BIG JOB TO REMOVE CABLE and KISSES WITH YAMAHA DEALER - 27 & 28 May (Days 33 / 34)
Sunday was calm. The marina is like an aquarium. Our fish
lie at the surface enjoying the sun, and we watch them interact with each
other.
I was leaving the throttle cable until Monday but David Christy said
remove the old one and see if the bicycle dealer / rental man just outside the
marina can make a new one. It was impossible to free the cable without removing
a number of engine parts which is not a good idea for me, nor could I release
one end as everything seems to have welded itself together at the connection on
the tiller arm. David came over to take a look and was surprised by the poor
state of the motor which he says is mostly due to these Chinese copies of
better engines using inferior materials. It did not help that I had not greased
the point, or that the dealer in Malta who had started it up on Friday had not
added any lubrication either. A helpful dealer would be more positive about
such things.
We discussed tactics and even if we could get a simple cable
made it could take 10 hours of work to get it fitted and functioning, and still
the concerns of the boatyard mechanic who David knows and trusts could lead to
finding more problems.
I made the decision to pick up the process of buying a
Yamaha here in Ragusa which we had researched last week.
On Monday morning I went with Corrado to Ragusa to visit his
good friend Giovanni Cataldi and I was impressed with his thirty years of
knowledge and experience with the Yamaha brand.
When I bought the Parsun 9.8 in June 2016 I had to
compromise to fit the financial budget. It did not have electric start or
battery charging by alternator and is a Chinese copy brand to save money. The dealer assured me that Yamaha parts can be
used, but at the first part failure I find that this is untrue (even if some
are compatible). Standard outboard motors of this size are designed to propel
open boats of 4m or 5m length at speeds of perhaps 15 to 20 knots. Sailing
boats are larger and heavier and motor at perhaps six knots, and need larger propeller
and more torque.
Havcat designer Lars Oudrup and catamaran designer friend
Richard Woods whom I have known for years both advised me this month to go for
a high thrust model.
The deal was struck with Giovanni to include fitting onto
the boat and I paid the whole price on my credit card to avoid the need to go
inland again just to pay. In Sicily it
is important to understand that who you know and personal connection are most
important. Thanks to Corrado this element was in the mix for me.
There are 12 models of Yamaha 9.9 High Thrust alone and none
are regular sale items so the motor has been ordered, with necessary extras for
tiller start and steering, and alternator. I can’t understand how electric
start motors don’t have an alternator as standard.
Giovanni invited us for coffee at the nearby petro station,
after which we parted with the kiss on both cheeks which is very common in
Italy between men.
It is most unlikely that it will be received in Sicily from
the Yamaha Europe HQ and fitted in time to leave on Friday I June so I have to try
to negotiate with the marina over staying extra days, hopefully not at the
daily visitor rate after 8 months here.
The decision is made and we will have the best motor for the
planned trip to Greece.
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