Let the pictures speak for themselves.

The old Renault engine has left her home for the last 28 years. I feel like taking her to the nearby cemetery and bury her and heap flowers on her grave. She has served me well. How many hours have I stood there in the cockpit and beat the rythm of her two cylinders with her?

I had rehearsed the exercise of how to get her out of the boat and onto the pontoon for the last week or so. And, if I may so, sometimes there is a bit of genius in me. I lay no claim to it, I inherited it from my exceptionally gifted children. The way I am moored against the steel wire rope it would be impossible to transfer the 220 Lb monster from the cockpit to the pontoon. I used the two to one tackle that I have made up to haul a man (or woman) overboard back into the boat. I attached it to the mast. But first of all I had to get the stern of the boat closer to the pontoon. The trick with setting the anchor upstream really payed off. As you can see in the pictures. I will stay moored that way till the new engine arrives, this Thursday morning. Both Christi and Marian came to help lift the engine out and then we had a little celebration on the pontoon, with a local bottle of wine. Christi talked to the Romanian driver and everything is scheduled for his Thursday arrival. So, I have work to do tomorrow. Cleaning out the bilge, filling in the holes of the old shock absorbers, etc.

Many of you have been very helpful on this project, but I am particularly indebted to my brother in law, Herman, who guided me through the process, step by step, and assisted in getting the engine and all the miscellaneous parts purchased and shipped and made the payment arrangements for me.