The Repowering Project Day 10

Fort Pierce

One last time we started first thing in the morning. Libby stayed behind and Bud and I went to the boat. Our task for the day was to recheck the shaft alignment and finish the shaft installation. Here’s the steps.

• Grind down the fiberglass in the stern to make a flat surface for the shaft log flange.

• Temporarily attach the shaft coupler to the engine. The end of the shaft extends through the four inch open hole in the stern. By eye one can see if the shaft is centered in the larger hole.

• Use the nuts on the engine mounts to adjust engine tilt until the shaft is vertically centered in the hole.

• Use the shaft itself to move the engine on the mounts until it is centered left and right.

• Slide the shaft log down the shaft into the hole to verify the centering. It slid in and out with no resistance -- perfect alignment.

• Now tighten down all the nuts on the engine mounts and on the bolts that fasten the mounts to the boat.

• Remove the shaft and install the stuffing box and the “motor saver” onto the the shaft. Bolt the motor saver bolts firmly onto the shaft and onto the transmission.

• Go outside and mix up a batch of Marine Tex marine epoxy putty. The putty goes on the shaft log tube and flange.
  
  
• Caulk the washers on the brass bolts and nuts that will fasten the shaft log. Then bold the shaft log in place.
  

• Use the remaining marine putty to build up mass around the outside of the shaft log. When complete the log should be invisible and be completely molded into the hull.
  
  
• Wash your hands, clean up, and pat yourself on the back. The major part of The Repowering Project is now complete. We were done around 10:00, just before a cold front passed that dropped the temperature 15 degrees in two minutes.
  

When we were done, I thanked Bud profusely and drove him to Vero Beach. We met Richard from Viking Rose there. Bud was going to look over Richard’s boat and then Richard will drive him down to the airport at West Palm Beach for his flight home.

The rest of the day I took as a day of rest. Libby and I took a long barefoot walk on the beach. That’s excellent R&R.

I’ll write more about my remaining projects tomorrow, but we’re definitely on the down side. Thanks to Bud, all the worrisome parts of the project are done. As a matter of fact, now having been through it once, I’m available to assist any other Westsail owners who want to repower and who can’t get Bud Taplin to do it for them.

Repowering day 11