We are in Scituate to meet up with a mechanic who has agreed to remove the main engine and rebuild it. I found a highly recommended guy here in Scituate (thanks Peter!) who estimated a rebuild for ~$3K plus removal and reinstallation, so probably total around $5K. It sucks, but this is all part of the life of an owner of a 20 year old boat. Anyway, I met with him this morning to figure out logistics and timeline. He is planning to take the engine out Monday. I am guessing this will be a 1 - 2 week duration project, depending on parts needed and machine shop availability.

The details on the engine, for those of you who may be interested: did a compression test in Mystic and one cylinder is low (#3). Found raw water (water drawn from outside through a hose to cool the engine) in all cylinders and came to realize there is no vented loop on the hose from the heat exchanger to the mixing elbow. The top of the engine is just above the waterline and it would appear the lack of the vented loop has allowed water to siphon back into the cylinders through the exhaust valves, probably in an anchorage when the engine is off and waves are rocking the boat. I have noticed hesitation when starting the engine from time to time - hydro-lock (water in the cylinders won't compress, and stops the piston from moving to the top of the cylinder, and therefore the engine won't turn over when trying to start), I am told. The working hypothesis at this point is #3 has a bent connecting rod, not allowing the piston to push all the way to the top. It's interesting that the engine has survived over 2500 hours like this. There may be another cause which will be determined after tear down.

So for now, Nikki and I are going to get off the boat while it is being worked on here in Scituate. We will rent a car and drive back to Burlington to get the car and then drop off the rental, see friends and family, and then return back to Kristinly and hopefully take a run across the bay to spend some time at Cape Cod before returning to VT for Jenni and Matt's wedding.

I am still pondering my future after the wedding. Besides going back to work, which will be no later than the first of the year, the big question is what to do with the boat for the winter. I am rethinking the notion of taking it south to SC or GA to lay up at the end of the year so I can return to work. The idea of keeping the boat in the northeast is a possibility and looking more like a reality for the short term - at least for 2010. That will give us the option to get to the boat from time to time while still working next year. We may even bring her back up to Lake Champlain, if not this fall, then next spring. All of this is a work in progress for now ...

Just a note on Cuttyhunk, more for my future reference and for you sailors who may be thinking about stopping off there someday: this is a quaint island village with little in terms of entertainment other than a nice walk up to an old WWII bunker with a fabulous view of the surrounding islands and the ocean. That alone makes this a great place to stop. The small harbor also offers great all-around protection from weather. There is a small place to anchor outside of the mooring field. The moorings are expensive ($40/night), very close, and very full. Arrive early ...

We had a great day yesterday sailing north up Buzzards Bay, then through the Cape Cod Canal catching the tide right and making 9 - 10 kts all the way through and then sailing north up the coast to Scituate, dodging a small storm to the south, with 20 kts. Winds
gusting to 30 kts on a beam reach - mostly moving along at a relatively quick clip of 7.5 - 8.5 kts - very fast for this old Island Packet!

That's about it. Steve and Michelle of the IP38 John Ray whom we met in the Bahamas happen to be in Hingham, about 10 miles north of here and we are meeting them for breakfast tomorrow, and then they will take us to pick up the rental car. Probably won't be writing much, if at all, until we get back on the boat after the engine is repaired. Assuming that doesn't take anymore time then expected, we are planning to sail across the bay to Province Town at the tip of Cape Cod and spend a few weeks exploring before returning to VT for the wedding.