Filthy, filthy, filthy work!

I've spent 9 hours today cleaning the engine compartment, and still loads to go

It's been messy beyond belief.

The second photo shows the area behind the engine... This gets progressively narrower, down to about 3" at the end, and is the lowest point, so it's where all the crap gathers.

What I removed can only be described as like porridge, but made with old engine oil. Revolting.

I started the day by removing unwanted pipe work and wiring that had become accessible with the engine removed.

I found three, yes three bilge pumps on there!!!

One I knew about and had wired up... The other two, complete surprises!

Neither of them were electrically connected to anything!

So I chased back the pipes to their seacocks and cut them off... A few blanking plugs to deal with. Eventually I may well glass them up, but not know... Closed and blanked will do.

I also removed the engine and gearbox cables, the antisiphon and quite few bits of old wiring.

So now I could get at the space to remove the oil porridge.

I scraped tons of the stuff out... Enough to fill a bin liner when mixed with kitchen roll.

And thus the fun began. Everywhere was thick with oily greasy gunk... So I filled it with water and degreaser, agitated, and pumped out. This filling and emptying was done into and out of a 40ltr container... Which needed lugging down and up the ladder. I repeated 20 times. From now on, please refer to me as Popeye.

Towards the latter flushes, it was coming a lot cleaner, so I started scrubbing the hull down as well.. Much more to go!

On the positive front, the engine bearers have revealed themselves, and are robust and in good condition... They go all the way down to the bottom and are very substantial, so will be more than adequate if they can be made to fit the new engine.

Back to it tomorrow!