YouTube to the Rescue

It seems as if there is always something that needs to be repaired. Very often it is something that we have never encountered. We have learned to go online and look for instructions. Yesterday’s problem was a frayed outboard motor starter cord. 

We had a week with no commitments so we decided to head out for a few days at anchor. Our original goal was the Sassafras River but we decided to not go quite that far since there was no wind in the forecast and we would have to motor all the way there and back. We chose instead to go back to the Corsica River. We spent our first night at Dun Cove, near the mouth of the Choptank. The next morning we took the shortcut through the Knapp’s Narrows drawbridge. It was our second time through there and this time we were able to avoid going aground (like we did last year) as we entered the Chesapeake. The channel markers switch sides-green on the right instead of red-and they don’t correspond to the chart so I still found it confusing. Nevertheless, we made it. 

We motored under the Bay Bridge, into the Chester River and anchored in Reed’s Creek; a lovely, peaceful and large anchorage. The next day we motored into the Corsica River and dropped the anchor. We had planned to dinghy to Centreville at the end of the river and eat out at Doc’s, a short walk from the wharf. After putting the outboard on the dinghy George pulled the outboard starter cord to make sure it would run. The motor started but the cord didn’t retract. Uh oh. We weren’t ready to leave for Centreville and didn’t want to leave the motor running for two hours. Even if we did leave it running and could get to Centreville, how would we start the motor to get back?  It was way too far to row the dinghy back to Breeze On. We looked online and found YouTube instructions on how to replace the frayed starter cord (which looks rather complicated) or use the emergency starter cord as a temporary fix. We don’t have any replacement cord on board so George used the emergency starter cord. It requires some disassembly of the motor but George figured out a way to partially reassemble the motor after attaching the cord, but before starting the engine, so he didn’t risk losing any fingers when putting to motor back together. We made it to Centreville, and back. Replacing the starter cord and buying a spare are now on the to do list. 

Outboard motor cord. The frayed cord eventually broke off.