We've ordered a new engine.
Ishtar is a sailing boat, and as such, the engine is supposed to take us from our place of mooring, or anchorage, to a point where we can raise the canvas and sail away into the sunset.
The reality of course, is somewhat different. There are times when we simply must get back, for work or other commitments. Times where there is no wind, or times, like earlier on this year, where we just really don't want to be out in rough conditions and a worsening sea state.
Our Bukh 10HP was fine for getting us from our mooring to getting the canvas up, but, we feel, not much use apart from that. In other areas of the UK, or in the Med, we'd be quite happy with the engine, but in the Bristol channel and Pembrokeshire, and the strong tides, we've several times been stuck going nowhere, or backwards. Luckily, we've managed to sail ourselves out of trouble, but may not always be so lucky.
Our friends who also have a 28ft, similar design to Ishtar, have a 17hp engine, which seems to cope well with the channel. Calculations suggest around 4HP per tonne. Ishtar is 3.5 tonnes probably in excess of 4 tonnes fully laden, suggesting 16-17hp is about right. 10HP seems wrong.
Our friend Tom visited us recently and we went for a sail, He seemed quite happy with Ishtar generally, but his comments on changing the engine made us think, and we started to realise that it was something we would have to do.
This winter we had planned to rebuild our retaining wall at the back of the house. That plan has been shelved until next spring, and the money we had saved to do that (All Louise's night shifts) will now go to wards the new engine.
So, watch this space.
