The NEW tender and outboard MUD DISASTER... Got to love outboards !

[GregOddity]

And…
WE decided to buy a NEW dinghy and Outboard so as to not be trapped by wind and currents on tidal waters.
I felt that I did not want to have the hassle of having a used engine dying on us at the worst possible time. We bought a Zodiac 2.7 Alu and a Mariner 8HP so that we would have the power needed to fight any wind or tide. What could go wrong?
We’ve been told that there are some issues with fuel and outboards stopping because of that. I HIGHLY doubt that and I’m going to try to get to the bottom of it. We did Buy Fuel from BP. The outboard died 4 or 5 times and at some stage was impossible to restart. I ended up removing the spark plugs and cleaning them as best I could, they were as brown as 10-year-old spark plugs. With 3 or 4 hours of use. I managed to restart the outboard but by that time wind had pushed us onto the worst possible place to dry out and the tide was all but gone, I decided to sacrifice the prop should I touch ground, which I did, in order to get us as close to the main channel as possible.
As I grew up around mud flats and have been taught how to handle them and rescue people from them I did know what I was doing. I got Phil 2 lengths of plywood so that he could move on top of very fine sediment. We dragged the boat and outboard up to where we could tie it up but as we were already mere meters from a place that could hold our weight we decided to haul it all out.
We were carrying all the safety equipment that I personally think we should have on board. We had tools, rope, water, each carries a portable VHF radio and life vests, we had mobile phones with coverage (spotty at best but working) and my wife on the hard should we need more assistance.
We had to throw away: 2 pairs of new sailing shoes, 2 pairs of pants, my jeans and Phil’s, socks, undies, a T-shirt, My wife’s shoes as she did assist in getting the outboard out.
Please be advised that ANY tidal mud flat, even the ones you think you know can be extremely dangerous and should be handled with caution at all times. My first worry was exposure as the temperature was 6 degrees Celsius and we were completely wet, from literally crawling on the mud and later a nice torrential rain that helped wash away the mud we had on us.
We made it safely to the hard with only our pride and a few articles of clothing in tatters.
I am going tot try and get to the bottom of this. I refuse to believe that the fuel is the reason why a shiny NEW outboard stop working like this one did.
Be safe and laugh your head off at silly us.
We have a small video on YouTube showing as much as I could capture when full of mud, cold and soaking wet.

SV Oddity on youtube.

 

[vyv_cox]

The first items to go into my tender are a pair of oars. Over many years there have been a couple of occasions when the outboard has failed and the oars, while certainly not providing the same level of motive power, have at least enabled us to manouevre to some degree.

 

[GregOddity]

The first items to go into my tender are a pair of oars. Over many years there have been a couple of occasions when the outboard has failed and the oars, while certainly not providing the same level of motive power, have at least enabled us to manouevre to some degree.

I did do a LOT of rowying but the wind and tide had us beat. and yeah that is the very first thing needed. we were just on the worst possible place when it happened, nothing to tie to and a nice sea "breeze" blowying us to the middle of the mud flats to dry out. Neptune's sense of Irony is amazing.

 

[NormanS]

Yes, you were carrying an impressive list of "safety" equipment (mostly for calling for assistance) but an anchor would have done you more good.

 

[GregOddity]

Yes, you were carrying an impressive list of "safety" equipment (mostly for calling for assistance) but an anchor would have done you more good.

At issue here was not the anchor, but the NEW engine. The anchor we HAD deployed is a simple Folding Grapnel Anchor that was as good as a paperweight on that type of bottom. it's a 2.7 inflatable not sure if I want to have a 50kg Mantus on board.
What I found most worrying is that we got warnings from other people and even from the chandlery where we bought the engine to be careful about the fuel. My little engineer brain is having problems digesting the idea that Fuel IS the problem.

 

[GrahamM376]

Yes, you were carrying an impressive list of "safety" equipment (mostly for calling for assistance) but an anchor would have done you more good.

