Wife has bought an old boat!

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toyboy

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SWMBO has bought Lookfar, a Jaguar 21 lifting keel boat which used to belong to the late Lorna Scammell.
http://sealorna.blogspot.co.uk It is a a fascinating read by a truly remarkable lady.
I now have the job of working out how everything works as Lorna changed much of the usual set up so it could be sailed as a dinghy I think. It has a 2010, 5hp Mariner 4 stroke inboard/outboard. I cannot find any battery connection for the engine either to fire it up or charge the battery. There is no handbook for the engine either. As I cannot find a way to connect the engine to the battery I haven't started it yet. Does this make of engine need a battery to run?

Toyboy
 
Outboards of this size all run fine without a battery, the connection is only for charging it up. It will be a pull start, I don't think electric start is available on ones this small, it's usually only >10hp motors that can have that.
 
penfold said:
Outboards of this size all run fine without a battery, the connection is only for charging it up. It will be a pull start, I don't think electric start is available on ones this small, it's usually only >10hp motors that can have that.
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It has a pull cord to start it with but I am not sure if it can be run without connecting it up. I know on some cars if the generator isn't connected and the engine is run it will burn out the generator. I am also uncertain how it makes a spark for the ignition without a battery? I know my 2hp two stroke engines start with just a pull and no battery so I expect it works on the same principle? The survey from 2010 refers to charging via an alternator and that is what has thrown me. It is also true the surveyor states he is not an electrics expert though. I am somewhat relaxed by your post now thanks. I also have to sort out what has been done with the sails. Lorna sailed it like a dinghy apparently so the winches for the jib sheets have been removed and replaces with a set of blocks and jammers! What fun.
 
Ahoy there re O/B connections suggest you look up manufacturers specifications on line or visit a friendly service outlet and ask some questions of them. The O/B might just be in need of a service anyway, so you can chat them up whilst there.
 
Capt Popeye said:
Ahoy there re O/B connections suggest you look up manufacturers specifications on line or visit a friendly service outlet and ask some questions of them. The O/B might just be in need of a service anyway, so you can chat them up whilst there.
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It had been serviced when she bought it. I was going down to have a better look at it today but she is ill so I have to stay "on duty" with her. I will try and look it over and find some more details tomorrow. I have been persuaded to sell my dinghies and take this on as skipper LOL. Now I have to discover where the bilge is, how to keep the rudder down as well as getting on top of the engine. I will hook up a solar panel as although she bought a new high capacity battery it had been standing a while so needs charging I reckon. It looks like a fun boat and I can tell from her blog that Lorna Scammell enjoyed sailing it.
 
toyboy said:
Lorna sailed it like a dinghy apparently so the winches for the jib sheets have been removed and replaces with a set of blocks and jammers! What fun.
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That sounds like an excellent system; I've sailed on older boats with that set up, and it works well and makes the job of pulling in the sail much easier even in high winds. The only caveat is that it means the rope tail is long and you have more to trip over in the cockpit, so keeping it tidy is important. Winches on a boat this size always looks wrong, so a well set-up pulley system could make it a lot of fun.

I can't claim to have omniscience with regard to o/b alternators(it is an alternator in there under the flywheel), but I've never seen one that could be damaged by running the o/b without a battery attached, nor an o/b that couldn't be started without it.
 
penfold said:
That sounds like an excellent system; I've sailed on older boats with that set up, and it works well and makes the job of pulling in the sail much easier even in high winds. The only caveat is that it means the rope tail is long and you have more to trip over in the cockpit, so keeping it tidy is important. Winches on a boat this size always looks wrong, so a well set-up pulley system could make it a lot of fun.

I can't claim to have omniscience with regard to o/b alternators(it is an alternator in there under the flywheel), but I've never seen one that could be damaged by running the o/b without a battery attached, nor an o/b that couldn't be started without it.
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Thank you for the information about the bilge. That was concerning me. The sheet set up seems sensible enough to me although a friend who has one too reckons I may find it difficult with a No 1 genoa but Lorna was very week when she sailed so I should be alright. I am going to check the engine out and see if there actually is an alternator fitted but thinking back I believe it was old fashioned generators that burnt out if they were not connected so I should be alright there. I have just taken a deposit on one of my dinghies so I am burning my bridges:-)

pete
 
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