Starting to repower our boat. Was it safe to remove our sailboat diesel engine by myself?
22 March 2026 · 12 min · 2K views · their backyard
Crew lowers red engine onto land-bound sailboat
What this video covers
A Tartan Marine 34 C named Hariah, hauled out in the owner's backyard after a season in Mexico, undergoes an engine swap: the original Westerbeke is removed and a Beta 25 from Beta Marine is waiting to replace it.▶ 0:15 The owner disconnects the exhaust, gearbox, and battery cables solo, then rigs a come-along lift using aluminum planks spanning two ladders braced against the toerail.▶ 7:21 With the mast down, the usual boom-and-winch method is unavailable, so the improvised scaffold takes its place.▶ 5:24 Midway through the lift, a 500-lb-rated strap snaps and the roughly 250-lb engine drops two feet back into the bilge.▶ 8:32 The owner is not underneath it and escapes with a minor scrape.▶ 10:10 He resets the rig, waits for his son Cory to arrive, and the two inch the engine down to the deck and then to the ground without further incident.▶ 11:22 Removing a diesel solo without a mast or boom requires a rigged lift system, and a single strap failure — even on a rated strap — can drop the load instantly with no warning.
Boats in this video
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