Midnight Blue - engine matters/engines matter?

[Midnight Blue]

Ben Trickett at Southern Marine Services in Poole who does bits of engineering work with the RNLI and the more discrete sections of our armed forces who blat about on boats, had already identified a few issues with the engines when he last serviced them. We debated long and hard as to refurbish or replace. I decided to stick with the counter rotating 175 HP Perkins T6.354s. I think I made the right decision. Cost wise it worked better and we had no alterations to undertake to the boat. Also we could do one engine in 2008/2009 and the other in 2010/2011 easing cash flow.

The compression on the Starboard engine was between 290 & 320PSI down from recommended pressure of 360, with wear on the cambers, but except from an essential gearbox rebuild, reconditioned alternator, service, injectors and injector pump calibrated, we left that one alone for now.

The Port engine had a full rebuild with new linings and pistons and rings, reconditioned turbo and alternator, gearbox rebuild and a few repairs, and injectors and injector pump calibrated. New engine mounts were installed, the engines painted from ghastly green to stunning silver and the tachos calibrated with the new instruments. Pete Foulkes words still however ring in my ears…�they will always smoke you know,,,� one other thing-someone had previously cut the rudders down by about 5 inches. I decided to have them adapted and with drawings from AVB had them lengthened to the original size. Apparently shortening the rudders was in vogue a while ago to increase performance!

[Ben]

Paul, I didn't know that you have got CR 175's in Midnight Blue, she should go well with those in.

Keep the updates coming.

Ben