Motor Mount 2.0

We had a beautiful night, and the first sunlight woke us right on time at half past five.
Alex prepared a few breakfast snacks. There was no coffee today, because since last night the electronics, including the gas valve, had stopped working.

After brushing our teeth, greeting the turtles, and having a quick breakfast, we started straight into the day. Our goal was to replace the last two engine mounts. Yesterday had gone well, so we tied the engine back up through the lifting eyes, and Alex began working on the rear port-side mount.

While he worked, I began another project, the ceiling window in the saloon. It had stopped sealing properly, probably because the old rubber gasket was worn out (so we thought), and water was getting in. So I removed the old seal, scraped away the silicone glue, and cleaned everything carefully. I had not expected it to take so long. I sat in the sun for what felt like hours, scraping stubborn bits of old silicone from every corner.

After a while, good news arrived. The third engine mount was replaced. This one had been the hardest to reach, but with the experience of the first two, went surprisingly smoothly. The bolts being in good shape definitely helped. Only one was left, the aft starboard mount, and that one would be the most difficult.

This mount was attached directly to the engine with a bracket. Two bolts needed to be loosened, which sounded simple enough at first. But the entire area was covered in a thick layer of rust and grime. We used a hammer and chisel to uncover the bolts just to reach them. The heads were so corroded that it was almost impossible to fit a wrench, and even then they would not move at all. At that point we were not even sure whether they were bolts or studs. We hammered, pried and cursed, but nothing changed. The metal was so hard that drilling was not an option with our tools. So I started sawing off the head of the first bolt, hoping to back it out later from the other side. The sawing alone took more than an hour.

During that time Alex suddenly did not feel well. He said he felt sick but still wanted to help. I told him to lie down, yet he could not rest. He kept saying he wanted to do something but wasn't able to. Everything felt overwhelming. When I went up to the cockpit after a while, I saw that he looked pale. At that moment I realized it might be serious, maybe a small panic attack. I asked if he wanted a hug. He nodded, smiling weakly and warning me not to catch whatever disease he might have. But he had no fever and no other symptoms, so I wasn't too worried. After two hugs, he laid down, we lifted his legs, and turned off the music. After half an hour he felt much better, and we were relieved. Sometimes the mind simply needs a reset.

By then I had finally managed to saw off the first bolt head, but nothing had moved. Alex wanted to help again and started working on the second one. The angle was terrible, the engine bay was hot, and progress was slow. He tried to loosen the anchor bolts of the mount itself, but the mount was so bent that they would not turn. Another problem.

When I took over again, I kept sawing and thinking of another way. To free the anchor bolt, I cut off part of the mount that blocked it from turning upward. After another half hour the bolts were finally out. I hit the flange with the hammer, and to my surprise the lower bolt came loose. After so many blows the threads were damaged though. I took a file and shaped the end into a smooth pin. Finally, the first bolt came out completely. What a relief.

Now only the upper one remained, still completely stuck. Alex took over, hit the flange with full force, and suddenly something moved. The mount came free, but the rest of the upper bolt was still stuck in the engine. Alex filed flat surfaces into the exposed end of the bolt, latched on with a pair of vice grips, and turned. It moved! Progress was slow, but after ten exhausting minutes of turning, the second bolt was out.

We both cheered. Alex quickly put the new engine mount in place and we were done. That last one had taken almost seven hours, all because of those stubborn bolts, but in that moment we did not care. Once we had cleaned up, we jumped into the water, partly to celebrate and partly to cool off, but mostly to wash away the oil and grime. We did not get completely clean, but you get used to being dirty on a boat. What a day it had been, tiring and sweaty, yet we had done it together.

We took one last quick look at the electrical system, but there was not enough time left to work on it. The day ended once more without a warm meal. Tomorrow, we decided, would be dedicated to fixing the electronics and gas. Freshly cooked fish would be a real treat.

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