I have had a couple of small outboards and a 9' inflatable Zodiac stored away for a few years. Looking for something to do I decided to take out the boat, inflate it and get fuel and oil for the Mercury 3.3 HP 2 stroke 28 lbs. outboard. I have been purchasing the registration sticker every year but never affixed them; to my surprise the last sticker on it was dated 9/11. I got a trash bin full of water and placed the engine in it, mixed the fuel and tried to fill the tank. It leaked the fuel like a sift. Being stored in an outside shed I guess the heat had cracked the tank in three places well beyond repair. I went online and located a replacement tank at $121.95 but also seen a tank for the 2.5 HP engine at $59.00. After checking the measurements ordered the cheaper one since I wasn't sure of the remaining state of the motor. The tank arrived and was installed (perfect fit) but the original gas cap did not fit. I started looking for a gas cap for the 2.5 HP tank and it was very difficult to find and when I did they wanted $35 for it. I decided to find any other type of cap and took off the one from a Honda 2000 generator and it fit adequately so ordered one of those at $16. This time the tank held the gas and the engine started right away and to my surprise it idled smoothly and was peeing a fair amount of water. Now I turned to the boat which had been stored inside and inflated it. Right away noticed a small air leak as after 3-4 hours one of the tubes started to sag. Well decided to try it out, carried it in a jet ski trailer to the community ramp and launched it. Immediately noticed it was taking in some water through the bottom of the transom. Ran it for about an 1/2 hour to fully test the engine but the "air out" and "water in" was not working for me. Traced the air leak to a sand fouled valve cap seal; easy fix. The Water leak came from a material flap that had become unglued. Knowing it will not last I used Super Glue to glue it back. This time I figured I would it take the whole way through our canal system into open water about a 30 minute ride one way. I asked the Admiral if she wanted a ride and I put in about 1/2 gallon of fuel in the tank and took with me the can which had about 1/4 of a gallon. The boat was still taking in some water but very little and we had a nice ride down the canal. Just as we were about to reach open water the engine quit (out of gas). After a short circus act rowing the boat to get out of the way I poured in the remaining gas and it hit me I did not have enough to get back home and soon after remembered leaving my wallet home so we had no money. After thinking the predicament through I headed away from the canal to a nearby boat yard where I knew there was a ramp I could pull the boat out or beg for some gas. Because of the coronavirus the ramp gate was padlocked and there was not a soul there. I had seen a small dock in an empty lot that faced the main street in our Community. We tied up and I told the Admiral it would take me about one hour to walk the 3 miles back to our home. She suggested I get a ride and I told her that is why I was taking the gas can with me. I was crossing the lot and there was guy walking his dog with his small child on the sidewalk and I said hello. He asked if I needed gas because he had some next door and I said yes but that I also needed 2 stroke oil which he did not have. He offered to drive me home so I accepted. He was an Ex-Army Special Forces and a sailor to boot, nice guy. When I got home I called the Admiral and she said "there is no way I could have walked home in that time" I told her I did not even break a sweat. Took her car filled up the gas can, added the oil which I had at home and drove to a restaurant across the street from the empty lot. Filled the tank and drove the boat back to our ramp. Did all that in about 2 1/2 hours. It was an adventure; better than sitting at home and made a friend.
Social Distancing Boredom.
- Thread starter Benny17441
- Start date
Somehow I don't think you've got the idea of social distancing. In any other time this would be a great story, but right now I think it is reckless and irresponsible.
I did not intend to be anywhere near anyone else while on the water. I was not in violation of the Safe at Home Order in my State that allows boating. That someone offered me a ride which I took when I got stranded could have happened to me having car trouble on my way to the grocery store. Mr., I consider it to be hardly reckless or irresponsible.
Guilty, I'm not a writer. Just trying to keep busy.And the post is an unrelenting wall of text.
Please try paragraphs, Benny!