Swimming with a 15hp Outboard

[SabreKai]

Years ago when I was living on my Grampian, I sold off the Merc 9.9 and decided that a 5hp would do. (stupid, I know) So my girlfriend decided to buy me a brand new Mariner 5hp. I picked it up at her place, and she was going to come down later that afternoon and we would go out sailing. So I carried the brand new motor down to the boat and made ready to mount it on the bracket. (I had put a solid plate into the outboard cut out to prevent getting pooped and put on a bracket.)

I secured a line around the power head with the other end tied to the boom and topping lift. Then I lifted the motor in place and started to set it on the bracket. The clamp screws weren't out far enough so the motor was balancing on the bracket and I reached over to undo the screws. As I'm doing this a boat passes my slip and the motor hops off the bracket. Then it stops and hangs there. I look up just in time to see the line come off the boom and the motor goes kerplunk, straight down 27 feet into muck and slime.

I'm just standing there in shock. Gotta find a diver. Nope none around. I finally get hold of a grappling hook and start fishing for it. I snag it and haul it up. The hook had caught under one of the horizontal plates just above the propeller and its hanging down with the power head down, balancing on the tip of the hook. I grabbed it, and carted it up to the public laundry at the marina. There I pulled out the spark plug and flushed out the cylinder, drained the oil and left it while I went back to the boat to get the oil. Teri comes down and sees me head back into the laundry. She looks at the motor sitting in the wash basin and asks me what I'm doing.

"oh nothing, I'm just giving it a bit of a wash, as it was dusty......"

Thankfully it started up immediately after this mess and ran fine. She never did find out I dumped it in the drink.

[SabreKai]

Years ago when I was living on my Grampian, I sold off the Merc 9.9 and decided that a 5hp would do. (stupid, I know) So my girlfriend decided to buy me a brand new Mariner 5hp. I picked it up at her place, and she was going to come down later that afternoon and we would go out sailing. I carried the brand new motor down to the boat and made ready to mount it on the bracket. (I had put a solid plate into the outboard cut out to prevent getting pooped and put on a bracket.)

I secured a line around the power head with the other end tied to the boom and topping lift. Then I lifted the motor in place and started to set it on the bracket. The clamp screws weren't out far enough so the motor was balancing on the bracket and I reached over to undo the screws. As I'm doing this a boat passes my slip and the motor hops off the bracket. Then it stops and hangs there. I look up just in time to see the line come off the boom and the motor goes kerplunk, straight down 27 feet into muck and slime.

I'm just standing there in shock. Gotta find a diver. Nope none around. I finally get hold of a grappling hook and start fishing for it. I snag it and haul it up. The hook had caught under one of the horizontal plates just above the propeller and its hanging with the power head down, balancing on the tip of the hook. I carefully grabbed it, and carted it up to the public laundry at the marina. There I pulled out the spark plug and flushed out the cylinder, drained the oil and left it while I went back to the boat to get the oil. Teri comes down and sees me head back into the laundry. She looks at the motor sitting in the wash basin and asks me what I'm doing.

"oh nothing, I'm just giving it a bit of a wash, as it was dusty......"

Thankfully it started up immediately after this mess and ran fine. She never did find out I dumped it in the drink.

[IceMan]

Pumpcity,
I believe years ago Patrick F. McManus in one of his books describes this very situation. His explaination was "Split Shot Sinker." "This is where you have an outboard engine in your arms, one foot on the dock and the other on the boat. The boat splits and you sink like a shot."
WD

[pumpcity]

You'd be surprised how much floatation you get from adrenaline. Every appendage not holding on to the OB is flailing like mad. What you learn is: Quit trying to find the shortcut. Find more lines to secure your dinghy to the boat.

[Vasco]

A buddy of mine got a new 9.9 for his dink on his first trip south. First time he put it on his dink was in a fairly deep anchorage on the Hudson where he picked up a mooring. Of course the inevitable happened and it went into the water with him hanging on. I asked him when he let go. His answer, "at about thirty feet!".

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by pumpcity

You'd be surprised how much floatation you get from adrenaline. Every appendage not holding on to the OB is flailing like mad. What you learn is: Quit trying to find the shortcut. Find more lines to secure your dinghy to the boat.

make a designated line into a harness and lift for the engine before you swim with it--is easier that way.