S&S Swift 40

[Icarus]

Hi, finally I am back on the water again..I bought 'Arabella' a S&S 40 (Swift) center cockpit, ketch..the yacht came from the US some 4 years ago and was sold in Australia..she had two Australian owners and neither of them used her to any extend.
The last month I started to sort out redundant and broken equipment..so far all good. the biggest problem with most older boats is lack of maintenance..and various owners keep adding equipment without much thought of how to get to it later..for instance there is the fresh water pump..mounted inside the engine compartment ..to get to it one has to remove the stairs, engine bay front cover all the house batteries, wiring and diverse plumbing..lay on your belly and think small..the could not bolt the pump down because one can only reach the pump with one hand! why not install it under the seat which has lots of unused space? Beats me ..time to get to the pump 6 hrs!!

I bought most instruments and auto pilot in the US via eBay..compared to Australian prices they are about 40% cheaper..delivery was fast and trouble free.
Happy sailing!

[seagypsy8]

Hi,
We wondered what happened to Arabella, we spoke with her US owner prior to her sale in QLD.
Steve & I own a 1979 S&S 40 swift ketch, same as Arabella. We bought her in QLD in 2003 from a guy who sailed her from San Francisco. We sailed to South Australia, lived on her for 3 yrs, moved to Western Australia where we are completing a major refit, she's now Aussie registered as Daisy. She had bad osmosis, we discovered her keel was full of water as well as lead and foam, someone had fitted the bildge pump in the engine room, by screwing straight into the expandable foam inside the keel! So years of water had leaked in. Took a year to dry her properly inside and out. Nasty! If you need any information, we have all original manuals, etc. Although, we have replaced her Perkins with a Yanmar. We've also replaced all the ports & hatches with stainless, and her chainplates, the original ones had pitting. I'll email some pics as soon as I work out how to. Pauline & Steve

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[Icarus]

Hi, I know I am bit late with my reply,work and so on. Yeah, I still have Arabella, nice yacht all round. Finally I have ironed out all the nasty bits.
I am thinking of removing the original Isuzu and give it an overhaul as well as cleaning up the engine bay. Engine runs fine just need a good clean up, engine beds and so on need some modifications as well.

Silly question, how on earth did you get the engine out? Short of cutting out the cockpit floor?

Seems to me they installed the engine and built the boat around it.
As far a s osmosis goes there is no problem except a spot at the rudder, the hull is fine.
Sorry to hear about the water logged keel, a pain in the rear to get it drained and dried out I would imagine.
Eric

[ad6si]

I have Swift 40 #6. 1979, delivered in June 1980. I put a hardtop over the cockpit. Had to raise the boom so that I could stand up under it.
I wondered if you got the engine out? I have thought about it and thought a long strong beam hooked to a crane coming through the forward part of the cockpit hatch, about 10 inches back, one end over the engine, connected to it, the other end of the beam being held down by some hefty bodies. Then lift the engine and walk it forward the 10 inches, set it down, and move the crane connection back on the beam. Gradually work it forward until under the hatch.
A little tedious, but couldn't think of a different way, without cutting up the boat.
I am interested if you got it out and how.

Norm

[Icarus]

Interesting thought, I am still thinking how to go about it. In order to lift the engine clear of the beds. My thought was to cut two 2' holes, above the center of the engine, through the cockpit floor, just forward of the pedestal.
Then I can attach soft slings either side to the engine. I would use an A frame in the cockpit an a chain block to lift the engine clear of the bed. After that lower the motor on a plank and slide it out forward through the space behind the companionway ladder.
It might be a good idea to strip the engine of the heat exchanger, starter and maybe the head as well while it is still in the boat.
The 3' holes in the cockpit floor are easily sealed after one finishes.
Which ever way I look at it its a pain.
All my previous centre cockpit yachts had removable cockpit floors...so any major work inside the engine bay was easy.
On the Swift one has to be 5' tall and skinny to reach anything inside the engine room.

[seagypsy8]

Hi Norm & Eric,
We have just installed our new engine. A Yanmar 39hp 3 cylinder.
To remove the old 4108 Perkins we dismantled it into man handle-able pieces and carried it out. The block wasn't really man handle-able and was right on the limit of what 2 blokes could carry- it was actually over the limit and me and the other fella nearly busted our phoofer valves.

To install the new engine we removed the companionway stairs, then cover behind the stairs. Then the companionway hatch. The Pedestal and steering gear was also removed.
We had to tilt the engine a bit while lowering it down to get it through the companionway hatch and sat it on the cabin sole. I placed an A frame ladder over the hole in the centre of the cockpit (where the pedestal normally sits) and hung a 1 ton soft sling down through the hole. I placed a beam over the companionway with another 1 ton soft sling and hooked up 2 800kg comealongs to shackles on the lifting points on the motor.
I removed the second alternator and my wife and I monkey swung it into the engine room. Once again a bit of tilting was required but we had good control with the comealongs.

It worked perfectly.
No damage and the engine is sitting on the modified beds.
Although re-powering isn't a small job!
We have photographed the whole job from start to finish including the modifications we have done to install a new inner cutlass bearing complete with mechanical seal and line boring the stern tube to align it to the beds. Now everything is perfect!
If you would like more info and pictures let me know.
Cheers
Steve

[Icarus]

Thanks Steve, interesting post, very informative.
Erich


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