bobreeves
12-11-2007, 07:04 AM
Had an interesting experience with a new (to me) Carolina Skiff with a Yamaha 25 4 stroke with a recoil starter (no electric start). After a day of unsuccessful fishing around an island about a mile out in Lake Livingston, I decided to head back to the launch when the sky began to darken. As soon as I turned around the sky opened up, and I could no longer see my destination. Thank God for GPS. During my fishing, I had started and shut down the engine a dozen times with no problem. I arrived back at the launch, very wet and cold, and tied up my skiff to the pier. Backed the trailer down, hopped in the skiff and untied her, and began drifting away from the dock. I grabbed the recoil starter handle and it absolutely would not budge. I checked my throttle lever, and it was in neutral. This motor has a start in neutral safety switch. Being new to this boat and to Yamana, I didn't know its inner workings. Fortunately I have a trolling motor, so I was able to slowly power my way back to my trailer. Otherwise it would have been a nice swim in 57 degree water - not fun.
When I arrived home, I pulled the engine cover to see that the no neutral starter safety device was a cable attached to the shifter cable. It had apparently stretched, was all the way to the end of its adjustment range, and was now functioning as an 'only start when in gear' safety device. I promptly removed every piece of this safety device - cables, clamps, linkages, ratchet that engaged the starter recoil device - everything. I realize that it's probably not a good idea to start the engine in gear at full throttle, but I'd rather be the one checking my throttle position than some cable that will stretch and/or break, leaving me unable to start my engine if I don't have a full set of ratchets and other tools aboard.
Over the years I've had many outboards without this 'safety device', and can't recall ever starting an engine at full throttle, either in reverse or forward. But thanks Yamaha / feds for keeping me safe. Had this happened when I was a mile out instead of at the launch, I would have had to motor back with my troller, which was mounted up front where I could not see my GPS. It was raining so hard I could not see shore.
Boating - always an adventure...
Bob
PS My Crafstman riding mower had 5 or 6 of these to protect me from myself, a couple of which failed, and all of which are now bypassed and soldered together.
When I arrived home, I pulled the engine cover to see that the no neutral starter safety device was a cable attached to the shifter cable. It had apparently stretched, was all the way to the end of its adjustment range, and was now functioning as an 'only start when in gear' safety device. I promptly removed every piece of this safety device - cables, clamps, linkages, ratchet that engaged the starter recoil device - everything. I realize that it's probably not a good idea to start the engine in gear at full throttle, but I'd rather be the one checking my throttle position than some cable that will stretch and/or break, leaving me unable to start my engine if I don't have a full set of ratchets and other tools aboard.
Over the years I've had many outboards without this 'safety device', and can't recall ever starting an engine at full throttle, either in reverse or forward. But thanks Yamaha / feds for keeping me safe. Had this happened when I was a mile out instead of at the launch, I would have had to motor back with my troller, which was mounted up front where I could not see my GPS. It was raining so hard I could not see shore.
Boating - always an adventure...
Bob
PS My Crafstman riding mower had 5 or 6 of these to protect me from myself, a couple of which failed, and all of which are now bypassed and soldered together.