The King is Dead, Long Live the King

Transmission problems brought us back to Deaton’s, but we’ve known for some time that putting a new engine in the boat was a foreseeable possibility.  Although our Yanmar 3HM35F runs like a champ, it’s been obsolete for decades, and finding parts is a time-consuming and expensive proposition.  Had our current transmission not been able to be rebuilt, a replacement would have cost $10,000.  All it takes is that repair plus a couple of others, and suddenly we’ve paid for a new engine.  Our cruising plans are taking us far afield, and we can’t be hampered by an engine failure that could strand us or wipe us out financially.

So rather than a death of a thousand cuts, we decided to go ahead and buy a new engine.  We want an engine that is robust, proven, and user-maintainable.  We had three options that would fit in Kestrel:  a Yanmar, a Volvo, and a Beta.  The Volvo engine model that would fit has been recalled and is no longer available.  The Yanmar engine model that would fit is like a modern car engine in that it requires a computer to diagnose issues and recalibrate the engine after repairs or tweaks; the repairs require specialized and expensive tools, and the onboard computer module is notorious for failing.  No thanks!

Our gorgeous new engine.

We decided on a Beta 38 because it ticks all of our boxes.  Beta Marine engines are Kubota engines that have been marine-ized by Beta Marine in the UK.  They are heavy duty, industrial diesel engines that can be fixed by regular people with standard tools and readily available commercial parts.  File under “another reason why this was meant to be” or “who woulda thought”:  Beta Marine’s North American distributor is about 12 miles down the road in Minnesott Beach.  We got to see the engine and talk at length with subject matter experts while we were making our decision, and having that opportunity was a real boon.

Our Beta 38 arrived yesterday, and she’s a beauty.  Today we spent the morning detaching all of the water lines, fuel lines, exhaust hoses, and electrical connections to our current engine in preparation for its removal.  And this afternoon, our (now) old engine was removed from Kestrel.  It took three men and a crane on the travel lift, and 15 minutes later, we were a rowboat.

The engine bay isn’t small until you’re trying to stuff your whole body into it to reach that one . . . last . . . bolt in the back.
Getting the engine out was surprisingly low key. We took the dodger off, and the crew lowered a hook down into the boat via the crane on the travel lift. One mechanic was below and tied the engine to the hook using two lines. Matt (in the orange hardhat) operated the crane with the controls in his right hand, and together they were able to ease the engine out of the engine bay and then out of the companionway.
Matt and Dip guided the engine up and over Kestrel’s lifelines and then completely off of the boat onto the bulkhead.
Dip steadied the engine while Matt drove the travel lift over to the shop and put the engine on a stand.

The next phase is to see what alterations may be required for a perfect fit.  The engine bay was built around our Yanmar, and while the Beta is essentially the same size as our Yanmar, some modifications will need to be made.  We’re excited and relieved to be moving along to the next step!

Our new engine on the left and old engine on the right. Our mechanic, Gary, has them side by side in order to determine the correct motor mount height, overall differences in dimension, and any changes he believes are merited.