The Engine Saga Continues

On Monday (yesterday) morning, at about 10 a.m., we raised anchor and made our way through biggish seas and biggish winds to Jolly Harbour where we tied up at the dock after calling Carl to make sure that such behaviour would be OK. We were very excited about getting our second engine back.

Yes, well…

First, the forklift had blown its starter engine so could not be used to reinsert our engine. There was some talk of using the travel lift, but the boatyard wasn’t keen on that. Then Daniel (the nice Dominican man who extracted the engine) came with a measuring tape and a furrowed brow. Much sighing and O-my-god-ing ensued. The engine had been removed in two largish pieces, now it was all put together in one piece and was too big to get through the hatch or through our doorways. What to do?  His suggestion of enlarging the door to the engine room was rejected out of hand. Clearly, it is going to be more difficult getting the baby back in than it was getting it out.

Carl didn’t want to unseal the gaskets he’d so carefully applied. Any extraneous bits were removed from the engine. Work was perpetrated on the forklift starter motor. Evening came. We aimed for today.

We don’t like Jolly Harbour. It is very protected, thus windless, hot, crowded, smelly, ugly. It features many flies by day and many small biting insects by night. These last can be dealt with by liberal application of bug spray and/or by wrapping one’s body in a sheet like a shroud. Both ways have drawbacks. With the first, you always miss a bit and the bugs always find it; with the second, you are sweltering. Suffice it to say, last night was not one of our most restful. We were grateful that the temperature plummeted to about 24C (which after a day of 29C in the sun is pretty nice) overnight and the swaddling didn't seem so terrible.

A first attempt has now been made on reinserting the infant. In the way of babies, it has grown since delivery and doesn’t want to go back whence it came. They are removing its exhaust manifold…one of the bits Carl didn’t want to mess with. WW is accepting. “Oh well,” he says.

Daniel tries with the entire engine.

Entire engine resists re-entry.

* * * * *

It is in! Or rather, its bits are in. Almost the minute it landed in its nest, the heavens opened as a squall came through. A sort of baptism, I suppose. Now Daniel and Terry (another person who knows what he's doing) will reconstruct the baby in its womb. And WW reports that the gasket didn’t break. I gather this is a good thing.

Terry and WW with the slimmed-down version.

She's in! It's all just hours of reconnection now...

In a few hours, we may be on our way back to English Harbour, its pleasant breezes and relative bug-freeness.

Or not.

It is never wise to attempt to foresee the future while in the islands.