On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 14:36:51 GMT, wrote:

Would it be an asset to get the shop manual?

I had a Yanmar since 1982. I had my share of mishap with that make of
diesel. For some reason or another the engine always failed where the
current was strong and many time under dead calm condition. Other time when
there was wind I was able to get to a safe heaven under sail.

A shop manual is always a useful thing to have but it has been my
experience that the most frequent maintenance issues like water pump
impellers, belts and fuel filters do not really require it.

Engine failures seem to follow Murphy's law and almost always occur at
the worst possible time. We once short tacked one of our old
sailboats down the east river in NY Harbor after losing the engine
coming through Hell's Gate. Very exciting. When I had sailboats it
became our policy to always have the mainsail up when under power for
any distance. That will at least give you some directional stability
while you scramble around and get a jib set.