This was a big weekend for the boat. Barb was in CT helping our daughter, Jennifer, with her three boys, so I was free to dedicate most of the weekend to the boat. On Saturday I finished disconnecting the engine mounts and propellor shaft, then Troy and I rigged an overhead beam (an old barn 2x10 on edge) and hung his antique chain hoist from it. It took some additional bracing with 2x10's and lag bolts, but we anchored the beam and took a strain on the hoist. Up came the engine, all 300-odd pounds of it, and we slowly hoisted it up to the deck level and then shoved it sideways onto scrap cardboard laid on the deck. We only had one problem - not enough chain to lower it the 15 feet down to the ground level!
On Sunday I bought 35' of chain and we re-rigged the hoist with the new chain. By slacking the chain and just moving the hoist off to the side of the boat we gained enough clearance to hoist it and swing it over the rail, then lower it down to the ground. Not only is the old engine too small (only a 28 hp Volvo-Penta, and the 20,000 lb boat really needs about 45 hp, or 100 cu.in.), it's rusty and needs a good overhaul. It'll go in the Peddler's Post to whomever needs parts or has the ambition to overhaul it.
I immediately got into the engine room and started scrubbing down the inside to get rid of the worst of the grunge, dirt and oil (I also retrieved my tools that had gone under the engine!). The ER is in need of some new fiberglass tabs and will get sanded and painted bright white in the next month, but the new engine will not go in until closer to launching time. Stay tuned for the next developments!