We carry a small folding grapnel on a decent length of 8mm line which can actually be used to make progress by keep chucking it forward and hauling when a rowlock comes unglued:disgust: Presumably, your new outboard is under warranty? If so, bung it back at the dealer to sort. As you say, highly unlikely new petrol has a problem.

 

[Capt. Clueless]

I had a similar problem, and once beached, realised I hadn't opened the fuel tank breather valve.

 

[Keith 66]

Is the outboard a 2 stroke or 4 stroke? if the former did it have oil in the petrol?

 

[GregOddity]

I had a similar problem, and once beached, realised I hadn't opened the fuel tank breather valve.

Is the outboard a 2 stroke or 4 stroke? if the former did it have oil in the petrol?

Hehe, first thing I checked, I was actually thinking My wife and Phil were accidentally killing it because they had their thumb close to the stop button. Valve was fully open, and I even purged the line to make sure fuel was flowing fine. As everything is new I even checked to fuel line for kinks. It’s a 4 stroke and was well prepared in the shop and tested in front of us. We tested it in the sluice pond in the marina for about an hour to make sure everything was fine. Water coming out, started first time at every try, cold and hot. Run smooth the all-time. We took it out 3 times, so it adds up to about 4 hours. At no time was it tipped in a way to allow the oil to move the wrong way on the engine. When I went out with Phil the engine had been running for about 1h30 m all the way to the sea and back then after about 2 H it started dying. It would just stop. No change in rhythm or anything. Fuel valve open, fuel free flowing to the motor. First time it took a few times on the chord the second quiet a few more and so on until it was just dead.
The fuel is from BP and I highly doubt it has anything to do with the fuel.

 

[neil_s]

I think you need to wait for a nice sunny day with a light breeze for trying out new kit. Also high water springs, if you want to do it from Thornham marina! 8HP sounds rather big for a 2.7 m tender.

 

[pcatterall]

Carry a seagull?

 

[simonfraser]

Yep mud is dangerous. You should have informed the lifeboat at least.
They’d rather pull your live cold body out of the mud rather than a dead one ....

 

[GregOddity]

Carry a seagull?

Now if i told you just how many times that occured to me you would not believe it hehe.

 

[GregOddity]

Yep mud is dangerous. You should have informed the lifeboat at least.
They’d rather pull your live cold body out of the mud rather than a dead one ....

There is someone at the marina that works at the harbour master and they know me and that I have "some" knowledge exactly about these types of conditions. They were also informed that no action was needed as there were a lot of people walking around and I did not want to have distress calls made by concerned members of the public, to start any action on our behalf. And that was not needed. I have sadly done enough rescues on mudflats to know quiet a few of the possible outcomes.

 

[penberth3]

Carry a seagull?

A carrier pigeon would be better.

 

[GregOddity]

A carrier pigeon would be better.

Both would be about the same level of usefulness and the pigeon would not even fly with half the coating of mud we got. Moreover I could add my own NEW engine to that pile.

 

[Boathook]

So far I have never had a problem with 'dud' petrol unless it is last seasons in a vented tank and even then it normally works. Would I trust a brand new small outboard is another matter though normally they just work. Dud spark plugs is another matter and I have had them fail even after an hours use from being fitted. First Q is were the correct plugs fitted ?

 

[Wansworth]

Better stay out of the mud and get on with your fitting out!

 

[GregOddity]

So far I have never had a problem with 'dud' petrol unless it is last seasons in a vented tank and even then it normally works. Would I trust a brand new small outboard is another matter though normally they just work. Dud spark plugs is another matter and I have had them fail even after an hours use from being fitted. First Q is were the correct plugs fitted ?

Thats a good question that I cannot answer right now. I will check specs when I pick it up. I am assuming as it is a new engine that it would have the right spark plugs, but how I saw them does leave for some wondering of the mind on the subject. They were looking really tired coated in dry residue and all brown.
I don't believe the issue can be petrol. C'mon if that was the issue then most engines would not run outside of europe, and yet they do. The fuel was a couple of days old, on a new tank as well.

 

[GregOddity]

Better stay out of the mud and get on with your fitting out!

I'll give you that one :dejection: