I don’t actually know the owner of this boat but if I did, I’d be particularly happy to compliment him on the installation and the degree to which he appears to have not only made a clean and functional installation but one that is both easy to see when something is amiss and one that is easy to maintain.

This is not a new boat but a rebuild of an older boat that was re-powered and re-wired and re-engineered and “re-eady” to leave the dock in a dependable condition. The metal foot bracket around the transmission simply shows an extra touch of planning that takes a little thought and planning once, but serves the intended purpose for as long as you have the boat.

Look at the batteries in this case... secured with what looks like a stainless hold-down frame - bolted thru to keep them in place even if you decided you like to sail upside down! And yes, he didn’t add the terminal protection either but he should regardless of the installation.

All wiring is cable-tied (even more frequently than required) but it keeps things right where you want them.. .not straying into places where you wouldn’t want them. Waterlines supported, valves easy to locate and test, multiple lights in the engine compartment so that when “Murphy” visits you at midnight, you’ll still have the upper hand!

If you think only the new boats would look like this, then think again. The only reason the engine compartment in your boat doesn’t look like this is that you haven’t finished it yet! You may not have the top-side access that this boat shows but you do have the option to keep it clean and functional. If this new engine dripped a tablespoon of oil over the next 8 hours - you wouldn’t even have to study it... you would know it immediately and that’s one of the benefits of maintenance and good housekeeping.

Consider what you need to do with your boat to put the engine, bilge and storage areas into this condition. You’ll miss out on a few hours of sailing but if you pay attention to the weather, you could get it done when there wasn’t any wind anyway!