Part Three: A New Engine for Rhapsody

After weeks of planning, preparation, and patience, we finally arrived at Denarau, and Rhapsody was hauled out, ready for her major heart surgery. Our old engine had carried us through many journeys, but now it was time to welcome its replacement.

The very next morning, a large crate caught my eye near the mechanic’s shop. Could it be? I went over for a closer look—and there it was, our brand-new engine, a striking shade of blue. After all the anticipation, I felt a mix of relief that it had arrived safely, excitement to finally re-power, and a bit of nervousness about the installation ahead.

Rhapsody had already been stripped down to work-ready condition, with hoses disconnected, mounting bolts undone, and the dodger and Bimini (cockpit covers) taken off. All that was left was to lift the old engine out. Using the topping lift (the line that keeps the boom raised when the sails are down), we secured the engine for its final journey out. Thanks to the electric winch, my job was simple: press a button, while Bob and the workers made sure the engine stayed stable. Slowly, it rose through the companionway, onto the deck, and finally over the rail, where it was lowered to the ground below.  

Up comes the old engine

The old engine is on deck, Bob is preparing lines to help guide the engine up over the railing and down to the ground below.

Examining the engine space

All empty, this space definitely needs a new engine!

Removing the old one was relatively easy, with gravity doing most of the work. But raising a new, rather heavy engine against gravity was another story. Our poor electric winch tried its best but couldn’t quite manage the lift. Thankfully, the boatyard had a forklift available. It couldn’t raise the engine all the way up to the deck, but it reduced the distance enough for the winch to finish the job. Several hands on deck helped Bob guide the engine as I worked the winch controls, and after some careful maneuvering, it finally reached its new home.

There it sat, looking perfect—almost. Naturally, the mounts didn’t quite match up with the old ones, because why would anything fit the first time? Custom mounts would need to be fabricated, tacking on three extra days to the project. So, we were back to life on the hard for a few more days. (For more on the joys of living in a boatyard, check out our blog post here)

You can see the original motor mounts here, the blue L shaped brackets

The black brackets at the bottom are the new engine mounts.

 Finally, three days later, the new mounts were ready, and we lifted the engine just enough to slip them underneath. With the new mounts in, we secured the engine in place. Rhapsody was ready to head back to the water and show off her new power.

The day finally came to put Rhapsody back in the water and test out her new engine. Easing her down from the yard, I felt a mix of anticipation and excitement as we prepared for the first run. Starting her up, we noticed the difference immediately. The new engine brought a bit more power, a lower torque range, and Rhapsody seemed to cut through the water with a newfound energy. 

The sea trial for testing the new engine's performance included operating at the entire range of rpms from 500 to 3000 by increasing the revs by 100 for about one minute at each. The maneuverability in forward and reverse remained much the same except the lowest speed possible in gear was 3 knots instead of 2 with the old engine. This means we will need to coast  in neutral sooner and more often in anchorages and tight spaces between reefs as we won't be able to use the engine to move forward as slowly as we could before. 

For the next two weeks, we put the engine through its paces, testing everything from power to handling. We returned to Denarau for a 25-hour checkup and oil change, where a few minor tweaks were made, but overall, the engine was given a clean bill of health. It was a relief to know our investment was running smoothly.

We might have nursed the old engine along a bit longer, but after 9,200 hours, its time had come. Now, with Rhapsody re-powered and ready to take on new adventures, we feel even more equipped to handle whatever lies ahead…preferably with fewer forklifts.