Finding Her Engines Again

Engines and Restitution

Part of the new plan was to use big truck engines, since it was impossible to find another set of 454s or 502 marine engines. Chris had done this before and it worked out fine for inboards. I canceled the Summit Racing order and we moved forward with two truck engines. Chris purchased them in 2021, and I had already ordered manifolds, fuel injectors, and other parts. We ended up having to replace all three fuel tanks as well. I had also ordered two new heads and a Raritan Electroscan Marine Waste Treatment System, which keeps the boat fresher since there are no more holding tanks. Chris and I figured we'd go ahead and refit the yacht while it was on the stands. We planned to paint it so I could finally have the name, BlueQuest714, put on the back, and The Low Tide Chronicles logo put on each side of the hull.

Later, Chris found two used 454 Mercruisers in good condition — the same engines that had originally been in the boat. Out went another $13,000, but it meant going back to the real thing instead of making do with the truck engines.

A few restitution checks have trickled in since — small amounts, split between all of us he defrauded. The pets and I continued to live in an Airbnb.