwdrivers. But we've already contacted Keith to tell him all is going well with the first phase, and so tomorrow morning the delicate exercise of hoisting the Perkins out will begin. Watch this blog to find out how it goes!
We sat in the RYCT for 3 weeks waiting patiently for someone to come and look at the Perkins (see the previous post), but it wasn't until we returned to Melbourne that we received a call from someone who was interested enough to want to do so. After a very hectic week in Melbourne and a late flight to Hobart, we were still in our PJs this morning when first Keith Smith, who is going to do the changeover, then Vic Belbin, hopefully a prospective buyer, came knocking at Nahani.
Keith and colleague Jason spent some time looking over the engine compartment and discussing how best to manage the changeover while the captain talked to Vic about Perkins engines. Vic has one of his own, and is principally interested because he would like to swap our gearbox for his current one, as it rotates the drive shaft the other way. He may also consider taking the engine as well, as it gives him a complete collection of spare parts, or even a complete spare engine, should his fail or need a major rework. We're hopeful.
Vic and Peter then talked about Perkins engines and boats in general over coffee until it was close to lunchtime. The cook went ashore for provisions, the engineer started on the interesting, and at times challenging, task of disconnecting everything attached to the engine. On a marine engine, this is no simple task. Not only are there obvious things like exhaust systems and cooling systems, but there are heat exchangers to heat the hot water, connections to and from the battery banks that provide the boat with power when not on 240v, etc. The cooling system itself is more complex than a non-marine engine as the salt water used to cool the engine doesn't actually circulate through it, but cools a sealed freshwater system via a heat exchanger. So there are many, many pipes, wires, pumps and fittings to be unscrewed and unbolted and cleared out of the way. The mate had the less glamorous jobs of cleaning up the residual oil in the drip tray, emptying buckets of water drained from the cooling systems, etc.
By 7pm the companionway steps which sit in front of the engine compartment were back in place, and the cook was able to get the dinner. Somehow the engineer has found some more things to undo since then, and is back in the shed with spanners and screwdrivers. But we've already contacted Keith to tell him all is going well with the first phase, and so tomorrow morning the delicate exercise of hoisting the Perkins out will begin. Watch this blog to find out how it goes!
posted by Nahani-mate at
8:36 pm
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