john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
So boat launch is tentatively booked for last Friday. The weather in the last few days is rough to say the least and I don't manage to clean and polish the topsides and the antifouling is last minute and the boot topping doesn't get repainted at all. (Despite having the paint and the masking tape ready.)
I suggest to the yard that I delay, but they are reluctant They have a very busy week this week and they want to get me back in the water. I'm already two weeks overdue so I am concerned they will start charging me extra storage dues so I agree to the launch provided they can give me a lift ashore in their work boat.
So we launch last Friday and the yard says I can leave the boat on one of their moorings and collect the boat this week. My first attempt is yesterday. The plan is to dinghy over to the boatyard (about two miles) and bring the boat back. I inflate the dinghy, launch down a slippery slip way single handed (with difficulty) and start the o/b. After 50 metres the o/b fails. I am being swept by the tide the wrong way and the wind is with tide so I row back to the slip. I notice that petrol is streaming from the o/b. I get a screw driver from the car and remove the drain screw from the float chamber through the little access hole in the underneath of the casing. My theory is that I might flush the possible debris out of the float valve or unstick it and sort things out. The drain screw roles into the casing of the o/b and I haven't seen it since... I give up and go home.
Today after work I take the o/b into the workshops at work and with an audience of three who normally service Land Rovers I proceed to remove the carb and blow through the float jet etc. I put it back together and fire the o/b up for a few seconds. All good so I go home and change and go down to the dinghy park. o/b on and it starts and off I go. I then notice that there's no cooling water. Hmm - how long will this last? Not very long is the answer and I turn the thing off as it starts to get hot. I then row TWO MILES against the tide and wind to get the boat. I drive the boat back to its proper mooring towing the dinghy and row ashore.
My driver collects me at 0500 tomorrow to catch a flight. When I get back I will look up how to change the impellor in a Yamaha 4 hp...
I have been starting it for a few moments to check its ok for years. It appears it was one too many times today.
So my first trip on the boat was (eventually) a quick motor down the loch and pick up the home mooring buoy. No surprise there then. However my faithful o/b is being threatened with a large and deep baptism if it doesn't start behaving.
I suggest to the yard that I delay, but they are reluctant They have a very busy week this week and they want to get me back in the water. I'm already two weeks overdue so I am concerned they will start charging me extra storage dues so I agree to the launch provided they can give me a lift ashore in their work boat.
So we launch last Friday and the yard says I can leave the boat on one of their moorings and collect the boat this week. My first attempt is yesterday. The plan is to dinghy over to the boatyard (about two miles) and bring the boat back. I inflate the dinghy, launch down a slippery slip way single handed (with difficulty) and start the o/b. After 50 metres the o/b fails. I am being swept by the tide the wrong way and the wind is with tide so I row back to the slip. I notice that petrol is streaming from the o/b. I get a screw driver from the car and remove the drain screw from the float chamber through the little access hole in the underneath of the casing. My theory is that I might flush the possible debris out of the float valve or unstick it and sort things out. The drain screw roles into the casing of the o/b and I haven't seen it since... I give up and go home.
Today after work I take the o/b into the workshops at work and with an audience of three who normally service Land Rovers I proceed to remove the carb and blow through the float jet etc. I put it back together and fire the o/b up for a few seconds. All good so I go home and change and go down to the dinghy park. o/b on and it starts and off I go. I then notice that there's no cooling water. Hmm - how long will this last? Not very long is the answer and I turn the thing off as it starts to get hot. I then row TWO MILES against the tide and wind to get the boat. I drive the boat back to its proper mooring towing the dinghy and row ashore.
My driver collects me at 0500 tomorrow to catch a flight. When I get back I will look up how to change the impellor in a Yamaha 4 hp...
I have been starting it for a few moments to check its ok for years. It appears it was one too many times today.
So my first trip on the boat was (eventually) a quick motor down the loch and pick up the home mooring buoy. No surprise there then. However my faithful o/b is being threatened with a large and deep baptism if it doesn't start behaving.
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