Well, my adventures into diesel repair (1979 Yanmar SB8) continue. Traced my lack of starting to no fuel from the injector pump...stay tuned....
Anyhow, not wanting to have my launching delayed by a non-running diesel I obtained an outboard motor yesterday. In keeping the old boat theme going the motor is a 1980 Mercury, which is an exact contemporary of a 1979 Hunter. I could pose my boat with it's new engine, yellow the photo a bit, and it'd be 1980 all over again. What's not to love about an old two-stroke that starts on the first pull when cold!? Getting the kicker engine is a triple win in my book: I get propulsion to get me in and out of the harbor so as not to delay launching, a back-up for my diesel as an added safety benefit, and a small outboard that can always be shifted to a dinghy for added flexibility for near-shore adventures.
Million-dollar question...do I remove my propeller before launch and go with the outboard all season, not knowing if I'll get the diesel going anytime soon? I always wondered how the boat would sail without the old three-bladed anchor underneath. I pull the boat every fall anyways because I'm on Lake Michigan so it's not like I'd be pulling the boat just to install a prop. Actually, you know how this works, if I do pull the prop that will guarantee that the diesel fires up...just after launch too I'm sure.
Anyhow, not wanting to have my launching delayed by a non-running diesel I obtained an outboard motor yesterday. In keeping the old boat theme going the motor is a 1980 Mercury, which is an exact contemporary of a 1979 Hunter. I could pose my boat with it's new engine, yellow the photo a bit, and it'd be 1980 all over again. What's not to love about an old two-stroke that starts on the first pull when cold!? Getting the kicker engine is a triple win in my book: I get propulsion to get me in and out of the harbor so as not to delay launching, a back-up for my diesel as an added safety benefit, and a small outboard that can always be shifted to a dinghy for added flexibility for near-shore adventures.
Million-dollar question...do I remove my propeller before launch and go with the outboard all season, not knowing if I'll get the diesel going anytime soon? I always wondered how the boat would sail without the old three-bladed anchor underneath. I pull the boat every fall anyways because I'm on Lake Michigan so it's not like I'd be pulling the boat just to install a prop. Actually, you know how this works, if I do pull the prop that will guarantee that the diesel fires up...just after launch too I'm sure.