Weekly Progress Report 17
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This last week I have been working in the bilge under the engine, literally, under the engine. The first job for the week was to lift the engine so I could access the bilge under it. This I did with blocks and tackles and a couple of beams across the skylight opening. Once hoisted, I lashed it in place with lots of rope to make sure that there was no chance of it falling on top of my head while working underneath this rather heavy lump of metal. Even so, despite all my precautionary lashings, initially I felt a bit like Damocles sitting under his king’s sword suspended by a horsetail hair. But with time one soon got used to pretty much anything. After bumping my head a few times on the sump I pretty much forgot that it was there. So, now the engine bay has been stripped bare and I have welded in some doubler plates at the bottom of the hull side plates to compensate for any loss of metal due to water sloshing around over the years. Welding in six large doubler plates was time consuming and rather hard on the knees as I had to constantly crouch down to weld inside the restricted space at the very bottom of the hull. I am very glad to have this job completed as of today. Next week we will install some new timber beams to support the cabin sole and once that is done I will be able to paint out the engine bay bilge. Then we will lower the engine back in its usual place, reconnect the prop shaft and align the engine. And that is enough to think about for now. The engine bilge:
The engine suspended from the skylight:
All is well.
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