"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message ...
Sometimes, if the engine isn't running, it's not too bad. If it's running
when it goes in, it's generally toast.


Not true. I use to rent outboard skiffs and take them to point loma
near San Deigo. We would check out the kelp fields the seals ect then
surf the boats on the ocean swells breaking on the point. It was a
blast, but often you were swamped going full speed and the engine and
all goes under. We would just drag them up on the beach, dry them out
crank the water thru dry the plugs and sand them with a piece of emery
cloth and go right back to do it again. I found a punt off the ship
channel last year and surfed the ship wakes between morgans point and
the Fred Heartman bridge. Was a blast 3 or 4 miles of surfing on a 13
kt wave until I nose dived into the bottom of the roller and the boat
went head over heels.

Still have the same outboard after having to swim with it and the
upside down boat for a half mile. Secret is just open it up wash, oil
everything and get the water out of were it does not belong.

Got a free outboard once, guy droped it in 14 foot of water. He had to
much money and just said he was going to get a new one. So I dove in
and retrieved it right then. Gave it to a Brit that was crusing thru.

Joe


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
My buddy managed to drop his 7HP outboard into the water yesterday and rip
out
his thumbnail in the process. More painful than his thumb, the outboard
was in
10 feet of water. We talked about what to do, knowing full well what had
to be
done. I used Alien's whisker pole to locate the engine in the mud. Holding
the
pole to mark the spot, I was able to swim down (after a few tries) and tie
a
line to the motor. We hauled it up.
I carried the motor over to my friend who does the yards outboard work and
an
hour later (fresh water wash, flush, WD 40 flush for head and carb and so
on,
the motor was running as if nothing had happened!
Interesting that when the outboard dropped into the water, my buddy says
it was
floating for a moment! I guess there was enough air in the hat.


RB