Outboard Motors and High Seas

[Bruce Bett]

Saturday we were heading out of Port Sanilac MI into about 25 knots of wind. The wind was out of the south and blowing directly into the harbor entrance. Since Lake Huron has a 30 mile fetch to the South at that point we were looking at some pretty big waves confused by the proximity of the breakwater. When we were just clear of the channel the Evenrude 9.9 sputtered and stalled. This put us in a rather ticklish situation. We had very little sea room, maybe 50 yards. As soon as the engine stalled we lost control of the boat. In that much wind we were heading for the wall at a pretty good clip. My crew (my wife Karen) showed great presence of mind, and good seamanship, by quickly raising the jib. As soon as she did we regained control. We were able to sail back into the harbor where we dropped anchor. After sitting in the relative quiet of the harbor for a half hour or so the motor started and we motored back to our slip.

The classic problem with outboard motors in heavy seas is the prop coming out of the water at the high end of the wave. I have never had that happen. I have had the engine sputter in high waves. I think something is getting wet at the bottom of the wave trough. Has anyone else out there experienced this? Do any of the wise heads on this board have any insights or theories?

Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CD 25 #496




bettb@macomb.cc.mi.us

[Ken Cave]

We call that "Hobby-Horsing" and did a lot of that in a Catalina 25 SK before I got smart and purchased a Cape Dory 28.

Sounds like you have another problem though, like the wires getting wet to the plugs, etc. as I have never had a stall or sputter on my 9.9 Merc (l985 model) in all the snot we encountered.

Open up the "hood" and see if you might have some corrosion build up somewhere. If you do not see any, you might check the electrical circuits under the flywheel as you might have some corrosion there also.

Hope this helps

Ken Cave



bcave@whidbey.net

[Jay Peters]

I've never had this happen but, like Ken, suspect water is getting where it ought not. I'd suspect the insulation on the wiring harness. Spraying with something that will displace the water (e.g. WD-40)is the short-term solution, new wiring the vastly preferrable solution. Jay



jpeters@maine.edu

[John Phillips]

Rather than a case of something getting wet, it may be a case of something not getting wet enough. If your water pump is not working properly or if in cavitating your pump was not able to pick up enough water to cool the engine, the motor will just shut down and after a short wait to cool off restart. If wiring had gotten wet, I am not sure that a 30 minute wait would have made much difference.
John

Saturday we were heading out of Port Sanilac MI into about 25 knots of wind. The wind was out of the south and blowing directly into the harbor entrance. Since Lake Huron has a 30 mile fetch to the South at that point we were looking at some pretty big waves confused by the proximity of the breakwater. When we were just clear of the channel the Evenrude 9.9 sputtered and stalled. This put us in a rather ticklish situation. We had very little sea room, maybe 50 yards. As soon as the engine stalled we lost control of the boat. In that much wind we were heading for the wall at a pretty good clip. My crew (my wife Karen) showed great presence of mind, and good seamanship, by quickly raising the jib. As soon as she did we regained control. We were able to sail back into the harbor where we dropped anchor. After sitting in the relative quiet of the harbor for a half hour or so the motor started and we motored back to our slip.

The classic problem with outboard motors in heavy seas is the prop coming out of the water at the high end of the wave. I have never had that happen. I have had the engine sputter in high waves. I think something is getting wet at the bottom of the wave trough. Has anyone else out there experienced this? Do any of the wise heads on this board have any insights or theories?

Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CD 25 #496

branchedoakmarina@alltel.net

[Dave]

That has also happened to me. I was powering in about six to eight foot seas and she died, but right away I knew what the problem was. I could smell her overheating. I think she was simply overheated because the pump was cavitating. It won't take long for an engine to stall out if you are running her hard without enough water. Usually what happened though is you damage the impeller of the water pump. If you start her up the block should be warm to the touch and water should be coming out of the side or back of the engine. If you drip some water on top of the block and it boils off you need to replace the impeller. Just shut her down if it starts to boil and you do more damage. My feeling is that it is probably fine and you were just sucking air in the pump and she overheated. I would think that if it was an electrical problems there would be some spuddering before she stoped or just one cylinder would stop. I don't think you got water inside the engine compartment. If you did you most likely would not be able to restart her. My ownly ofhter recomdation would be to replace the impeller this next spring. You don't want to hall out your engine in the water. It isn't a fun job!

Dave

Saturday we were heading out of Port Sanilac MI into about 25 knots of wind. The wind was out of the south and blowing directly into the harbor entrance. Since Lake Huron has a 30 mile fetch to the South at that point we were looking at some pretty big waves confused by the proximity of the breakwater. When we were just clear of the channel the Evenrude 9.9 sputtered and stalled. This put us in a rather ticklish situation. We had very little sea room, maybe 50 yards. As soon as the engine stalled we lost control of the boat. In that much wind we were heading for the wall at a pretty good clip. My crew (my wife Karen) showed great presence of mind, and good seamanship, by quickly raising the jib. As soon as she did we regained control. We were able to sail back into the harbor where we dropped anchor. After sitting in the relative quiet of the harbor for a half hour or so the motor started and we motored back to our slip.

The classic problem with outboard motors in heavy seas is the prop coming out of the water at the high end of the wave. I have never had that happen. I have had the engine sputter in high waves. I think something is getting wet at the bottom of the wave trough. Has anyone else out there experienced this? Do any of the wise heads on this board have any insights or theories?

Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CD 25 #496

ddsailor25@ureach.com

[Ken Cave]

Jay:

Thanks for the input! I actually lost a small Evenrude to the deep blue see (with me holding onto it when I lost my footing trying to transfer the moter to my dinghy-then a canoe) retrieved it and sprayed WD 40 into all parts of the engine for over an hour.

According to the dealer, I saved the engine-and 25 years later, it still runs like a charm!!

Have yet to try WD 40 on my arthritis-but some say it really works!!

Ken Cave



bcave@whidbey.net

[Mark Yashinsky]

How long were you in the waves before the 9.9 died??? Was it calm before that (and cooling water was coming out of the engine)??? Is the 9.9 a long shaft??? Have any other problmes with it (recently???)??? Engine might have gotten wet by a fluke splash and it took that long to dry out (residual engine heat), but sounds more like either cooling (but if the water inlet was above the water, then the prop was not in much water either, hence no power) or fuel (how much did you have, pickup going above the tank inlet, and what shape is your fuel hose, and primer bulb in??? Any water in the fuel tank???).

[Ken Coit]

Ken,

I was having arthritic syptoms awhile back and then I started eating apples again. About two weeks ago I noticed that my knees were much better. Coincidence? Maybe, but I am still eating apples.

The People's Pharmacy had something similar on this a few weeks ago reporting that apple cider vinegar and some fruit juice works too! Isn't it amazing what we don't know about nutrition?

Ken
CD/36 Parfait
Raleigh, NC

Jay:

Thanks for the input! I actually lost a small Evenrude to the deep blue see (with me holding onto it when I lost my footing trying to transfer the moter to my dinghy-then a canoe) retrieved it and sprayed WD 40 into all parts of the engine for over an hour.

According to the dealer, I saved the engine-and 25 years later, it still runs like a charm!!

Have yet to try WD 40 on my arthritis-but some say it really works!!

Ken Cave

parfait@nc.rr.com

[Ken Cave]

Ken:

Thanks for the input! Will try apples, apple juice, and if need by, apple cider! Something ought to work!

Actually I am using a rather large copper bracelet on my right wrist.

Before I started using it two years ago, I could hardly hold a hammer over my head-not good when you build houses! Since then, 90 percent of the pain has vanished!

Now with apples...........

Ken Cave



bcave@whidbey.net