CD Owners with Outboards-RE: Zebra Mussels

[dgsail]

Zebra mussels are finding their way behind the water intake debris screen. The only thing I can conclude is that they are swimming through the screens during their early larva stage. Once hatched the zebra shells and sand remain trapped inside the shaft and get sucked up through the water intake. Recently had some problems with zebra mussels clogging the fuel pump and water outlet in my Yamaha 9.9., resulting in vapor lock, engine stall and an expensive tow. Has anyone found a way to discourage zebra mussels from attaching to their outboards?

[Dick Villamil]

Can you raise the motor out of the water while the motor is not in use? If you can raise the motor out of the water for 3-4 days between uses you should prevent the critters from getting a toehold. Also use an outboard motor paint high in copper, zinc or tin if possible. You need to get every crevice. I have no zebra mussels where I use a fresh coat of VC17M yearly. Where there is no paint or where it is over a year old there may be problems.

[JimL]

....see my website at http://home.earthlink.net/~leinfam/index.html and look on the "More about Odyssey IV" page.

This lift will pull your Yamaha out of the water after each use (I had a Yamaha before the Tohatsu). the lift folds in half for storage in a cockpit locker.

Hope it helps.
Regards, JimL