Wife questions manual start outboard

[Sumner]

Find a boat with a similar engine and see if she can crank it. If she can, problem solved, if not, get the electric start or a different boat.

Good answer and I think the wife is wise in considering this. I fractured my shoulder out...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/MacgregorTrips-3-Powell09/09-10-9-Powell-09.html

...on Lake Powell and we sat in a side canyon for a couple days until I could start the outboard and to recuperated some. Ruth couldn't start that outboard. She might be able to start the 3 1/2 HP on the dinghy, but we haven't tried. Some people because of age and/or physical problems just can't pull start an outboard. We now have electric start and won't be without it in our case just because of the obvious safety issue,

Sum

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[Doc_holiday]

You know, I'm not so concerned about them coming back for me, with a life jacket I'll manage and if the water is that cold a tether is a good idea. My main concern is can they manage the boat somewhere to beach it and call for help using the radio. My concern is for their safety. I do think I need to not only practice myself but also make practicing a heave to for them regularly is a good idea and of course using the radio. I just don't want her panicking and jibing in 20 mp winds throwing herself overboard.

My rule is if anyone goes overboard, throw anything and everything that floats to them. I know the old life rings are not the lifeslings but a ring can be tossed a long way.

 

[thinwater]

It has nothing to do with strength. My daughter started running my tender when she was 13. By now, I think she can start it better than me. She sees it as "her" boat.

I'm also assuming the engine is tuned to start on 1-2 pulls when warm. It should.

It has to do with starting something that is different from a car. She will have to learn choke. It may also be that she would rather learn from someone else (common dynamic). But in the end, it has only to do with whether she wants to learn.

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Another thing. If you were sailing solo, would you fall off? No. If you fall off in wild weather or at night, could she get back to you? Probably not. Don/t fall off. Seriously, that cannot be a possibility if there is any question about pick-up.

 

[justsomeguy]

Snip- But in the end, it has only to do with whether she wants to learn. -snip

There's the crux of it, I believe.

 

[finding41]

I have been through the starting procedure with my wife and she is capable. This season I will try and teach my 5 year old. (Not sure if she can even pull it over but at least she will have tried and learnt something about starting it in an emergency.)
I just rebuilt the carb on my Johnson 7.5. Not because it was hard to start. (It always started 1st or 2nd pull but it was new to me last year.)
The reason I rebuilt it is now I now what kind of condition it is in and if I keep it tuned it will last a few years before I rebuild it again. Again the next time when there hasn't been a problem.

 

[djplatt]

Electric start ususally gives you some battery charging capability as well. It's why I have it.

 

[thinwater]

Charging is generally 1 amp (if at full throttle) for the 20 minutes you run the morot, or about 0.3 amp-hours per use. About enough to keep up with self-discharge if the boat is used regularly, but of limited use for even weekend cruising. A typical cruising boat needs 50-200 amp-hours per day.

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I've had 2 cruising boats with outboards.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

A typical cruising boat needs 50-200 amp-hours per day.
I've had 2 cruising boats with outboards.

???? BIG boats maybe so, but isn't this a trailerable forum??

I cruised over 3 years total with an outboard powered boat, and only a 32 watt solar panel for electricity. Only on two occasions in 3 years did we need to plug into shore power to charge the battery. All interior lighting, and anchor light, were LED's.

Oh - and on the subject- my 5'2, 110 pound wife could, and does, pull start the 8 hp manual start Yamaha.

 

[AWalker]

Our outboards are always just a little finiky. Mostly this is from lack of use, stale fuel, etc, we just don't run them a lot. It is not an issue for me at all, but they will usually stall at the most inconvenient time, usually after I have pulled up to the dock and gone to get the truck, and she has pulled away to motor to the trailer. I have gone with electric start, and am at the moment looking for remote controls.
So, go with electric start, a happy wife can make all the difference.

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

AnchorClankor, that's exactly the right approach for the 'start mentality'! My son outweighs me by 40 lbs+(he really needs to work out) and after a couple years layoff he couldn't start the lawnmower! I told him to pull fast like he's mad at it and it worked like a charm. I've often considered my wife simply lacking upper body strength enough to start my merc 4. perhaps I'll try that with her before the end of the season.

 

[kenn]

One idea is to demo all the motors you're considering with your wife. (New motors should start very easily, right?). Have her try starting them all. If she's in on the choice and knows already that she can do it, she will stick with it and learn the outboard's quirks as it breaks in.

 

[kloudie1]

You can make a little waterproof "memory jogger" tag to help her.. (Check tank vent is open, Pump bulb, Pull choke, Throttle set at 1/3 ish, Gear is neutral, slowly pull rope till resistance is felt, let rope back into spool, Now pull!) .. and practice.. not hard to start a 6 HP that is in good tune.. An easy pull once it is brought up against compression .. Not necessary to do the manly 200 pound jerk to get a little engine started..

 

[Tricia]

Suggest she use both hands...

... then it's easier to pull quickly.

 

[zeehag]

i had to address the issue on my own hen i found i had not enough strength in injured elbows and shoulders for pull start. i bought a long shaft engine--9.8 hpo nissan with electric start---reliable, quick starting, good engine. 87 pounds. before i left sd i traded it in for a smaller nissan and a roll up hypalon dink--traded my caribe also..
i was not and am not physically able to haul around 87 pounds of dead weight. my dinghy is 81 pounds and is difficult for me to raise--yes we are addressing that issue.....i am trading up to a 10 ft wb and we are modifying yet again my dinghy lift systemless so it is a system usable by a female with less upper body strength than most males ion the water......we will be using a contraption from mast winch to electric anchor windlass that allows me to raise dink electrically...