We bought our Beneteau 30e First in 2012 from a very conscientious owner and avid sailor who had done an excellent job out fitting and maintaining the boat.  Our previous boat, a Pearson 26, found a good home with some new owners at City Island. I was  happy to see the end of the outboard on the Pearson, which ran well except for a constantly clogged carburetor. We had upgraded to an inboard diesel which was old and rusty but ran well for that whole first season we had the boat. 

We spent that summer cruising up and down the Maine coast and the fall our local waters around New London. We made multiple Block Island and Shelter Island trips, as well as many day excursions to Fishers Island. The motor ran like a champ every time we required it, but it was a little loud and smoky, and was starting to act its age by that November. I had decided to take the boat up the Connecticut river to do the winter haul in Hamden. It was a cold day in November when I departed Fort Trumbull Marina, and set out for Old Saybrook and the Connecticut River. The wind was light so I motored out of the harbor. As I rounded the Quinnepeaug rocks the motor sputtered and started to fail. I throttled dow and the motor died. It never ran again.

I sailed the boat slowly back to Fort Trumbull with my tail between my legs, informing the Marina folks that the boat had changed its mind and we would stay for the winter. The saltwater cooling had eaten away the heads, rust had contaminated the gasket space, and compression was lost. I bought the gasket repair kit and took the motor apart. I resurfaced the head and block in an attempt to repair the seal. When that failed to hold the combustion I re-bored the bolt holes and tried again, but to no avail. The motor wouldn’t run, and I gave up to look for a new diesel motor.