Trailer And Engine questions

[bill@ariel231]

for trailers, you might want to visit Triad Trailer (http://www.triadtrailers.com) I've seen a couple of their trailers in the area carrying old pearson tritons and a CD25D. I'd get one but my F150 isn't up to the task (maybe the next truck).

In the engine side, the best written resource I've seen describing the steps of repowering early pearsons is Dan Spurrs "Upgrading the Cruising Sailboat". It covers engine bed construction shaft alignment, and the peculiarities of the full keel Pearson Triton & Vanguard. I found very helpful in repowering my boat.

I've repowered Periwinkle (Ariel231) with a Westerbeke 20B2 (18Hp). The two big tricks were shaft alignment to the new engine beds and where to place the wet exhaust... The proceedure for laying the engine beds is outlined in Spurr's book. The first step in establishing engine location (after installing the shaft log) is to run a wire from the outside center of the shaft log to the forward end of the cabin to establish the centerline of the propeller shaft. From this reference line, the location and slope of the engine beds can be established. One other aid in this process is to build a "2D" mockup of the engine to help establish the clearance around the engine and visualize early in the layout process where you will collide with existing bulkheads & cabinets...

That said, it's a heck of a fun 3D puzzle to stuff a new engine, fuel system and wet exhaust in an ariel. Were I to do it again, I'd recommend something in the 12Hp range (westerbeke or yanmar). The 18Hp works just fine but with the propeller appature limiting me to a 2 blade 12x12 prop its overkill. I expect 10-12 Hp is all that is required.

Bill