Engines and other news

inQuest at Ess-Kay

Highwind has long needed new injector pumps on her engines, for a over a year now. The pumps themselves are on the boat, stowed for when they could get the work scheduled. Not only was it a bigger task, but these particular engines need a computer to get them running. Pile on the fact that there are only 12 of these engines in existence (and Highwind has 2 of 'em) so competent mechanics have been hard to find. (That might be an exaggeration, but not by much!)

Russ was sure Ess-Kay (the working marina we're at in Brewerton) had or knew the right people. Weeks ago plans were made. While Hannah and David headed to Seattle for a week of work, Russ has been pseudo-managing the work. 

Whenever there's work to be done the saloon
turns into a garage. Worse when it's engine work.

I mention all this because it was completed Thursday, and the mechanics wanted to have a sea trial to see how it all went. Hannah and David weren't here, however...

...so we did it! I got to pilot a whole new boat! Conditions couldn't have been better: clear skies, zero wind, zero current. We took Highwind out onto Oneida Lake and got her up to 2000 rpms. The mechanic on board was less than thrilled with the sound of the engines. We all knew this could result in a diagnosis of having the injectors rebuilt. And that's exactly the next step.

Misty morning sunrise at Ess-Kay

Meanwhile, Russ has been using this time to chase down our coolant leak once and for all. He narrowed it down to the exhaust manifold. He took it out and brought it to a mechanic that, using pressure, found a itsy, bitsy, teeny, tiny pinhole in the thing. Now it's out getting fixed as well.

Labor Day is nearly here. All of us plan on spending it away from boats and in the Finger Lakes area doing some wine tasting.

Come next Tuesday it will be a race. Who will have their engines back up and running first?