Engine cutting out (occasionally)

[Matteeboy]

Our Mercury 60 (two years old) starts fine and goes really well but a few times when waterskiing, the engine has cut out.
Is this anything to do with revving hard from idle?
Thought it could be a spark plug issue but they are all pretty new.

Any ideas knowledgeable folk?
Gradual increase in revs is fine.

 

[KevB]

Is it fuel injection or does it have a carb? If carb it could be fuel starvation in the float chamber. Lots of fuel needed when whamming the throttle wide open from idle because of all the torque needed to get the boat moving but not so much needed when opening gently even when WOT is reached.

I'd start by looking at the fuel delivery from tank up to carb.

 

[Matteeboy]

Kev - Please laugh at me but I'm not sure! It's two years old - I'm assuming fuel injection but not sure (oddly enough I know almost everything there is to know about car engines buit almost zero about boat engines!)! Will check the manual.
Thanks for the advice!

 

[oldharry]

Car engines and boat engines are much the same, and have the same problems. Boat engines have to contend with much damper conditions so electrics are much more vulnerable. Salt spray is itself lethal to elctrical connections. The only real difference is there are no 2 stroke cars around nowadays!

If you are well up on car engines 'converting' to marine will not be difficult, but may save your life if you go out to sea.