The missus and I went down to Morgan’s Boatyard this weekend full of excitement. This was the day we would launch Messing About. She has been scrubbed, bottom-painted, surveyed, de-named (yes I went down and conducted the first part of the renaming with a cheap bottle of Asti Spumante).
Saturday was supposed to be the day but Poseidon had other ideas. Clearly the God of the Sea didn’t appreciate the cheapness of the bubbly.
We timed it so we would move the boat 30 mins after high tide when there would be a lot of slack water. We would then make our way down Cheesequake Creek (I am not making this name up by the way), through two bridges that would need to be raised. We would then motor over to the other side of Raritan Bay to our mooring at Raritan Yacht Club. Well that was the plan.
Messing About was floating nicely, tied up against the fuel dock. A buoyant boat. Passed the first test – Check.
We turned the batteries on. “The light went on” says Mrs T. Electrical power – Check
I switched on the radio and turned it to Ch16. “This is the Coast Guard. Securite, Securite, blablabla”. Radio – Check
OK, now for the coup de grace – the Engine. Messing About has a 10 HP Johnson outboard. This is my least favorite part of any boat. A necessary evil.
Pump the gas. Key in. Choke out a touch. Switch on-“Gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa”. Me no likey.
I checked around and realized that I had put the tube from the gas tank on the wrong way round and it wasn’t pumping gas. Doh!
Fixed this and tried to start it up again. “Gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa- Clunk-Clunk -gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa-gnaa”. Some progress but not perfection. I futzed around, trying out different ways to get it started for 10 mins and then went to get the guy.
The great thing about being in the boatyard is that all I had to do was shuffle over to the boat-shed, look pathetic, mumble something about the engine and some chap in overalls agreed to help me. The chap in question is Brian who runs Morgan’s and I can’t say enough good things about his efforts.
He took the engine hood off, repeated what I had done and low and behold after about 10 mins got the engine started. Better. Much better but…
..She wouldn’t idle and kept stalling.
Brian said he could fix it. Good again. but…
…This was followed by a loud whining, buzzing sound. That would be the engine overheating.
I looked at the engine. No water pumping. Not good. I looked at Brian. He looked at the engine and lack of pumping water and then back at me. The brow was furrowed and the lips were pursed. He tutted. Not good. Not good at all.
“Well” said Brian. “I could have fixed the idling but you need a new water pump. The thing is my guy who can fix this is on vacation for a week. I will take her out on Monday and we will get it to in the next two weeks.”
The Mrs and I were glum but philosophical. The launch will have to wait for another day as will the renaming. This time it will be good champagne, dammit Poseidon.