This week was a very reassuring and exciting week. To start the week, we laid the metal plates that replace the wood on the pier. The wood that is kept there normally, Epay wood, is one of the strongest woods in the world. Epay is a dense wood that is resistant to rot and decay and is 8 times harder than California Redwood. Without preservatives, Epay is guaranteed to last 20 years. After laying the metal plating, it was time to get back to the bilges. The port and starboard bilges still needed cleaning, so I spent a few days doing that before the next big mission came, warping the ship. Warping a ship is moving it solely with the help of the tides and lines. So as the tide was ebbing, the whole crew had their line they were in charge of and slowly slacked some as others pulled on their lines to slide the boat astern. This was definitely an experience that I have always wanted to try ever since learning about it. The final resting place for the boat was stern to the dock so the A-frame was directly over the dock. Once the boat was tied back up, it was time for the weight tests. We had railroad tires that weighed 5,200 lbs combined. This wight was over the wight of the engine when it would have accessory parts removed, so when it worked, we knew that putting the engines on board would work too. During the wight test we had to make sure the dock was not buckling under the wight of the forklift and railroad tires, the A-frame could lift the wight, and then bring the weight onboard with the hydraulics. Following the successful day, the next day we did the same things but with one of the new engines. Once it was onboard, it was walked over to the soft patch with the portable A-frame and then successfully lowered into the engine room. To finish the week, I helped with sifting the engine forward and blocking it and clean the starboard bilge more. This week was a huge accomplishment showing that it was in fact possible to get the engines onboard while still at the school and not having to go to the shipyard. The next challenge will be lowering the other engine into the starboard engine room with the hydraulic tank in the way.
