Went out today for the spring regatta. Not many people showed up. Only 3 boats went out. Me on Sea Puppy, Angela on Valkyr and Jerry took out L.C. Marie. It was really light and shifty winds. We were supposed to head down the beach and run past the Cherry Grove Pier but we were basicaly sitting dead in the water for a long time. By the time the winds started to pick up, Tina the young lady that came out with us on sea puppy was sea sick… Another case of a sick puppy on sea puppy. I turned around and went back to the inlet. Once we were off the ocean and back on flat water she felt fine.
Disaster strikes..
We had put the sails up as the entire trip from the intlet up the ICW to the marina was dead into the wind. The engine had been acting weird the last few days but running steady. Today it started really acting weird. In retrospect I know know that the cover of the fuel pump that the fuel line is plumbed to had lost its seal. I have not messed with the fuel pump in months since rebuilding it. Anyways it started acting up bad on the way in. I was concerned so I went and limbered up the anchor so that it was ready to run out on a seconds notice. Not 3 minutes after doing so the engine died.
I anchored off to one side in the ICW and then went to work on the engine. The wind that had been building and was now up to about 15 to 18 steady was pushing us around and on one end of the arc the rudder was touching ground. I pulled it up so that it was at the same draft as the keel and we didn’t have any problems with touching bottom after that. Back to the engine: The special screw that holds the cap of the fuel pump on had stripped out the threads in the fuel pump and allowed the cap to work loose.. it was sucking in air there while the engine was running and if you pumped the primer bulb gas would squirt out. After playing with it for about 20 minutes I as able to use a bigger screw to re-thread the hole in the fuel pump and attach the cover. It fixed it just enough to get back to the dock under power. Sadly it is still sucking air. To keep the engine running the choke had to be almost all the way engaged.
I have to say it really sucks working with old worn out engines and dealing with situations like this, however I find that having had to do this sort of thing before that my responces to this type of situation are getting smoother and more forward looking. Because it was acting up I went ahead and pre rigging the anchor to run out quick if needed. I had the tools and spare parts misc stuff to do a basic get home fix on board. Because I had planned ahead it was a calm easy progression from problem to solution and back underway. Much better than some of the Chineese Fire Drills I have performed in the past. This time it was more get it done smoothly than Key Stone Cops routine.
So now I am back to not having a reliable engine.. I don’t know if it is worth it for me to buy a new fuel pump, fuel pump cover and misc other parts that are now needed to fix this or to just get a new motor. The parts to repair it are going to cost around a $100.00 and after all the prior problems with the fuel pump im getting tired of pouring money down it. My annual fuel bill is around $500.00 with this 2 stroke.. I should save about 200 to 250 a year with a new 4 stroke not to mention the 150 a year or so I’m spending in parts. At that rate I could pay for the new engine in 4 years in the savings.
UPDATE: I went ahead and purchased a new Tohatsu 6hp 4 stroke engine with 5 amp alternator and 25″ long shaft. The credit card is crying but I’m really looking forward to using it. It should be here by the end of the week. $1400.00 including shipping.
The major advantages are
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